TEXT: 1
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  
  2
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  Hello there, and thank you from White Wolf Publishing for
  participating in this introductory event for our newest roleplaying
  game, Dark Ages: Vampire. If you’re not already familiar with us
  or with our Dark Medieval setting, Dark Ages: Vampire is a core
  rulebook in the tradition of our flagship production, Vampire:
  The Masquerade. It uses our d10 storyteller system to help groups
  of inspired individuals create interactive tales of epic horror that
  take place in medieval Europe. The game itself is scheduled for
  release in July of this year, but giving you this story now gives you
  the chance to drum up some early interest among your friends and
  customers. (Not to mention the fact that it gives us a chance to
  show off this slice of a greater product we’re all very proud of.)
  So let’s get started. This packet includes everything you need
  to run this story, from pre-generated character sheets to easy-to-
  swallow explanations of the game systems used at each point in
  the action. The bold, capitalized directions in the brackets are
  addressed to the “Storyteller” (i.e., the person who’ll be running
  the game, narrating the scenes and representing the background
  characters), giving him tips on how to tell the story smoothly, and
  the various choices that characters might end up making over the
  course of the story have been accounted for inasmuch as our
  powers of prediction allow. The only things you need to provide
  to get you started are pencils, perhaps some scratch paper if your
  players want to take notes on the events, and enough 10-sided
  dice for everyone to share.
  KNIGHTS OF THE
  BLACK CROSS
  KNIGHTS OF THE
  BLACK CROSS
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  An introductory adventure story for
  Dark Ages: Vampire
  
  3
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  The Plot in Brief
  This story, “Knights of the Black Cross,” is set in AD
  1230 at Bran Castle in Kronstadt, Hungary. It details the
  exploits of five vampire knights who are acting at the
  behest of an older, very powerful vampire lord. He com-
  mands them to trek into the dangerous forest buffer zone
  between his army and that of his ancient enemy, where
  they will gather intelligence data vital to his war effort. In
  so doing, though, they are given reason to suspect treach-
  ery against their lord, and they must play a dangerous
  game of deciding whom to trust. Then, once all is said and
  done, they must make their way back to the safety of their
  castle and report on what they’ve found.
  This story has room for two to five players, and we’ve
  included five pre-made characters’— two of which are
  vampiric wilderness scouts, the rest of whom are vampiric
  men-at-arms — and requires one bold, confident soul to
  take the reins of Storyteller. Once you’ve gathered play-
  ers, set aside an hour and a half (maybe two) and get ready
  to take a glimpse into the dangerous world of the undead.
  It is a time of strife, a time of tragedy and a time of
  sweeping change. But at the same time, it is also an era of
  adventure and opportunity, when all one needs is the will
  and the strength to take up arms in the darkness and seize
  his dark, eternal birthright for himself.
  Background
  [THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE HAS ALSO
  BEEN PROVIDED TO YOUR PLAYERS.
  YOU DO NOT NEED TO READ IT ALOUD,
  BUT YOU SHOULD FAMILIARIZE
  YOURSELF WITH ITS CONTENTS.]
  Meeting Lord Jürgen
  the Sword-Bearer
  The year is AD 1230. You are a Teutonic Knight of
  the Order of the Black Cross — a secret order of vampire
  knights operating within the greater Teutonic Order.
  You have been stationed at heavily fortified Bran Castle
  located on a high hill overlooking a dark, forbidding
  forest in the wilderness of Kronstadt, Hungary. You are
  part of an army of vampires and men, led by an old and
  powerful vampire known as Lord Jürgen the Sword-
  Bearer. You are recently arrived from your order’s
  headquarters in Magdeburg, Germany, and you come
  highly praised and recommended by the order’s second-
  in-command, Lucretia von Hartz.
  You awake night after your arrival at Bran Castle to
  find many of your fellow soldiers in a state of excited
  agitation. The castle’s defenses are being checked and
  double-checked, and there are more guards in evidence
  on the walls than usual. Mortal scouts are being sent out
  and reporting back twice as frequently as usual, and the
  castle’s smiths and armorers are working frantically. Even
  the horses and livestock seem skittish and anxious. Over-
  head, clouds are rolling in from the east, bringing the
  sound of faraway thunder and intermittent flashes of
  lightning to mirror the growing anxiety on the ground.
  Before you can investigate the cause of all this agitation,
  though, a captain of the castle guards approaches you,
  with several other knights at his side.
  “Knight of the Black Cross,” he says.
  “You must come with me at once. Lord Jürgen bade
  me collect you and escort you to him. No questions, now,
  this is urgent. Come.”
  The captain then leads you across the castle’s bus-
  tling courtyard and into the castle proper. You follow him
  through echoing stone corridors to a small, torch-lit
  chamber where Lord Jürgen himself is waiting for you on
  the other side of a heavy wooden table. Jürgen is a tall,
  powerful-looking man with blond hair, broad shoulders
  and striking blue eyes. He is wearing full chain armor with
  a belted white tabard over it, as well as thick leather
  gloves and boots. A stark black cross upon his chest
  dominates the center of his tabard. An enormous and
  ornate broadsword hangs at Lord Jürgen’s hip, and one of
  his hands rests on its pommel. This man radiates an aura
  of command that makes him seem invincible, as if he
  could never possibly fall in battle. He dismisses the
  captain before turning to speak to you.
  “Fellow knights of the Black Cross,” he says to
  you.”“Thank you for coming so quickly. Let me welcome
  you personally to Bran Castle. Lucretia von Hartz speaks
  highly of you in our correspondence. She feels that you
  will serve me well in our crusade against the demonic
  fiends who oppose us here. In fact, the time has come for
  you to prove to me that her faith in you is well founded.
  I have chosen you to undertake a mission of critical
  importance. Are you ready to prove yourselves to me and
  the rest of your sword-brethren?”
  Lord Jürgen does not wait for your answer, certain of
  your agreement, and you let him continue uninterrupted.
  “Excellent. Now, you may have noticed that your
  fellow soldiers seem ill at ease of late. They are anxious
  because a great battle against our foe looms on the
  horizon. The monstrous vampire-fiend Vladimir
  Rustovitch has raised an army of men, vampires and
  inhuman monstrosities against us, and he means to drive
  us out once and for all.
  “But know this, my sword-brethren, I will not be chased
  out of this castle or out of this country, not by man nor king
  nor demon-fiend. We have all worked too hard these many
  years to turn back now, and I say we fight for this land and
  domain we have earned by right of arms. That is why I have
  summoned you tonight. I have received word from a spy in
  Rustovitch’s camp that preparations for a major, conclusive
  offensive are underway, and that Rustovitch’s army plans to
  attack us in one week’s time. My spy has gathered informa-
  tion on the planned assault that could prove crucial to our
  
  4
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  victory — perhaps even our survival. He is planning to
  break away from Rustovitch’s camp tomorrow night and
  make his way here to report to me.
  “The wilderness between Rustovitch’s camp and
  ours is arduous and heavily contested, and my spy does not
  trust his wilderness survival skills enough to make the
  entire trek alone. I need you to make your way in secret to
  a rendezvous point, meet up with my spy and guide him
  back safely to deliver the intelligence he has gathered. I
  know some of you are excellent scouts and all of you are
  able, valiant men at arms. I can spare no men to aid you,
  but I promise you great rewards should you succeed. So
  what say you? Can you be prepared to leave tomorrow
  night, one hour after sunset?”
  This is a simple  enough task, and it takes you only a
  moment to agree to Lord Jürgen’s request.
  “Very well. I will see that you are given new weapons
  and armor, supplied with maps of the forest in which your
  rendezvous will take place, and given your fill of fresh
  blood for the hard work ahead. May God’s grace be upon
  you, my knights of the Black Cross. All of your sword-
  brethren are counting on you. Do not let us down.”
  Lord Jürgen then nods gravely and raps on the table
  with his knuckles. The captain of the guards who led you
  here reenters the room and escorts you out.
  The Woods
  The next night, you awake well rested and find the
  other soldiers at Bran Castle as excited and edgy as they
  were the night before. You are allowed to drink your fill of
  blood in preparation for your mission, and once you have
  finished, you are outfitted with new weapons and a suit of
  chain mail that is as light as leather armor, and which has
  been designed to make as little noise as possible while
  you’re running through the woods. The scouts are allowed
  half an hour to commit the maps of the surrounding forest
  and the directions to the rendezvous point to memory.
  You’re not allowed to carry the maps with you because they
  also mark important ambush sites and troop placements,
  which could be harmful if they fell into Rustovitch’s hands.
  The captain of the guards who led you to Lord Jürgen
  last night takes you and your companions to the edge of
  the woods and gives you one final briefing.
  “Now remember, knights,” he says. “Lord Jürgen’s
  not asking much of you. Just go to the rendezvous point
  and wait there. Our spy’ll meet you there and show you a
  sign he’s Jürgen’s man, loyal to the Black Cross. When
  you find him, get him here without letting any of
  Rustovitch’s men find him. Simple as that. Just remember
  to keep quiet and try to stay hidden. These woods are full
  of wolves and men and worse, and don’t none of ’em want
  you there. Stay sharp and alert if you want to make it back
  here no more dead than you already are.”
  With that, the captain laughs a spitefully and leaves
  you and your fellow knights alone at the edge of woods, to
  face whatever dangers lie within.
  Scene One
  The Woods
  [BEFORE YOU BEGIN, ASK THE PLAYERS
  IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT
  YOU ARE ABLE TO ANSWER. WHEN
  EVEYONE IS READY, HAVE EACH
  PLAYER TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY HIS
  CHARACTER’S NAME AND DESCRIBE
  WHAT HIS CHARACTER LOOKS LIKE.
  THEN BEGIN THE SCENE BY READING
  THIS ALOUD TO YOOR PLAYERS.]
  The woods are thick and dark, but you know that you
  must get moving quickly. The scouts are the only mem-
  bers of the group who have seen the map. You are relying
  on them to lead the way to the rendezvous point.
  [GIVE THE CHARACTERS A FEW MINUTES
  TO INTERACT AND GET THEMSELVES
  ORGRANIZED. IF THE PLAYERS NEED HELP GET-
  TING STARTED, OR WHEN THE CHARACTERS
  ARE READY TO ENTER THE WOODS, CONTINUE
  WITH THE STORY].
  Now, at this point, I need the scouts to make Intel-
  ligence + Survival rolls in order to remember the way to
  the rendezvous point and lead the way there.
  [HAVE THE PLAYERS IN QUESTION
  INDEPENDENTLY ROLL A NUMBER
  OF DICE EQUAL TO THEIR
  INTELLIGENCE + SURVIVAL RATINGS
  AGAINST A DIFFICULTY OF 6.
  THEN, BEFORE YOU TELL THEM WHAT
  HAPPENS, SEE IF THE SCOUTS RESULTS
  DISAGREE. IF THEY DISAGREE (IF, FOR
  INSTANCE, ONE HAS ROLLED SUCCESS-
  FULLY WHILE THE OTHER HAS FAILED),
  HAVE THE CHARACTERS CHOOSE FOR
  THEMSELVES WHICH SCOUT WILL LEAD
  THEM. (FOR EASE OF GAME-PLAY EN-
  COURAGE THEM NOT TO SPLIT UP, AS
  IT WOULD BE TOO DANGEROUS AND
  LESS TIME-EFFICIENT TO DO SO.)
  REMIND THEM, THOUGH, THAT THEY
  CANNOT CHOOSE BASED ON THE DICE
  ROLLS. THE ROLLS DETERMINE HOW
  THINGS ARE GOING TO END UP, NOT
  HOW THEY SEEM LIKELY TO END UP
  BEFORE THEY EVEN BEGIN.
  ENCOURAGE THE PLAYERS TO ROLE-
  PLAY THEIR WAY TO A DECISION. ONCE
  THE CHARACTERS HAVE DECIDED, THE
  RESULTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:]
  
  5
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  •Success
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD TO
  YOUR PLAYERS, BUT DIRECT IT
  TOWARD THE SCOUT CHARACTERS.
  REMIND THE PLAYERS THAT THIER
  CHARACTERS CAN USE AUSPEX OR
  PROTEAN TO SEE IN THE DARK.]
  Recalling the details of Lord Jürgen’s maps, you lead
  your comrades into the eerie and forbidding forest. The
  thick canopy of gnarled, twisted branches overhead blocks
  out even the scant light of the moon through the clouds,
  but your heightened vampiric senses penetrate the dark-
  ness handily. Your comrades can’t see as easily or as far,
  but they follow you with confidence.
  [NOW SKIP DOWN TO
  WHERE IT SAYS “NEXT...”]
  •Failure
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD TO YOUR
  PLAYERS, BUT DIRECT IT TOWARD
  THE SCOUT CHARACTERS. REMIND
  THE PLAYERS THAT THIER
  CHARACTERS CAN USE AUSPEX
  OR PROTEAN TO SEE IN THE DARK.]
  The details of Lord Jürgen’s maps are somewhat hazy
  to you. You remember certain landmarks and the basic
  direction you should be going in, but this forest is uncom-
  fortably eerie. The thick canopy of gnarled, twisted
  branches overhead blocks out even the scant light of the
  moon through the clouds, throwing everything into
  unwelcoming shadow. Maybe if you drew out a rough
  sketch of the map in the dirt...
  [AT THIS POINT, ALLOW ONE OR
  BOTH OF THE SCOUTS TO RE-ROLL
  INTELLIGENCE + SURVIVAL, BUT
  AGAINST A DIFFICULTY OF 7. IF THIS
  CYCLE REPEATS ITSELF, ALLOW THE
  SCOUTS TO MAKE THE ROLL AGAIN,
  INCREASING THE DIFFICULTY BY ONE
  EACH TIME (HOLDING STEADY AT 10).
  HAVE THEM REPEAT THIS PROCESS
  UNTIL THEY ROLL SUCCESSFULLY,
  THEN READ THE TEXT UNDER
  “SUCCESS.” REMIND THE PLAYERS
  THAT THEY CAN SPEND A WILLPOWER
  FOR AN AUTOMATIC SUCCESS.]
  •Botch
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD TO YOUR
  PLAYERS, BUT DIRECT IT TOWARD THE
  SCOUT CHARACTERS. REMIND THE
  PLAYERS THAT THIER CHARACTERS
  CAN USE AUSPEX OR PROTEAN
  TO SEE IN THE DARK.]
  Recalling the details of Lord Jürgen’s maps with
  practiced ease, you lead your comrades into the eerie and
  forbidding forest. The thick canopy of gnarled, twisted
  branches overhead blocks out even the scant light of the
  moon through the clouds, but your heightened vampiric
  senses penetrate the darkness handily. Your comrades
  can’t see as easily or as far, but they follow you confidently.
  After half an hour, though, you realize that you might
  have made a mistake when you emerge from the woods
  facing Bran Castle, no less than two hundred yards from
  where you left.
  [AT THIS POINT, ASK IF THE
  SCOUTS ADMIT THEIR MISTAKE
  TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS, AND
  GIVE THE PLAYERS A MOMENT TO
  ROLEPLAY. TO ENCOURAGE
  INTERACTION, YOU MIGHT HAVE
  THE OTHER PLAYERS ROLL
  PERCEPTION + SURVIVAL TO NOTICE
  THEY HAVE GONE IN A CIRCLE BEFORE
  ALLOWING ONE OR BOTH OF THE
  SCOUTS TO RE-ROLL INTELLIGENCE +
  SURVIVAL, DIFFICULTY 8. IF THIS
  CYCLE REPEATS ITSELF, HAVE THE
  SCOUTS MAKE THE ROLL AGAIN,
  INCREASING THE DIFFICULTY BY ONE
  EACH TIME (HOLDING STEADY AT 10).
  REPEAT THIS PROCESS UNTIL THEY
  ROLL SUCCESSFULLY, THEN READ THE
  TEXT UNDER “SUCCESS.” REMIND YOUR
  PLAYERS THEY CAN SPEND WILLPOWER
  FOR AN AUTOMATIC SUCCESS.]
  Next...
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD]
  As you’re on your way, the forest closes in around you,
  seeming to swallow you into the belly of some rough beast.
  Once you’re out of earshot of Bran Castle, you begin to
  realize just how isolated and cut off from any reinforce-
  ments you actually are. The more you think about it, the
  more you notice unidentifiable sounds in the distance,
  seemingly coming from all around you. It may be simple
  nocturnal animals going about their business or the sound
  of some hapless peasant who’s wandered too deep into the
  forest away from home, but it reminds you of what the
  captain said about keeping quiet and staying hidden.
  Now, I need everyone to make a Dexterity + Stealth roll.
  [HAVE THE PLAYERS INDEPENDENTLY
  ROLL DEXTERITY + STEALTH, DIFFI-
  CULTY 6. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS
  VERY MUCH AN ALL-OR-NOTHING
  SITUATION. IF mALL OF THE PLAYERS
  
  6
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  SUCCEED ON THIS ROLL, BEGIN YOUR
  NARRATION FROM THE “SUCCESS”
  POINT. IF ANY ONE OF THEM FAILS ON
  THIS ROLL (EVEN IF ALL THE OTHERS
  SUCCEED), BEGIN AT THE “FAILURE”
  POINT. HOWEVER, IF ANY ONE OF THEM
  BOTCHES THE ROLL (REGARDLESS OF
  ANY OTHER SUCCESSES OR FAILURES),
  SKIP DOWN TO WHERE IT SAYS
  “BOTCH” AND START READING THERE.]
  •Success
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD
  TO YOUR PLAYERS.]
  As one, you all exchange a look and a series of
  military hand signals then nod knowingly. With the
  scouts in the lead, you proceed in single-file, stepping
  only on tree roots, broad stones and hard ground. The
  strange alien sounds in the forest fade away to the rear as
  you disappear into the shadows and continue on with
  your mission.
  [NOW YOU MAY SKIP AHEAD
  TO “SCENE TWO”]
  •Failure
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD TO YOUR
  PLAYERS, BUT DIRECT IT ESPECIALLY
  TO THOSE WHO FAILED THEIR DEXTER-
  ITY + STEALTH ROLL]
  As one, you all exchange a look and a series of
  military hand signals then nod knowingly. With the
  scouts in the lead, you proceed single-file, trying to step
  only on tree roots, broad stones and hard ground. That’s
  easier said than done, though, considering how dark and
  dense the forest has grown with the setting of the sun.
  Almost inevitably, it seems, you put a foot wrong and
  step onto a dry, dead stick. The stick breaks with a sharp
  snap! All of you freeze momentarily, and the sound of
  something dashing through the underbrush in your
  direction catches your ears. Before you can figure out
  exactly which way the sound is coming from, a pair of
  beasts explodes from the underbrush right in the middle
  of your coterie. The beasts are each half as large as a man
  and completely hairless—they’re like no living creatures
  God created. They appear to be demonic hybrids of
  wolves and enormous spiders. They lunge forward on too
  many legs, snapping wickedly fanged mandibles at you
  indiscriminately.
  You’re too well trained to scatter and run away. You
  know that your best bet is to fight.
  [NOW SKIP DOWN TO WHERE IT SAYS
  “COMBAT WITH THE BEASTS”]
  •Botch
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD TO YOUR
  PLAYERS, BUT DIRECT IT ESPECIALLY
  TO THOSE WHO BOTCHED THEIR DEX-
  TERITY + STEALTH ROLLS]
  As one, you all exchange a look and a series of
  military hand signals then nod knowingly. With the
  scouts in the lead, you proceed in single-file, trying to step
  only on tree roots, broad stones and hard ground. That’s
  easier said than done, though, considering how dark and
  dense the forest has grown with the setting of the sun. You
  find yourself becoming separated from the group.
  In your hurry to catch up so you don’t lose your com-
  rades entirely, you jump from a patch of hard dry ground to
  what you think is a flat rock. That “rock,” however, is
  actually a dead, hollow log, and the rotten wood disinte-
  grates beneath your feet with an echoing CRUNCH!
  Everyone freezes momentarily, and the sound of something
  dashing through the underbrush in your direction suddenly
  surrounds you. Before you can figure out exactly which way
  the sound is coming from, four beasts explode from the
  underbrush all around your coterie. The beasts are each half
  as large as a man and completely hairless—they’re like no
  living creatures God created. They appear to be demonic
  hybrids of wolves and enormous spiders, and their battle cry
  is an unearthly trill. They lunge forward on too many legs,
  snapping wickedly fanged mandibles at you indiscriminately.
  Despite your momentary lack of grace, you’re all too
  well trained to scatter and run away. You know that your
  best bet is to fight.
  [NOW SKIP DOWN TO WHERE IT SAYS
  “COMBAT WITH THE BEASTS”]
  COMBAT WITH THE
  BEASTS
  [DON’T READ THIS NEXT PART ALOUD
  TO YOUR PLAYERS WORD FOR WORD.
  WHAT FOLLOWS IS A QUICK PRIMER
  FOR HOW THE STORYTELLER SYSTEM
  HANDLES SMALL-SCALE COMBAT
  SCENES. MOST OF THIS INFOMRATION
  IS ALSO COVERD IN THE INTRODUC-
  TION, AND IT IS ALL DSUMMARIZED IN
  THE COMBAT CHEAR SHEET AT THE
  END OF THE SECTION. THE COMPLETE
  COMBAT SYSTEM COVERED IN THE
  DARK AGES: VAMPIRE’S CORE
  RULEBOOK INTRODUCES A HOST OF
  POTENTIAL TRICKS AND COMPLICA-
  TIONS THAT ADD MORE ELEMENTS OF
  REALISM TO A COMBAT SCENE, BUT
  WE’RE JUST USING THE BASICS FOR
  THE PURPOSES OF THIS DEMO.]
  
  7
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  Combat
  Combat itself is fairly simple. First, have everyone roll
  a single d10 in order to determine initiative. You also roll
  a d10. Now, tell the players to check their character sheets
  and add the number they just rolled to the total of their
  Dexterity + Wits rating. (They merely add these ratings
  together for the purpose of initiative, rather than rolling
  as many dice.) In this scene, add three to your die roll.
  These initiative results determine who goes first in
  each turn. Whoever has the highest initiative result acts
  first, then everyone else proceeds in descending order. If
  combat is still in progress after everyone (including you)
  has taken an action, start over again at the highest
  initiative number and repeat as necessary until combat is
  over. Use the number you rolled as the initiative score for
  all of the beasts in this scene (be it two or four).
  Now, as each character’s initiative turn comes up, he
  has two options. First, he can wait for one of the beasts to
  attack then try to dodge out of the way. Even if his
  initiative number is higher than that of an attacking beast
  (meaning he should go first), a character can wait to
  dodge until the beast’s initiative number comes up to
  attack. If the character’s number comes up after the
  beast’s, he can still attempt to dodge the beast’s attack
  during the beast’s turn. If he does so, though, he gives up
  his later place in the initiative order until the’next time it
  comes around in the combat.
  To dodge, a player rolls his character’s Dexterity +
  Dodge. The difficulty of this dodge roll is 6, which means
  that every die that comes up 6 or higher is considered a
  success. The player who’s dodging then compares his
  number of success against the number of successes his
  opponent achieved on his attack roll (see below). If the
  defender has more successes dodging, he gets safely out of
  harm’s way. If the attacker has more successes, the dodger
  isn’t quite so lucky.
  If the character doesn’t want to dodge, he can choose
  to attack (which he can only do during his place in the
  initiative order). To do so, have the player roll a number
  of dice equal to his Dexterity + Brawl ratings (for a punch,
  kick or vampire bite) or his Dexterity + Melee ratings (for
  an attack with a weapon). The difficulty of the attack roll
  is 6, which means that at least one of the dice has to come
  up showing a 6 or higher for the attack to hit. (Or, as
  above, the attacker must roll more successes than the
  character who’s dodging rolled to dodge.)
  If the attack hits, have the attacker then roll a
  number of dice equal to his character’s Strength rating
  plus an additional number of dice that varies according to
  what type of attack the character is using. Refer to gear
  chart for the number of dice to add. The difficulty of this
  damage roll is 6, so any die that comes up 6 or higher is
  considered a success. If the character has a rating in the
  Potence Discipline, add a number of successes equal to
  that rating automatically to the total he rolled. Each
  success has the potential to inflict one level of damage.
  When someone is hit, have him roll a number of dice
  equal to his Stamina rating, plus his rating in the Forti-
  tude Discipline (if he has one), plus any armor he might
  be wearing. The chain mail armor the characters are
  wearing adds 3 dice to this roll because the beasts inflict
  lethal damage. This roll does not constitute an action for
  the purposes of initiative. It occurs any time a character
  is hit by an attack. The difficulty is 6, so every die that
  shows a 6 or higher is a success. This roll is called the soak
  roll, and it reflects the character’s resistance to injury.
  Hang in there....
  Now, have the attacker compare the number of
  successes on his damage roll to the number of successes
  the defender rolled on his soak roll. Each success on the
  soak roll cancels out one success on the damage roll. If
  there are any damage roll successes left over after that,
  each one inflicts one health level of damage on the
  defender. If a character sustains more levels of damage
  than he has health levels available, he collapses to the
  ground. If another attack then inflicts one more health
  level of damage on him, the vampire enters torpor or the
  beast is destroyed.
  The Beasts
  Their important ratings are as follows:
  Attack: six dice, Damage: six dice, Soak: five dice,
  Initiative: 1d10 + 3, Health Levels: six, Blood: three
  As far as tactics are concerned, the beasts that attack
  the characters in this scene aren’t terribly sophisticated.
  Each one picks one target and tries to bite him, thus
  inflicting lethal damage. (Choose at random which char-
  acter each beast attacks, but don’t double up beasts on any
  individual character.) The beast will not dodge, nor will
  it run away if it is wounded. It will only attack. It will do
  so until either it is killed or its target falls down dead.
  Should its target fall down dead, it will try to drag the
  incapacitated body away to devour at leisure. Remember
  though, you don’t want your characters to die before they
  even get started, so if the characters are having trouble
  winning against the beasts, you can always reduce the
  number of dice you are rolling.
  The Aftermath of the Combat
  In theory, these beasts should not prove much of a
  threat for the players’ characters. Even in the four-on-five
  battle, the characters should be able to win through with
  only a little effort. Now, of course, they might have gotten
  scratched up a bit (i.e., taken a few health levels worth of
  damage), but here’s where it’s good to be a vampire.
  Before the characters proceed, inform the players that
  their characters can take this opportunity to heal them-
  selves of any damage they might have taken. They can do
  so by spending one’blood point from their blood pool (at the
  bottom of the character sheet). One blood point heals
  
  8
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  one level of damage, and the character can spend as many
  blood points to heal levels of damage as he wants (pro-
  vided he doesn’t run entirely out of blood, that is). Should
  any one of the characters be especially wounded, he can
  even add to his blood pool by drinking blood from one or
  more of the dead beasts he’s killed. The beasts have a
  number of blood points in them equal to the rating listed
  above. The beasts, however, cannot use these blood
  points to heal themselves, since they aren’t vampires.
  Combat Summary: The Beasts
  •Determine initiative: Add Wits + Dexterity +
  1d10 for the players. The beast’s initiative is 1d10 +
  5 (roll once and use the same number for all the
  beasts).
  •Have the players declare blood and Will-
  power expenditures and Discipline activation. Give
  them a moment to figure out what their character’s
  can do.
  •Highest initiative acts first, then in descend-
  ing order. Resolve each player’s action before moving
  on to the next. A character using Celerity takes his
  first action on his initiative turn; all other actions
  take place at the end of the turn.
  •One action/turn, except when using Celerity.
  Character’s have the option of dodging (parrying)
  or attacking. Bests will only attack, and they inflict
  lethal damage.
  •Rolls:
  Dodge: Dexterity + Dodge
  Parry: Dexterity + Melee
  Unarmed Attack: Dexterity + Brawl
  Armed Attack: Dexterity + Melee
  •Resolve actions.
  1. Roll for action.
  2. Roll for damage, if necessary. Include
  extra dice or successes from weapons or
  Disciplines.
  3. Roll to soak damage, if necessary.
  Include extra dice from armor and
  Disciplines.
  4. Record damage on Health chart.
  •Resolve Celerity actions, as above.
  Remember: Spending blood and Willpower, acti-
  vating Disciplines and soaking damage are not actions!
  Now...
  [ONCE THE COMBAT SCENE IS OVER,
  READ THE FOLLOWING ALOUD
  TO THE PLAYERS.]
  As the heat of combat fades, an eerie hush falls over
  your immediate surroundings, letting you know that
  there aren’t more of the hellish beasts lurking for another
  ambush. If any of you want to try to identify the creatures,
  make an Intelligence + Occult roll. The difficulty is 7.
  [THE RESULTS ARE AS FOLLOWS.
  READ THE APPROPRIATE ONE AS THE
  CHARACTER’S ROLL DICTATES.]
  •Success
  This beast, you realize, was once a wolf or a mastiff
  that was tortured, warped and physically reconstructed
  through an awful supernatural power possessed by the
  vampire fiends under Rustovitch’s command. They’ve
  been known to create and use beasts like this as hunting
  animals and scouts, so it’s good you destroyed these so
  handily. You realize, though, that you’d probably better
  carry on with your mission before any more show up.
  •Failure
  This wretched thing looks like it could once have
  been a wolf or hunting dog, but you have no idea what
  turned it into the monstrosity you see before you. Hope-
  fully there aren’t any more out there prowling around. In
  fact, you realize you’d probably better get going, rather
  than sticking around to find out.
  •Botch
  This can be naught but the spawn of Satan, conjured
  to Rustovitch’s dire service through some infernal pact!
  You’ve prevailed against them this time by the grace of
  the Black Cross, but you had best keep moving, lest
  Rustovitch send more of them after you.
  [AT THIS POINT, YOU CAN PROCEED ON
  TO SCENE TWO . IF, HOWEVER, YOU’RE
  A REAL SADIST OR YOU’VE STILL GOT
  PLENTY OF TIME ON YOUR HANDS, YOU
  CAN FORCE EVERYONE TO ROLL DEX-
  TERITY + STEALTH AGAIN AND
  PROCEED FROM WHERE IT SAYS
  “NEXT...” ABOVE. IF YOU WANT TO
  BE A LITTLE NICER, YOU CAN REQUIRE
  THIS ROLL OF ONLY THOSE WHO
  DIDN’T SUCCEED ON THE INITIAL
  DEXTERITY + STEALTH ROLL.
  OTHERWISE, JUST GO STRAIGHT
  TO SCENE TWO.]
  Scene Two
  Dark Encounter
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD
  TO YOUR PLAYERS.]
  Without further excitement, you make your way to
  the rendezvous point. It is a clearing in the dense forest
  with an enormous stone on one side, surrounded by
  
  9
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  gnarled, ugly trees. Overhead, all you can see are clouds.
  Although it’s taken you a little longer than expected to
  reach this place, you find the clearing deserted. The only
  sign of life is a large black crow perched on top of the stone
  across the clearing from you.
  As you enter the clearing, the crow looks up from the
  corpse of whatever it’s picking at, regards you with an
  uncanny appearance of intelligence, then flies away into
  the shadows. Silence descends on the clearing and re-
  mains unbroken for several long minutes.
  [PAUSE HERE BRIEFLY TO GIVE THE
  PLAYERS A CHANCE TO LET THEIR
  CHARACTERS WHISPER NERVOUSLY
  OR WONDER WHERE THEIR SPY
  CONTACT IS. DON’T LET THE MOMENT
  DRAG ON TOO LONG, BUT GIVE THEM
  A SECOND TO ROLEPLAY IF THEY SO
  DESIRE. THEN CONTINUE READING.]
  Eventually, though, you hear quiet footsteps approach-
  ing from the other side of the stone, and a slight, tentative
  figure comes forward from the woods. He is dressed in the
  dirty uniform of one of Rustovitch’s infantrymen, but he
  wears no armor and carries no weapon. On his left shoul-
  der, a large black crow is perched. The man stays close to
  the stone, seemingly ready to bolt at the first opportunity.
  “Stay your hands sword-knights,” the man whispers
  urgently. “My name is Nagy, and I believe we are allies. I know
  what my clothes make you think, but Vladimir Rustovitch is
  not my master. I and my true master revere this symbol.”
  He extends a trembling hand toward you palm-up and
  concentrates intently for a moment. Before your eyes, the
  image of a black cross appears in the air above his palm and
  rotates slowly in place. If anyone wants to take a guess at
  how he’s making that happen, roll Intelligence + Occult.
  [IF ANY OF THE PLAYERS ARE SO
  INCLINED, COMPARE THE RESULTS OF
  THEIR ROLL AGAINST A DIFFICULTY
  OF 7. THE RESULTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:]
  •Success
  The floating black cross is naught but an illusion,
  created by the application of a vampiric Discipline power.
  It is possessed by a rare minority of nomad vampires who
  call themselves Clan Ravnos.
  •Failure
  See how it just floats there.... Sure, it’s just an
  illusion, but that’s a neat trick, isn’t it? If only you knew
  how he did it.
  •Botch
  That’s obviously some form of magical levitation and
  remote manipulation. You’ve heard of young cabals of
  sorcerous vampires who possess such power, but you’ve
  never met any.
  [REGARDLESS, GIVE THE PLAYERS A
  CHANCE TO DIGEST THIS INFORMA-
  TION. HOPEFULLY, THIS SIGN OF THE
  BLACK CROSS WILL REMIND THEM OF
  WHAT THE CAPTAIN AT BRAN CASTLE
  TOLD THEM ABOUT HOW TO RECOG-
  NIZE LORD J‹RGEN’S SPY. ONCE THEY
  MAKE THIS CONNECTION, READ THIS
  NEXT PART TO THEM.]
  Nagy closes his hand, and the black cross disappears.
  He then looks around nervously once again and takes a
  couple of steps toward you.
  “You recognize the black cross,” he says. “That makes
  you Lord Jürgen’s men, yes? The ones he sent to get me
  back to him safely through these demon-haunted and
  God-forsaken woods. That’s good then. I have intelligence
  on Rustovitch’s army and his plans to use them. He intends
  to storm Bran Castle in one week’s time, as I last reported,
  so I must warn Lord Jürgen about what forces to expect and
  be prepared to defend against. But we should hurry.”
  He then regards the crow perched on his shoulder,
  and the two of them stare into each other’s eyes. The man
  squawks something unintelligible, and the crow responds
  with a similar sound. It then nods once, hops from the
  man’s shoulder and flies away into the forest. When the
  crow is gone, the man turns back to you even more
  nervously than before.
  “All right, then,” he says. “That’s done with. I com-
  manded him to watch for you while I waited, and now I’ve
  sent him ahead to make sure our way out of here is safe.
  Now let’s get back to Bran Castle before Rustovitch’s men
  realize I’m gone.” He pauses, fidgeting and looking around
  for a second, then says, “What’s the matter? Why are you
  just looking at me like that? Don’t you trust me?”
  Now, if any of you actually have any reservations
  about trusting Nagy, or if you aren’t sure if he’s telling the
  truth, there’s a roll you can make to try to gauge his
  honesty. Otherwise, we can just carry on from here.
  [IF THE PLAYERS JUST CHOOSE TO
  CARRY ON, PROCEED TO WHERE IT
  SAYS “THEY TRUST HIM.” IF THEY
  CHOOSE TO MAKE THE ROLL, HAVE
  THEM ROLL THEIR PERCEPTION +
  SUBTERFUGE. THEY MUST ROLL
  INDEPENDENTLY SO THAT EACH
  PLAYER’S IMPRESSION IS BASED ON
  HIS INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER’S POINT
  OF VIEW. THE DIFFICULTY IS 5 BECAUSE
  OF THE WAY NAGY IS ACTING.
  THE RESULTS ARE AS FOLLOWS.]
  •Success
  As he speaks, Nagy won’t make eye contact, and just
  a hint of bloodsweat is visible on his forehead. Plus, if he
  really sent that bird to scout ahead for trouble, it would
  
  1 0
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  have flown off in the other direction, not back from the
  way Nagy came. Nagy is a liar, and a poor one at that.
  You’re certain of it.
  •Failure
  Maybe he’s lying, or maybe he’s just worried about
  being caught by Rustovitch’s men, who are notorious for
  the hellish torture they inflict on traitors. It’s so hard to
  tell with vampires, especially strangers. You’ll just have to
  go with your gut.
  •Botch
  This poor creature must be terrified. All alone out
  here in the forest with enemies all around. He’s obviously
  too scared to lie. You’re certain of that. You’d best get him
  back to Lord Jürgen as soon as possible, before this wretch
  has a nervous breakdown.
  [NOW, IT’S LIKELY THAT NOT ALL OF
  THE PLAYERS ACHIEVED THE SAME
  RESULT ON THEIR SEPARATE ROLLS.
  IF THEIR RESULTS DISAGREE, HAVE
  THEM DECIDE AMONGST THEMSELVES
  WHETHER OR NOT TO TRUST NAGY.
  HAVE THEM ROLEPLAY OUT A QUICK
  ARGUMENT IN HOPES OF REACHING A
  GROUP DECISION. IF ALL THE MEMBERS
  CHOOSE TO TRUST HIS WORD,
  PROCEED TO WHERE IT SAYS’“THEY
  TRUST HIM”. IF ALL (OR EVEN ONE)
  OF THE CHARACTERS BELIEVES THAT
  NAGY IS LYING AND CONFRONTS HIM
  ABOUT IT, PROCEED TO WHERE IT SAYS
  “THEY CONFRONT HIM”. IF ANY OF THE
  CHARACTERS BELIEVES THAT NAGY
  IS LYING BUT CHOOSE NOT TO
  CONFRONT HIM, YOU SHOULD
  PROCEED TO SECTION
  “THEY TRUST HIM.”]
  They Trust Him
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD]
  “Good,” Nagy says. “Let’s go then. The faster I’m
  back indoors and out of this awful place, the better. I’ll
  lead the way back. Hurry.”
  So saying, he pushes between you all and rushes off
  into the woods in the direction you came from. You move
  to hurry after him, but a sudden noise gives you pause. It’s
  the sound of arrows being loosed from strings. You’ve
  been had. It’s a trap!
  [THE CHARACTERS HAVE NO CHANCE TO
  REACT TO THIS FIRST ATTACK. THEREFORE,
  ROLL FIVE DICE AT A DIFFICULTY OF 6, ONCE
  FOR EACH CHARACTER. IF THE ROLL IS SUC-
  CESSFUL, THE CHARACTER IS HIT IN THE BACK
  WITH AN ARROW. NOW ROLL THREE DICE TO
  DETERMINE DAMAGE. IF YOU ROLL FIVE SUC-
  CESS ON THE ATTACK ROLL, AND THREE
  SUCCESS ON THE DAMAGE ROLL, THE TARGET
  IS STAKED THROUGH THE HEART AND PARA-
  LYZED. 
  (SEE 
  SIDEBAR 
  UNDER 
  “FIRE”.)
  OTHERWISE, EACH SUCCESS ON THE DAMAGE
  ROLL INFLICTS ONE LEVEL OF AGGRAVATED
  DAMAGE ON THE VICTIM.
  THE CHARACTERS ARE NOT ABLE TO MAKE
  SOAK ROLLS AGAINST THIS DAMAGE, HOW-
  EVER. TO THE CHARACTERS’ PAINFUL
  SURPRISE, THE ARROWS ARE ACTUALLY ON
  FIRE—THE BANE OF ALL VAMPIRES. THE ONLY
  EXCEPTION ARE THOSE CHARACTERS WHO
  HAVE A RATING IN THE FORTITUDE DISCIPLINE.
  THOSE PLAYERS MAY ROLL A NUMBER OF DICE
  EQUAL TO THEIR STAMINA AND FORTITUDE
  RATING IN ORDER TO SOAK THIS DAMAGE.
  NONE OF THE CHARACTERS CAN HAVE A
  CHANCE TO REACT TO THIS SURPRISE ATTACK
  UNTIL YOU’VE ROLLED ONCE FOR EVERYONE.
  ONCE YOU’VE NARRATED THIS SURPRISE
  ROUND, SKIP DOWN TO WHERE IT SAYS “FIRE!”]
  They Confront Him
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD.]
  “What?” Nagy says, trying his best to look innocent,
  but backing up toward the large stone behind him. “S-
  Surely you jest? You can’t... can’t think that I...” But the
  guilt and the fear is too much for Nagy. He looks at each
  of you then into the woods like a wild, cornered animal.
  Finally, he darts away into the trees shouting, “Now!
  Now! They know you’re here!”
  As soon as the little weasel disappears, bright spots of
  light appear in the darkness among the trees behind the
  stone. You mistake them for glowing eyes for a second, but
  then you realize what they really are. They’re the tips of
  flaming arrows aiming for each of you! You were right; it’s
  a trap! The hidden archers take aim and fire!
  [THE FIRST WAVE OF THE ATTACK
  PROCEEDS AS IT DOES UNDER “THEY
  TRUST HIM.” BUT SINCE THE CHARAC-
  TERS WERE PREPARED FOR THE
  ATTACK, GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO
  DODGE THE INCOMING ARROWS. HAVE
  EACH PLAYER ROLL HIS CHARACTER’S
  DEXTERITY + DODGE RATINGS
  AGAINST A DIFFICULTY OF 6. (IF THE
  PLAYER SO CHOOSES, HE COULD HAVE
  HIS CHARACTER ATTEPMT TO PARRY
  THE INCOMING ARROW WITH HIS
  WEAPON INSTEAD. IF HE WANTS TO DO
  SO, HAVE HIM ROLL HIS CHARACTER’S
  DEXTERITY + MELEE RATINGS AGAINST
  
  1 1
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  AFTER THIS INITIAL VOLLEY, GO DOWN
  TO WHERE IT SAYS “FIRE!”.]
  Fire!
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD.]
  As more arrows cut through the air, sticking into the
  ground at your feet and in the trees nearest you, you get an
  all-too-close look at them. They’re on fire, and like all
  vampires, you have an instinctual, primal fear of fire. Your
  Beast recoils from the flame, and you can feel the terror
  taking control. I would like everyone to roll their Cour-
  age, difficulty 8, to see if they fall to Rˆtschreck.
  Combat: Flaming Arrows
  They Trusted Nagy
  Begin here if the player’s trusted Nagy, or did not
  confront him.
  •The characters may not act because they have
  been ambushed and do not have time to react. They may
  not spend blood or activate Disciplines because they are
  surprised, but they may still spend Willpower.
  •Roll five dice, difficulty 6, once for each charac-
  ter to see if any are hit with a flaming arrow. For every
  successful roll, roll three dice, difficulty 6. Each success
  inflicts a level of aggravated damage. Only characters
  with Fortitude may roll to soak aggravated damage.
  •If you roll all successes on both the initial roll and
  the damage roll, the character is staked through the
  heart. Refer to the Staking sidebar for details on this
  situation.
  •Once you have rolled for each player, stop the
  combat. The archers will leave, and you should pro-
  ceed to where is says “Fire!”
  A DIFFICULTY OF 7.) IN EITHER CASE,
  YOU THEN COMPARE THE NUMBER OF
  SUCCESSES YOU ROLLED FOR THE
  ATTACK AGAINST THE NUMBER OF
  SUCCESSES THE CHARACTER ROLLED
  TO DEFEND HIMSELF. IF YOU HAVE
  MORE SUCCESSES, THE ARROW HITS
  THE CHARACTER AND DOES DAMAGE
  AS ABOVE. IF THE PLAYER HAS AN
  EQUAL OR GREATER NUMBER OF SUC-
  CESSES FOR DEFENSE, THE CHARACTER
  DODGES OUT OF THE WAY (OR BATS
  THE ARROW ASIDE WITH HIS WEAPON).
  Staking
  If, during the attack, the Storyteller rolls five
  success on the attack roll and three successes on the
  damage roll, and the defending players does not roll
  any success on his defense roll, the vampire is staked
  through the heart, unable to move, speak, activate
  Disciplines or spend blood, but she is still aware of her
  surroundings and able to feel pain. The character
  immediately catches on fire, suffering one level of
  aggravated damage per turn until the fire is put out. If
  the character reaches Incapacitated and is still on fire,
  he will die the next turn, his body turning to ash.
  Note: A player whose character is staked charac-
  ter may still roll to soak damage. Only characters with
  Fortitude may roll to soak aggravated damage.
  They Confronted Nagy
  Begin here the player’s did not trust Nagy, or
  confronted him.
  •Do not roll initiative; every player gets one action and
  order is not important, so simply go around the table. Char-
  acters may not activate Disciplines or spend blood because
  they have been surprised. They may still spend Willpower.
  •Roll five dice for the archer’s attack. Have the
  player roll Dexterity + Dodge to dodge the arrows, or
  Dexterity + Melee to parry the arrows with her weapon.
  The difficulty or all rolls is 6. If you roll more successes
  than the player, the attack is successful. Roll three dice for
  damage, difficulty 6. If the player rolls more successes then
  you, the attack is not successful. Do not roll for damage.
  Staking rules still apply, but require that you still have five
  successes after the player has rolled to dodge or parry, and
  you roll three successes when rolling damage.
  •Once you have rolled once for each player, stop the
  combat. The archers will leave; proceed to where it says
  “Fire!”
  If the fire is put out before the character is destroyed,
  he suffers no more damage from the arrow. When, or if,
  the arrow is removed, he must make an immediate
  Rˆtschreck check, difficulty 6. Success means he pulls
  himself valiantly together and continues, failure or botch-
  ing leads to frenzy. Remind the players of this, in case
  their character’s decide that it would be better to take
  their staked comrade with them, rather than risk him
  falling to Rˆtschreck and injuring himself further — or
  drawing more unwanted attention to the group.
  If any knight is staked, the other character’s treatment
  of the unfortunate victim should be governed by their road.
  Remind the players to check their Hierarchy of Sins before
  deciding how to react, and have them make a road check
  if the character’s act contrary to their Road rating.
  
  1 2
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  [AFTER THE PLAYERS ROLL, APPLY THE FOL-
  LOWING RESULTS, AS APPROPRIATE ONE SUCCESS
  IS ALL THEY NEED TO RESIST R÷TSCHRECK. RE-
  MIND THEM THEY MAY SPEND WILLPOWER FOR
  AN AUTOMATIC SUCCESS. NARRATE FIRST FOR
  THE PLAYERS WHO SUCCEED, THEN FOR THE PLAY-
  ERS WHO FAILED OR BOTCHED.]
  • Success
  You know that now is not the time for panic, so you
  fight your terror and regain control of yourself, looking
  around to see that state of your companions.
  • Failure
  It suddenly seems as if the fire is everywhere, and you
  begin to flee blindly back the way your frenzied minds
  thinks you came. You only run for about five minutes
  before your rational minds take over once again. You’re
  well away from the clearing by this point, but you’re not
  exactly certain where you actually are. When the instinc-
  tive fear takes over like that, it subsumes your will entirely.
  Luckily, though, you didn’t end up too far away from the
  rest of the group, so you’re able to regroup and decide what
  to do next.
  • Botch
  It suddenly seems as if the fire is everywhere, and you
  begin to flee blindly forward. In your terror, you brush
  against and arrow in the ground and catch on fire, but
  luckily your flailing arms puts it out. By the time your
  rational mind takes over, you’re well away from the rest of
  the group, but you can hear them in the distance and are
  able to rejoin them after a few minutes.
  [ROLL ONE D10, DIFFICULTY 5, TO SEE IF THE
  CHARACTER TAKES ANOTHER LEVEL OF AG-
  GRAVATED DAMAGE FROM THE FIRE.]
  Scene Three
  Escape
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD.]
  You all are quite shaken by the ambush, and it takes
  a few minutes to find each other and gather your wits. You
  must decide what to do next. Your options seem to be
  fairly cut-and-dried. You can either return to Bran Castle
  at once and report Nagy’s treachery to Lord Jürgen, or you
  can try to find and capture Nagy yourselves, in order to
  bring him back to Lord Jürgen for punishment and inter-
  rogation. You can hear the sounds of men and beasts
  searching through the forest some distance away, so it
  would be well to decide quickly.
  [GIVE THE PLAYERS THIS CHANCE
  TO DISCUSS IT. NEITHER CHOICE IS
  NECESSARILY THE RIGHT OR WRONG
  ONE, BUT TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. IF
  THEY SEEM TO BE LAGGING OR TAKING
  TOO LONG, DESCRIBE TO THEM THE
  SOUNDS OF SEARCHERS DRAWING
  CLOSER AND MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE
  THEY COULD GET JUMPED ANY
  SECOND. WHEN THEY MAKE UP THEIR
  MINDS, SKIP AHEAD TO EITHER “BACK
  TO BRAN CASTLE” OR “FNDING
  NAGY” AS APPROPRIATE.]
  Back to Bran Castle
  [THE FIRST THING YOU WANT THE
  PLAYERS TO DO IS TRY TO FIGURE OUT
  WHERE THEY ARE AND WHICH WAY
  THEY MUST GO TO GET TO SAFETY. IN
  ORDER TO DO SO, HAVE THE PLAYERS
  OF THE SCOUT CHARACTERS MAKE
  INTELLIGENCE + SURVIVAL ROLLS IN
  ORDER TO ORIENT THEMSELVES. IF THE
  SCOUTS’ RESULTS DISAGREE, HAVE
  THE PLAYERS DECIDE (AS BEFORE)
  WHOSE LEAD TO FOLLOW.’THEN READ
  THE RESULTS TO YOUR SCOUTS’
  PLAYERS AS FOLLOWS .
  IF THE SCOUTS ARE UNABLE TO LEAD
  (THEY ARE DEAD, STAKED OR IN
  TORPOR) HAVE ALL THE PLAYERS ROLL
  PERCEPTION + SURVIVAL TO SEE IF
  THEY CAN TRACK THEIR WAY BACK
  TO THE CASTLE. USE THE SAME
  RESULTS AS BELOW.]
  •Success
  It takes you a moment to orient yourself, but by
  judging the natural landmarks and looking at the moss on
  the trees, you’re able to figure out which general direction
  you need to go in. You point the way and lead your sword-
  brethren into the forest away from the sounds of searchers
  behind you.
  [THEN SKIP AHEAD TO WHERE
  IT SAYS “NEXT...”]
  •Failure
  Frankly, it’s tough to say how to get back to where you
  came from since you aren’t exactly sure how you got here.
  Maybe if you take another few moments to calm down
  and get your bearings you’ll straighten everything out
  right.
  [AT THIS POINT, ALLOW THE PLAYERS
  TO ROLL INTELLIGENCE + SURVIVAL
  (OR PERCEPTION + SURVIVAL), BUT
  
  1 3
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  AGAINST A DIFFICULTY OF 7. IF THIS
  CYCLE REPEATS ITSELF, ALLOW THE
  PLAYERS TO MAKE THE ROLL AGAIN,
  INCREASING THE DIFFICULTY BY ONE
  EACH TIME (HOLDING STEADY AT 10).
  HAVE THEM REPEAT THIS PROCESS
  UNTIL THEY ROLL SUCCESSFULLY
  (SKIP BACK TO “SUCCESS”) OR BOTCH
  (SKIP BELOW TO “BOTCH”).]
  •Botch
  It takes you a moment to orient yourself, but you
  catch the vague sound of a stream in the distance, which
  you remember passing earlier, and it helps you figure out
  which general direction you need to go in. You point the
  way and lead your sword-brethren into the forest.
  About ten minutes later, though, you begin to sus-
  pect that you’ve made a mistake when you find yourselves
  behind a large stone that seems somehow familiar. Going
  around it ever-so-quietly, you find yourselves right back
  in the clearing where you met Nagy less than half an hour
  ago. Fortunately, it is empty of attackers at the moment—
  since they’re probably out looking for you right now—but
  that’s small comfort considering you’ve lost ground.
  [AT THIS POINT, ASK IF THE SCOUTS
  ADMIT THEIR MISTAKE TO THE
  OTHER CHARACTERS, AND GIVE THE
  PLAYERS A MOMENT TO ROLEPLAY.
  TO ENCOURAGE INTERACTION,
  YOU MIGHT HAVE THE OTHER
  PLAYERS ROLL PERCEPTION +
  SURVIVAL TO NOTICE THEY HAVE
  GONE IN A CIRCLE BEFORE ALLOWING
  ONE OR BOTH OF THE SCOUTS TO
  RE-ROLL INTELLIGENCE + SURVIVAL,
  DIFFICULTY 8. IF THIS CYCLE REPEATS
  ITSELF, HAVE THE SCOUTS MAKE
  THE ROLL AGAIN, INCREASING THE
  DIFFICULTY BY ONE EACH TIME
  (HOLDING STEADY AT 10). REPEAT
  THIS PROCESS UNTIL THEY ROLL
  SUCCESSFULLY, THEN READ THE
  TEXT UNDER “SUCCESS.” REMIND Y
  OUR PLAYERS THEY CAN SPEND
  WILLPOWER FOR AN
  AUTOMATIC SUCCESS.]
  Next...
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD.]
  And with that, you slip away as quietly as you can,
  hoping not to attract too much attention to yourselves.
  Once again, the forbidding forest closes in around you, and
  you realize that even though you know how to find your
  way home, the way will not be an easy one. All around you,
  you can hear the sounds of beasts and soldiers hunting you,
  so you know it would be in your best interest to make your
  way back quietly and carefully. That being the case, I need
  each of you to make Dexterity + Stealth rolls.
  [AS BEFORE, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE
  MAKES THIS ROLL INDEPENDENTLY AGAINST
  A DIFFICULTY OF 8. IF EVERYONE SUCCEEDS,
  CONGRATULATE THEM AND SKIP AHEAD TO
  THE EPILOGUE. IF EVEN ONE OF THE PLAYERS
  FAILS (BUT NO ONE BOTCHES), START READ-
  ING WHERE IT SAYS “FAILURE.” IF ONE OF THE
  PLAYERS BOTCHES THIS ROLL, THOUGH, GO
  ON TO WHERE IT SAYS”“BOTCH”.]
  •Failure
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD TO YOUR
  PLAYERS, DIRECTED TOWARD
  WHOEVER FAILED HIS
  DEXTERITY + STEALTH ROLL.]
  Tonight is not your night. Maybe it’s the unfamiliar
  terrain, or maybe the sound of hunters in the distance is
  distracting you. Whatever it is, you can’t concentrate on
  making your way quietly. As you’re making your way
  down a creek embankment to cross it on your way home,
  you step on a concealed shelf of stones, which sends leaves
  dirt and rocks sliding and clattering down the embank-
  ment. They splash into the water loud enough to draw
  attention, and draw attention they do.
  You all freeze for a second, then look up just in time
  to draw your weapons as four soldiers appear from the
  woods across the creek from you. You look at them, they
  look at you, then they draw their own weapons and charge
  you.
  [NOW SKIP DOWN TO WHERE IT SAYS
  “COMBAT WITH THE SOLDIERS”]
  •Botch
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD TO YOUR
  PLAYERS, DIRECTED TOWARD
  WHOEVER BOTCHED HIS
  DEXTERITY + STEALTH ROLL.]
  Tonight is not your night. Maybe it’s the unfamiliar
  terrain, or maybe the sound of hunters in the distance is
  distracting you. Whatever it is, you can’t concentrate on
  making your way quietly. As you’re making your way
  down a creek embankment to cross it on your way, you
  step on a concealed shelf of stones in which some sort of
  angry woodland creature had made its lair. The animal
  shrieks and takes off into the night, sending leaves dirt
  and rocks sliding and clattering down the embankment.
  The scream and the splash are loud enough to draw
  attention, and draw attention they do.
  You all freeze for a second, then look up just in time
  to draw your weapons as four soldiers appear from the
  
  1 4
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  woods across the creek from you. These soldiers are lead-
  ing awful, hairless beasts that appear to be foul mixtures of
  wolves and spiders. You look at them, they look at you,
  then they loose their hellish hounds at you. As the beasts
  attack, the soldiers move into positions to surround you.
  [NOW SKIP DOWN TO WHERE IT SAYS
  “COMBAT WITH THE SOLDIERS”]
  Finding Nagy
  [HAVE THE PLAYERS ROLL PERCEPTION
  + INVESTIGATION. FOR THE MEN-
  AT-ARMS, THE DIFFICULTY IS 8. FOR
  THE SCOUTS, THE DIFFICULTY IS ONLY
  6. IF RESULTS VARY, HAVE THE
  PLAYERS CHOOSE WHO WILL LEAD.
  THE RESULTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:]
  • Success
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD.]
  The trail has almost gone cold by the time you begin
  your search for the traitorous Nagy, so you track back to
  the clearing where he sprung his surprise attack. There are
  no archers or other attackers in evidence there — since
  they’re probably out searching for you right now — so
  you’re able to look for signs undisturbed.
  After a few minutes, you find a scrap of cloth from
  Nagy’s uniform and are able to make out a trail from there.
  You follow this trail deeper into the forest, avoiding
  detection yourselves, until it suddenly stops. You hunt
  around the ground for a few moments until at last you’re
  forced to conclude that the trail has abruptly ended.
  You’re about to give up the search altogether in frustra-
  tion when you’re delivered a message from above. That is,
  a bird defecates onto one of your shoulders.
  You look up to see a familiar-looking crow take off
  from a branch of one the trees. Before you can even tell
  which way it’s going, it disappears into the night. From
  where it was, though, you can also barely make out the
  form of Nagy sitting on a branch about 30 feet up. He’s
  looking down at you, and when he notices that you see
  him, he tries desperately to escape. He stands up on his
  limb and leaps off, hoping to reach the safety of an even
  higher limb on a tree several yards away. His leap, how-
  ever, is ill judged.
  Nagy leaps into the air and comes down feet-first
  onto the branch he’s aiming for. The branch is dry and
  dead, though, and it shatters beneath his feet. He falls
  down through the branches, breaking his back across a
  solid one near the ground, then rolling off the limb onto
  the ground. He lands head-first and breaks his neck across
  a thick root. The sound of the crash echoes through the
  forest. Likely, if any soldiers are nearby looking for you,
  they heard that. You can leave now, or you can try to get
  some answers out of Nagy if he hasn’t fallen into torpor
  [IF THEY CHOOSE TO LEAVE NOW,
  GO BACK A BIT TO WHERE IT
  SAYS’“NEXT...” UNDER “BACK TO BRAN
  CASTLE.” IF THEY CHOOSE TO STAY
  AND DEAL WITH NAGY (OR EVEN IF
  THEY PLAN TO GRAB NAGY’S BODY
  AND TRY TO SNEAK IT BACK TO BRAN
  CASTLE WITH THEM, READ ON. THE
  CHARACTER’S MAY ALSO TRY TO
  STAKE NAGY WITH A PIECVE OF WOOD,
  AND TO DO THIS THE PLAYERS ROLLS
  DEXTERITY +MELEE. SHE MUST ROLL
  AT LEAST FIVE SUCCESSES, AND
  INFLICT AT LEAST THREE LEVELS
  OF LETHAL DAMAGE TO
  SUCCESSFULLY STAKE NAGY.]
  You approach Nagy’s prone body and find him twisted
  into a terrible wreck. His back is sharply bent at the
  midpoint, and his neck is equally bent in the opposite
  direction. As you come close, though, his eyes roll wildly,
  and he tries to work his jaw. After a mere moment, you
  realize that he’s trying to speak.
  “You fools are all going to die, ” he hisses wildly, on
  the verge of losing himself to his bestial side. “My master’s
  soldiers will hunt you down and kill you all before the
  sunrise. Then, tomorrow night, our entire army will
  descend on Bran Castle and raze it to the ground. You will
  all die. All die! There will be blood! Blood! Blood!”
  In his excitement, he begins to lose himself to the
  beast within, and every spark of intelligence or sanity
  begins to gutter out. He thrashes wildly as if he intends to
  tear you apart and drink your blood himself, but he is too
  badly injured for such commotion. The thrashing only
  makes his grave injuries worse, and with one final sicken-
  ingly wet crack, what’s left of his neck and back
  disintegrates. He jerks one last time, shudders and col-
  lapses. He’s useless to you now’— just an empty husk in
  torpor. And to make matters worse, his screaming is sure
  to have attracted beasts or soldiers of the enemy. Your
  only chance is to try to escape through the woods back to
  Bran Castle. Your own unlives notwithstanding, you
  must get word to Lord Jürgen that an attack is planned
  tomorrow night, rather than in one week’s time as he
  originally thought.
  [GIVE THE PLAYERS A CHANCE TO DECIDE
  WHETHER THEY LEAVE NAGY BEHIND OR TAKE
  HIS BODY ALONG. THE CHOICE HAS MANY DIF-
  FERENT IMPLICATIONS, SO HAVE THE PLAYERS
  REFER TO THEIR HIERARHY OF SINS AND THEIR
  NATURES FOR GUIDANCE. IF THEY ACT CON-
  TRARY TO THEIR ROAD, HAVE THEM ROLL TO
  SEE IF THEY LOSE ROAD RATING. ONCE THE
  PLAYERS HAVE DECIDED WHAT TO DO, AND
  HAVE ROLLED FOR ROAD RATING, GO BACK TO
  “NEXT...” UNDER THE HEADING “BACK TO BRAN
  CASTLE.”]
  
  1 5
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  HIMSELF NAGY MIGHT HAVE
  LEFT IS GONE FOR GOOD.]
  Combat With the Soldiers
  [YOU DO NOT HAVE TO READ
  THIS PART ALOUD.]
  Combat against the soldiers (or soldiers and beasts)
  proceeds exactly the same way here as it did in the earlier
  scene against the beasts. Apply the dramatic systems and
  the appropriate dice rolls the same way. The only vari-
  ables here are in the way the soldiers themselves behave.
  The Soldiers
  Their important ratings are as follows:
  Attack: seven dice, Dodge: three dice, Damage: five
  dice, Soak: five dice Initiative: 6+1d10, Health Levels:
  six, Blood: six
  The Beasts
  Their important ratings are as follows:
  Attack: three dice, Damage: three dice, Soak: three
  dice, Initiative: 1d10, Health Levels: three, Blood: three
  These soldiers are smarter and a little better trained
  than mere beasts. They are wearing light leather armor and
  carrying cruel-looking short swords. If the characters have
  encountered a pack of them who are leading beasts, the
  soldiers wait until the beasts are finished off before moving
  in. As each beast falls, a soldier moves up to take its place.
  Remember, the beasts will only attack, they will not dodge.
  As for the way they fight, soldiers attack with their
  short swords or dodge, depending on whether or not they
  have the advantage. That is to say that if a soldier’s
  initiative is better than his opponent’s initiative, he will
  attack. If he loses the initiative, he will attempt to dodge
  his opponent’s attack.
  If one of these soldiers reaches five health levels of
  damage, he will turn and attempt to flee. He moves slowly
  and with a great deal of effort, but it still takes a character’s
  action during his initiative turn to catch up (should he be
  so inclined). A fleeing soldier will not attack, but he will
  still attempt to dodge if the character attacks.
  Now...
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD.]
  When all of your immediate enemies finally lie dead
  at your feet, the noise in the surrounding area dies down
  significantly. You can’t hear any nearby sounds of pursuit
  or attack, but you know that more of Rustovitch’s soldiers
  must still be lurking. You can take this opportunity to feed
  from your downed victims in an effort to heal your
  injuries, but it might just as well behoove you to hurry on
  back to Bran Castle and report to Lord Jürgen. The choice
  is yours, but choose quickly.
  Rolling to see if a character’s
  loses Road rating
  •Determine the “sin” the character has com-
  mitted.
  •Use the corresponding number as the difficulty
  for the roll. If the number is higher than the charac-
  ters Road rating, no roll is necessary and the character
  does not lose any Road rating. If the number is equal
  to or lower than the character’s Road rating, having
  the player roll Conscience/Conviction.
  •Succeed: Do not decrease Road rating; the
  character feels guilty for violating his moral code.
  •Fail: Decrease Road rating by one; the charac-
  ter does not feel remorse for violating his moral code.
  •Botch: Decrease Road rating by two; the char-
  acter enjoyed violating his moral code.
  [NOW, GO BACK A BIT TO WHERE IT
  SAYS “NEXT...” UNDER “BACK TO BRAN
  CASTLE”.]
  •Failure
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD.]
  You search for more than half an hour, but you find
  no sign of Nagy. He knows this terrain better than you do,
  you realize, since he’s been here at least since the begin-
  ning of Lord Jürgen’s campaign, and you’ve only just
  arrived.
  [GIVE THE PLAYERS A CHANCE HERE
  TO KEEP SEARCHING OR GIVE UP.
  IF THEY KEEP SEARCHING, HAVE
  THEM ROLL THEIR PERCEPTION +
  INVESTIGATION AGAIN, THIS TIME
  INCREASING THE DIFFICULTY BY ONE.
  IF THIS CYCLE REPEATS ITSELF,
  INCREASE THE DIFFICULTY BY ONE
  AGAIN AS NECESSARY, BUT HOLDING
  STEADY AT 10 UNTIL THE LEADER IS
  EITHER SUCCESSFUL OR HE BOTCHES.
  IF, ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY DECIDE
  TO GIVE UP THE SEARCH, GO BACK A
  BIT TO WHERE IT SAYS “NEXT...”
  UNDER “BACK TO BRAN CASTLE.”]
  •Botch
  [A BOTCH ON THIS ROLL IS THE SAME
  AS A BOTCH ON THE DEXTERITY +
  STEALTH ROLL UNDER “NEXT...”,
  WHICH IS UNDER”“BACK TO BRAN
  CASTLE.” REFER TO THAT ENTRY. ON
  TOP OF THAT, ANY TRAIL OR TRACE OF
  
  1 6
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  [IF, HOWEVER, YOU’RE A REAL SADIST
  OR YOU’VE STILL GOT PLENTY OF TIME
  ON YOUR HANDS, YOU CAN FORCE
  EVERYONE TO ROLL DEXTERITY +
  STEALTH AGAIN AND PROCEED FROM
  WHERE IT SAYS “NEXT...” ABOVE. IF
  YOU WANT TO BE A LITTLE NICER, YOU
  CAN REQUIRE THIS ROLL OF ONLY
  THOSE WHO DIDN’T SUCCEED ON THE
  INITIAL DEXTERITY + STEALTH ROLL.
  OTHERWISE, JUST GO STRAIGHT
  TO THE EPILOGUE.]
  Epilogue
  Return to Bran Castle
  [READ THIS PART ALOUD TO YOUR
  PLAYERS ONLY IF THEY FOUND NAGY
  AFTER HE BETRAYED THEM AND
  LEARNED THE ATTACK WILL TAKE
  PLACE TOMORROW NIGHT. IF THEY DID
  NOT FIND NAGY AFTER THE AMBUSH
  AND DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE
  ATTACK WILL TAKE PLACE, USE
  THE “SECOND EPILOGUE.”]
  Your return through the woods is harrowing and
  fraught with anxiety, but eventually you regain familiar
  ground and hurry to the safety of Bran Castle. The guards
  usher you inside in a hurry, assailing you with questions
  about what you’ve been through and how you fared. Their
  captain chases them all back to their posts, though, and
  takes you to Lord Jürgen straightaway.
  You make your report on what you went through in
  the woods, and the Sword-Bearer’s face grows grim and
  grave. He is furious that his spy, Nagy, betrayed him, but
  he is proud of you for seeing through the deception. He is
  also startled to learn that the attack he had been antici-
  pating in a week’s time could actually take place as soon
  as tomorrow night. He calls for the captain of his guards
  and shares that news, then orders him to change the
  watch schedule and concentrate his forces at the castle for
  a set of new orders. The captain then hurries away to
  assemble the men.
  Finally, Jürgen turns back to you and begins to speak.
  “Brave knights of the Black Cross, he says,
  “you have done me a greater service tonight than I
  originally expected. You have revealed a potentially
  deadly treachery and alerted us to an attack that would
  have taken us by surprise without your efforts. For this you
  will be well rewarded, and your fame will spread through
  every land I call my own.
  “But now, I must call upon you again. Rustovitch
  thinks to storm this castle and drive us out perhaps as early
  as tomorrow night, hoping to catch us off guard. Well, I
  Combat Summary:
  Soldiers and Beasts
  •Determine initiative: Add Wits + Dexterity +
  1d10 for the players. The beast’s initiative is just 1d10
  (roll once and use the same number for all the beasts).
  The soldier’s initiative is 1d10 +6 (roll once and use
  the same number for all the soldiers).
  •Have the players declare blood and Willpower
  expenditures and Discipline activation. Give them a
  moment to figure out what their character’s can do.
  •Highest initiative acts first, then in descending
  order. Resolve each player’s action before moving on
  to the next. A character using Celerity takes his first
  action on his initiative turn; all other actions take
  place at the end of the turn.
  •One action/turn, except when using Celerity.
  Character’s have the option of dodging (or parrying)
  or attacking. Bests will only attack, and they inflict
  lethal damage.
  •The beasts will only attack; they will not dodge.
  If the soldier has a higher initiative than his oppo-
  nent, he will attack. If he has a lower initiative than
  his opponent, then he will defend.
  •Rolls:
  Dodge: Dexterity + Dodge
  Parry: Dexterity + Melee
  Unarmed Attack: Dexterity + Brawl
  Armed Attack: Dexterity + Melee
  •Resolve actions.
  1. Roll for action.
  2. Roll for damage, if necessary. Include
  extra dice or successes from weapons
  or Disciplines.
  3. Roll to soak damage, if necessary. Include
  extra dice from armor and Disciplines.
  4. Record damage on Health chart.
  •Resolve Celerity actions, as above.
  Remember: Spending blood and Willpower, acti-
  vating Disciplines and soaking damage are not actions!
  [IF THEY DECIDE TO FEED, LET THEM DO
  SO, BUT PLAY UP HOW PEDESTRIAN AND
  WRETCHEDLY ANIMALISTIC THEY SEEM,
  HAVING BEEN REDUCED TO LAPPING
  BLOOD UP FROM CORPSES LIKE CARRION-
  EATERS. THE CHARACTERS COULD ALSO
  CHANGE TACTICS AND GO LOOKING FOR
  NAGY IF THEY DIDN’T CHOOSE TO DO SO
  BEFORE. IF THEY DO, GO BACK TO WHERE
  IT SAYS “FINDING NAGY” AND PROCEED
  FROM THERE. OTHERWISE, YOU CAN
  PROCEED ON TO THE EPILOGUE.]
  
  1 7
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  say let us turn his own tactic against him. Let us make
  ready tonight and take up the offensive ourselves as the
  sun sets tomorrow evening. As the fiends’ army rides
  forth, they will find us waiting to receive them at their
  very walls. We will take the battle to their very gate, and
  we will be the ones driving them back! What say you
  knights? Will you take up arms with your sword-brethren
  and prove to them what you’ve proven to me tonight?”
  [LET THEM RESPOND.]
  To those that say no, he says”“I understand, sword-
  brethren. Your have suffered much tonight, and have
  many other duties. I have promised you reward, and so you
  shall have it. First, though, you must rest, and I must
  prepare for battle. We will speak again, soon.””To those
  that say yes, Lord Jürgen responds “Excellent. Then come
  with me. Let us make ready. We have much to do before
  the battle can be joined.”
  Second Epilogue
  [USE THIS EPILOGUE IF THE
  CHARACTERS DID NOT LEARN
  THAT THE ATTACK WILL HAPPEN
  TOMORROW NIGHT.]
  Return to Bran Castle
  Your return through the woods is harrowing and
  fraught with anxiety, but eventually you regain familiar
  ground and hurry to the safety of Bran Castle. The guards
  usher you inside in a hurry, assailing you with questions
  about what you’ve been through and how you fared. Their
  captain chases them all back to their posts, though, and
  takes you to Lord Jürgen straightaway.
  You make your report on what you went through in
  the woods, and the Sword-Bearer’s face grows grim and
  grave. He is furious that his spy, Nagy, betrayed him, but he
  is proud of you for seeing through the deception, and now
  worried that Nagy may have been sending false intelli-
  gence. He calls for the captain of his guards and shares that
  news, then orders him to change the watch schedule and
  concentrate his forces at the castle for a set of new orders.
  The captain then hurries away to assemble the men.
  Finally, Jürgen turns back to you and begins to speak.
  “Brave knights of the Black Cross, he says,
  “you have done me a greater service tonight than I
  originally expected. You have revealed a
  potentially deadly treachery. For this you will be well
  rewarded, and your fame will spread through every land I
  call my own.
  “But now, I must call upon you again. Rustovitch
  thinks to storm this castle and drive us out,“perhaps as
  early as tomorrow night, hoping to catch us off guard.
  Well, I say let us turn his own tactic against him. Let us
  make ready tonight and take up the offensive ourselves as
  the sun sets tomorrow evening. We will take the battle to
  fiend’s very gate, and we will be the ones driving them
  back! What say you knights? Will you take up arms with
  your sword-brethren and prove to them what you’ve
  proven to me tonight?”
  [LET THEM RESPOND.]
  To those that say no, he says”“I understand, sword-
  brethren. Your have suffered much tonight, and have many
  other duties. I have promised you reward, and so you shall have
  it. First, though, you must rest, and I must prepare for battle.
  We“will“speak again, soon.” To those that say yes, Lord Jürgen
  responds “Excellent. Then come with me. Let us make ready.
  We have much to do before the battle can be joined.”
  
  1 8
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  Fitz
  You were a member of the Teutonic Knights before
  your Embrace, and it was your dedicated service that first
  drew your sire’s attention. After your Embrace you spent
  a period of time training and serving your sire, learning
  the ways of Cainites. A leader in your mortal life, you were
  chosen by your sire to lead in your new life as well, and to
  this end he taught you to follow the Road of Kings, a road
  of oaths, honor, and service. When your sire deemed you
  ready, you joined the Order of the Black Cross as a way to
  gain experience as a leader of Cainites, a prelude to day
  you will rise to the rank and status of lord, commanding
  vampire and mortal alike. You have served with honor
  and distinction, and have won some renown for yourself
  as a knight and a leader.
  Now, you are called upon by the Order to travel to
  the lands of Lord Jürgen, and he has requested you escort
  his trusted spy back safely to Bran Castle. From one of
  Lord Jürgen’s standing, there is no difference between a
  request and a command, so you readily agreed to the task.
  The woods are treacherous, but you are not alone. Though
  strangers to each other, your companions are also knights
  of the Black Cross. As fellow knights, you know you can
  trust them to be steadfast in their duties, especially since
  you are there to lead them. Let us hope they trust in your
  leadership as much as you trust in their diligence.
  Roleplaying Hints: As the only knight on the Road
  of Kings, and with more status than your companions, you
  are the self-appointed leader of the group. You are certain
  your fellow knights will see the logic in this choice, and
  if they do not, you know that explaining your status and
  qualifications will alleviate any doubts they hold. You are
  confident, honorable, fair and aware that at all times, you
  must lead by example. Each knight brings his or her
  unique strengths to the group, and therefore you are
  committed to helping the group work together to accom-
  plish this task. Besides, you are bound by your word to
  bring back the spy to Lord Jurgen, and a knight always
  keeps his oath.
  Gear: Fine but practical clothing, money, broad-
  sword, armor
  Clan: Ventrue
  Warrior kings and loyal vassals, Venture are found
  among the leaders and aristocracy of Cainite society.
  They are knights, noble warriors, and empire builders.
  They often Embrace mortals who personify honor, power
  and conquest, believing nobility is a matter of both blood
  and deed. Warlords and knights, they gather armies and
  strike out in conquest — sometimes at each other. Whether
  leader or follower, Ventrue know their time of glory has
  come, and that still more awaits them if they only have
  the courage and skills to seize it, either on the battlefield
  or in the courts of great Cainite lords.
  Weakness: All Ventrue have a specific limitation on
  their feeding habits. They are restricted to feeding off one
  type of human, such as priests or virgins or Frenchmen.
  You do not regain Blood points when imbibing blood
  from mortals not among your selected prey. This weak-
  ness does not apply to drinking vampire blood. Fitz can
  only feed off honorable men and women.
  Nature & Demeanor
  Autocrat: You were made to lead. You thrive when
  you can take charge and bring order to what’s been
  chaotic. You do not hide your Nature — your ambition
  and natural affinity for leadership is evident to all who
  know you. Regain Willpower when you lead a group to
  some significant accomplishment.
  Disciplines
  Dominate
  Those who do not lead must follow, and those that
  refuse to follow must be made to obey. Dominate allows
  a Cainites to impose his will on another, forcing the
  victim to obey.
  • Observance of the Spoken Word
  By making eye contact and speaking in a language
  the target understands, the Ventrue may issue a one-word
  command which the victim must obey immediately. The
  player rolls Manipulation + Intimidation with a difficulty
  equal to the target’s Willpower.
  Fortitude
  Though all Cainites are tougher than mortals, some
  have powers of endurance that are truly supernatural.
  Each dot in Fortitude adds one die to rolls when soaking
  bashing and lethal damage. In addition, a player may roll
  Stamina + Fortitude to soak damage from sunlight and
  fire. If the character suffers aggravated damage from any
  other source, roll only his Fortitude rating.
  Presence
  Leaders need more than skill at arms; charm and
  charisma are equally important. Presence is a tool of
  persuasion, allowing a vampire to augment his talents of
  expression and intimidation.
  • Awe
  The use of Awe increases a character’s charisma,
  making him more fascinating and impressive to those
  around him, and targets are more likely to listen to and
  work with a vampire successfully using Awe. To activate
  Awe, the player rolls Charisma + Expression (difficulty
  7). The number of successes determines the number of
  people affected.
  
  1 9
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  Successes
  Effectiveness
  1
  One person
  2
  Two people
  3
  Six people
  4
  20 people
  •• Dread Gaze
  By activating Dread Gaze and physically revealing
  his vampiric nature by baring his fangs, glaring and
  hissing, the Cainite inspires unbearable terror in his
  victims, sending them fleeing from his horrific visage. To
  use Dread Gaze, the player rolls Charisma + Intimidation,
  difficulty equal to the victim’s Wits + Courage.
  Road and Virtues
  Fitz follows the Road of Kings. Followers of this road
  believe that there are only two roles in the world: master
  and servant, and teach that to rule others, you must first
  rule yourself — and your Beast. The Road of King teaches
  honor, fealty and respect as well as power, glory and skill.
  After all, only those who seize power gain it; only those
  who use power keep it. The Road of Kings teaches
  Conviction and Self-Control.
  Background
  Meeting Lord Jürgen the Sword-
  Bearer
  The year is AD 1230. You are a Teutonic Knight of
  the Order of the Black Cross — a secret order of vampire
  Road of Kings
  Hierarchy of Sins
  Score
  Minimum Wrongdoing
  Rationale
  10
  Neglecting your duty
  Those who fail in their responsibilities
  often lose them.
  9
  Treating a peer with disrespect
  A leader earns respect by acting respectfully
  8
  Treating an inferior as an equal
  Everyone should know their place,
  including you
  7
  Breaking your word to a peer
  Trust is earned by being trustworthy
  6
  Behaving shamefully before your peers
  Honor and reputation are everything
  5
  Showing weakness in front of inferiors
  A leader must be seen as strong.
  4
  Failing to answer a challenge
  Honor must be maintained; challenges
  to your honor
  cannot go unanswered
  3
  Treating a superior with disrespect
  Superiors must be given the respect they are due.
  2
  Breaking your word to your superiors
  Your word is your bond. If your word is worthless,
  then so are you.
  1
  Breaking a sworn oath
  Oaths of fealty hold the world together.
  knights operating within the greater Teutonic Order.
  You have been stationed at heavily fortified Bran Castle
  located on a high hill overlooking a dark, forbidding
  forest in the wilderness of Kronstadt, Hungary. You are
  part of an army of vampires and men, led by an old and
  powerful vampire known as Lord Jürgen the Sword-
  Bearer. You are recently arrived from your order’s
  headquarters in Magdeburg, Germany, and you come
  highly praised and recommended by the order’s second-
  in-command, Lucretia von Hartz.
  You awake night after your arrival at Bran Castle to
  find many of your fellow soldiers in a state of excited
  agitation. The castle’s defenses are being checked and
  double-checked, and there are more guards in evidence
  on the walls than usual. Mortal scouts are being sent out
  and reporting back twice as frequently as usual, and the
  castle’s smiths and armorers are working frantically. Even
  the horses and livestock seem skittish and anxious. Over-
  head, clouds are rolling in from the east, bringing the
  sound of faraway thunder and intermittent flashes of
  lightning to mirror the growing anxiety on the ground.
  Before you can investigate the cause of all this agitation,
  though, a captain of the castle guards approaches you,
  with several other knights at his side.
  “Knight of the Black Cross,” he says.
  “You must come with me at once. Lord Jürgen bade
  me collect you and escort you to him. No questions, now,
  this is urgent. Come.”
  The captain then leads you across the castle’s bus-
  tling courtyard and into the castle proper. You follow him
  through echoing stone corridors to a small, torch-lit
  chamber where Lord Jürgen himself is waiting for you on
  the other side of a heavy wooden table. Jürgen is a tall,
  powerful-looking man with blond hair, broad shoulders
  
  2 0
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  and striking blue eyes. He is wearing full chain armor with
  a belted white tabard over it, as well as thick leather
  gloves and boots. A stark black cross upon his chest
  dominates the center of his tabard. An enormous and
  ornate broadsword hangs at Lord Jürgen’s hip, and one of
  his hands rests on its pommel. This man radiates an aura
  of command that makes him seem invincible, as if he
  could never possibly fall in battle. He dismisses the
  captain before turning to speak to you.
  “Fellow knights of the Black Cross,” he says to
  you.”“Thank you for coming so quickly. Let me welcome
  you personally to Bran Castle. Lucretia von Hartz speaks
  highly of you in our correspondence. She feels that you
  will serve me well in our crusade against the demonic
  fiends who oppose us here. In fact, the time has come for
  you to prove to me that her faith in you is well founded.
  I have chosen you to undertake a mission of critical
  importance. Are you ready to prove yourselves to me and
  the rest of your sword-brethren?”
  Lord Jürgen does not wait for your answer, certain of
  your agreement, and you let him continue uninterrupted.
  “Excellent. Now, you may have noticed that your
  fellow soldiers seem ill at ease of late. They are anxious
  because a great battle against our foe looms on the
  horizon. The monstrous vampire-fiend Vladimir
  Rustovitch has raised an army of men, vampires and
  inhuman monstrosities against us, and he means to drive
  us out once and for all.
  “But know this, my sword-brethren, I will not be
  chased out of this castle or out of this country, not by man
  nor king nor demon-fiend. We have all worked too hard
  these many years to turn back now, and I say we fight for
  this land and domain we have earned by right of arms.
  That is why I have summoned you tonight. I have re-
  ceived word from a spy in Rustovitch’s camp that
  preparations for a major, conclusive offensive are under-
  way, and that Rustovitch’s army plans to attack us in one
  week’s time. My spy has gathered information on the
  planned assault that could prove crucial to our victory —
  perhaps even our survival. He is planning to break away
  from Rustovitch’s camp tomorrow night and make his
  way here to report to me.
  “The wilderness between Rustovitch’s camp and
  ours is arduous and heavily contested, and my spy does not
  trust his wilderness survival skills enough to make the
  entire trek alone. I need you to make your way in secret to
  a rendezvous point, meet up with my spy and guide him
  back safely to deliver the intelligence he has gathered. I
  know some of you are excellent scouts and all of you are
  able, valiant men at arms. I can spare no men to aid you,
  but I promise you great rewards should you succeed. So
  what say you? Can you be prepared to leave tomorrow
  night, one hour after sunset?”
  This is a simple  enough task, and it takes you only a
  moment to agree to Lord Jürgen’s request.
  “Very well. I will see that you are given new weapons
  and armor, supplied with maps of the forest in which your
  rendezvous will take place, and given your fill of fresh
  blood for the hard work ahead. May God’s grace be upon
  you, my knights of the Black Cross. All of your sword-
  brethren are counting on you. Do not let us down.”
  Lord Jürgen then nods gravely and raps on the table
  with his knuckles. The captain of the guards who led you
  here reenters the room and escorts you out.
  The Woods
  The next night, you awake well rested and find the
  other soldiers at Bran Castle as excited and edgy as they
  were the night before. You are allowed to drink your fill
  of blood in preparation for your mission, and once you
  have finished, you are outfitted with new weapons and a
  suit of chain mail that is as light as leather armor, and
  which has been designed to make as little noise as possible
  while you’re running through the woods. The scouts are
  allowed half an hour to commit the maps of the surround-
  ing forest and the directions to the rendezvous point to
  memory. You’re not allowed to carry the maps with you
  because they also mark important ambush sites and troop
  placements, which could be harmful if they fell into
  Rustovitch’s hands.
  The captain of the guards who led you to Lord Jürgen
  last night takes you and your companions to the edge of
  the woods and gives you one final briefing.
  “Now remember, knights,” he says. “Lord Jürgen’s
  not asking much of you. Just go to the rendezvous point
  and wait there. Our spy’ll meet you there and show you a
  sign he’s Jürgen’s man, loyal to the Black Cross. When
  you find him, get him here without letting any of
  Rustovitch’s men find him. Simple as that. Just remember
  to keep quiet and try to stay hidden. These woods are full
  of wolves and men and worse, and don’t none of ’em want
  you there. Stay sharp and alert if you want to make it back
  here no more dead than you already are.”
  With that, the captain laughs a spitefully and leaves
  you and your fellow knights alone at the edge of woods, to
  face whatever dangers lie within.
  
  2 1
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  
  2 2
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  Jacqueline
  Your father served a noble as a Master of the Hunt, so
  you grew up learning the ways of animals and forest creatures.
  You learned how to track and hunt your wild prey, as well as
  how to tame and train a dog or horse. You thrived in the
  outdoors, and learned well at your father’s side. Yet the life
  of a hunt master was not the life of a woman, and as you grew
  your father permitted you at his side less frequently, until you
  were finally exiled to the duties of lady-in-waiting to the
  noble’s wife. Though you chafed at your new lifestyle, you
  tried to please your father and perform your duties, but you
  had few skills and less enthusiasm. After one disastrous
  evening, you fled to the forest in a fit of frustration, hoping
  the familiar woods and night air would clear your head. But
  the woods were not so familiar and the night was dark, and
  soon you were lost. Your sire came to you in the shape of wolf,
  but when you woke from death, you beheld a man retreating
  into the forest. You would not see him again for years, but no
  matter. Experience is a swift teacher, and though some
  lessons were hard, you learned them well.
  You were recruited into the Order of the Black Cross
  after you attacked a group of hunters who had the misfortune
  to stumble into your territory. One of the hunters was a
  knight, who convinced you that while the world of mortals
  had no place for a woman with your skills, the Teutonic
  Knights would welcome them. His words proved true, and
  that is how you find yourself at the castle of Lord Jürgen. The
  wood does not frighten you, though you respect the danger
  that lurks in the shadows, and have heard whispers of the
  creatures hiding there. You agreed to Lord Jürgen’s request to
  escort his spy because you know the knights will need a scout
  who can do more than read maps. The group needs your skill
  with the trees and the beasts, for you know that once inside
  the wood, getting lost might be the least of your worries.
  Roleplaying Hints: You understand that predator
  and prey are not mutually exclusive, and are constantly
  on your guard. You prefer to be outdoors, and grow
  irritable when confined for even a short period of time.
  Your ways are those of the wanderer and the hunter.
  When scouting for a group, you are quick and efficient,
  and your fellow knights have learned the folly of disre-
  garding your reports and advice. You have little tolerance
  for stubbornness and arrogance, since both are signs of
  weakness — and weak prey is always the first to fall.
  Gear: The staff is your preferred weapon, though you
  also carry a hunting dagger. You often refuse to be bur-
  dened with either skirts or armor, though in the latter case
  you will make exceptions if doing so will not interfere
  with your ability to move swiftly and silently.
  Clan: Gangrel
  The Gangrel is a clan that shuns civilization, its
  members drawn from those who understand the value of
  land and beast and have not succumbed to the tempta-
  tions of the civilized world. New Gangrel are generally
  left on their own at first, surviving or dying. That is the
  way of the wild, and the way of the Gangrel.
  Weakness: Gangrel are close to the beasts of the forest,
  and to the Beast within. Every time a Gangrel frenzies, she
  gains a new animal feature. Elder Gangrel or Gangrel that
  lack self-control soon appear more beast than man. Jaqueline
  is still young, but even she has begun to take on the traits of
  her Beast, her ears resembling those of a wolf, and with short,
  coarse wolf hair covering her arms and back.
  Nature and Demeanor
  Survivor: No matter what challenges you face, you will
  survive, or you will die. That is the only way you know to live,
  and you have never thought to hide your ways behind a
  façade of pretty words. Regain Willpower whenever you
  survive a serious threat through determination and tenacity.
  Disciplines
  Animalism
  A Gangrel’s connection to the wild is strong, and
  manifests in the Discipline of Animalism, allowing her to
  communicate with the beasts of the forest, and even the
  Beasts of vampires.
  • Feral Speech
  The Gangrel has learned to speak to the animals in their
  own tongue, by looking into their eyes and using the sounds
  the animals makes. No roll is necessary, but the character
  must spend a turn getting the animal’s attention and looking
  into its eyes. The character must make sounds that the
  animal uses to communicate, such as barking or chirping,
  and to gain useful information or favors from the animal, the
  player must successfully roll Manipulation + Animal Ken.
  Fortitude
  Though all Cainites are tougher than mortals, some
  have powers of endurance that are truly supernatural.
  Each dot in Fortitude adds one die when rolling to soak
  bashing and lethal damage. In addition, the player may
  roll Stamina + Fortitude to soak damage from sunlight
  and fire. If the character suffers aggravated damage from
  any other source, roll only her Fortitude rating.
  Protean
  Vampires are predators, and Protean allows them to
  mimic both the skills and shape of a predator.
  • Witness of Darkness
  A vampire with this ability can see normally in
  darkness. This Discipline does not require a roll, but it
  takes a full turn to activate. Once activated, the character’s
  eyes glow red, but return to normal when she stops using
  Witness of Darkness.
  
  2 3
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  Road and Virtues
  Jaqueline follows the Path of Humanity. Via
  Humanitatis teaches that a vampire is no different than
  her fellow man or woman, and that mortal and Cainite
  alike are measured by word, deed and heart. Only by
  holding on to human compassion, conscience and reason
  can a Cainite separate herself from her Beast. The Golden
  Rule guides the Road of Humanity: Do unto others as you
  would have them do unto you. Via Humanitatis upholds
  the Virtues of Conscience and Self-Control.
  Background
  Meeting Lord Jürgen
  the Sword-Bearer
  The year is AD 1230. You are a Teutonic Knight of
  the Order of the Black Cross — a secret order of vampire
  knights operating within the greater Teutonic Order.
  You have been stationed at heavily fortified Bran Castle
  located on a high hill overlooking a dark, forbidding
  forest in the wilderness of Kronstadt, Hungary. You are
  part of an army of vampires and men, led by an old and
  powerful vampire known as Lord Jürgen the Sword-
  Bearer. You are recently arrived from your order’s
  headquarters in Magdeburg, Germany, and you come
  highly praised and recommended by the order’s second-
  in-command, Lucretia von Hartz.
  You awake night after your arrival at Bran Castle to
  find many of your fellow soldiers in a state of excited
  agitation. The castle’s defenses are being checked and
  double-checked, and there are more guards in evidence
  Road of Humanity
  Hierarchy of Sins
  Score
  Minimum Wrongdoing
  Rationale
  10
  Selfish thoughts
  Thought is as good as deed.
  9
  Minor selfish acts
  Compassion separates us from the beasts.
  8
  Injury to another person
  Follow the Golden Rule.
  (deliberate or otherwise)
  7
  Theft and robbery
  Respect the property of others.
  6
  Accidental violation of another
  Ignorance does not excuse cruelty.
  5
  Wanton destruction
  Man creates; the Beast destroys.
  4
  Impassioned violation of another
  Those who act as beasts become beasts.
  (e.g., killing in frenzy)
  3
  Planned violation of another
  If you surrender to the Beast, you become its slave.
  (e.g., murder)
  2
  Casual violation of another
  Others are worthy of your respect.
  (e.g, wanton killing, feeding past satiation)
  1
  The most heinous and demented acts
  Are you man or beast?
  on the walls than usual. Mortal scouts are being sent out
  and reporting back twice as frequently as usual, and the
  castle’s smiths and armorers are working frantically. Even
  the horses and livestock seem skittish and anxious. Over-
  head, clouds are rolling in from the east, bringing the
  sound of faraway thunder and intermittent flashes of
  lightning to mirror the growing anxiety on the ground.
  Before you can investigate the cause of all this agitation,
  though, a captain of the castle guards approaches you,
  with several other knights at his side.
  “Knight of the Black Cross,” he says.
  “You must come with me at once. Lord Jürgen bade
  me collect you and escort you to him. No questions, now,
  this is urgent. Come.”
  The captain then leads you across the castle’s bus-
  tling courtyard and into the castle proper. You follow him
  through echoing stone corridors to a small, torch-lit
  chamber where Lord Jürgen himself is waiting for you on
  the other side of a heavy wooden table. Jürgen is a tall,
  powerful-looking man with blond hair, broad shoulders
  and striking blue eyes. He is wearing full chain armor with
  a belted white tabard over it, as well as thick leather
  gloves and boots. A stark black cross upon his chest
  dominates the center of his tabard. An enormous and
  ornate broadsword hangs at Lord Jürgen’s hip, and one of
  his hands rests on its pommel. This man radiates an aura
  of command that makes him seem invincible, as if he
  could never possibly fall in battle. He dismisses the
  captain before turning to speak to you.
  “Fellow knights of the Black Cross,” he says to
  you.”“Thank you for coming so quickly. Let me welcome
  you personally to Bran Castle. Lucretia von Hartz speaks
  highly of you in our correspondence. She feels that you
  
  2 4
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  will serve me well in our crusade against the demonic
  fiends who oppose us here. In fact, the time has come for
  you to prove to me that her faith in you is well founded.
  I have chosen you to undertake a mission of critical
  importance. Are you ready to prove yourselves to me and
  the rest of your sword-brethren?”
  Lord Jürgen does not wait for your answer, certain of
  your agreement, and you let him continue uninterrupted.
  “Excellent. Now, you may have noticed that your
  fellow soldiers seem ill at ease of late. They are anxious
  because a great battle against our foe looms on the
  horizon. The monstrous vampire-fiend Vladimir
  Rustovitch has raised an army of men, vampires and
  inhuman monstrosities against us, and he means to drive
  us out once and for all.
  “But know this, my sword-brethren, I will not be
  chased out of this castle or out of this country, not by man
  nor king nor demon-fiend. We have all worked too hard
  these many years to turn back now, and I say we fight for
  this land and domain we have earned by right of arms.
  That is why I have summoned you tonight. I have re-
  ceived word from a spy in Rustovitch’s camp that
  preparations for a major, conclusive offensive are under-
  way, and that Rustovitch’s army plans to attack us in one
  week’s time. My spy has gathered information on the
  planned assault that could prove crucial to our victory —
  perhaps even our survival. He is planning to break away
  from Rustovitch’s camp tomorrow night and make his
  way here to report to me.
  “The wilderness between Rustovitch’s camp and
  ours is arduous and heavily contested, and my spy does not
  trust his wilderness survival skills enough to make the
  entire trek alone. I need you to make your way in secret to
  a rendezvous point, meet up with my spy and guide him
  back safely to deliver the intelligence he has gathered. I
  know some of you are excellent scouts and all of you are
  able, valiant men at arms. I can spare no men to aid you,
  but I promise you great rewards should you succeed. So
  what say you? Can you be prepared to leave tomorrow
  night, one hour after sunset?”
  This is a simple  enough task, and it takes you only a
  moment to agree to Lord Jürgen’s request.
  “Very well. I will see that you are given new weapons
  and armor, supplied with maps of the forest in which your
  rendezvous will take place, and given your fill of fresh
  blood for the hard work ahead. May God’s grace be upon
  you, my knights of the Black Cross. All of your sword-
  brethren are counting on you. Do not let us down.”
  Lord Jürgen then nods gravely and raps on the table
  with his knuckles. The captain of the guards who led you
  here reenters the room and escorts you out.
  The Woods
  The next night, you awake well rested and find the
  other soldiers at Bran Castle as excited and edgy as they
  were the night before. You are allowed to drink your fill
  of blood in preparation for your mission, and once you
  have finished, you are outfitted with new weapons and a
  suit of chain mail that is as light as leather armor, and
  which has been designed to make as little noise as possible
  while you’re running through the woods. The scouts are
  allowed half an hour to commit the maps of the surround-
  ing forest and the directions to the rendezvous point to
  memory. You’re not allowed to carry the maps with you
  because they also mark important ambush sites and troop
  placements, which could be harmful if they fell into
  Rustovitch’s hands.
  The captain of the guards who led you to Lord Jürgen
  last night takes you and your companions to the edge of
  the woods and gives you one final briefing.
  “Now remember, knights,” he says. “Lord Jürgen’s
  not asking much of you. Just go to the rendezvous point
  and wait there. Our spy’ll meet you there and show you a
  sign he’s Jürgen’s man, loyal to the Black Cross. When
  you find him, get him here without letting any of
  Rustovitch’s men find him. Simple as that. Just remember
  to keep quiet and try to stay hidden. These woods are full
  of wolves and men and worse, and don’t none of ’em want
  you there. Stay sharp and alert if you want to make it back
  here no more dead than you already are.”
  With that, the captain laughs a spitefully and leaves
  you and your fellow knights alone at the edge of woods, to
  face whatever dangers lie within.
  
  2 5
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  
  2 6
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  Joseph
  You are the younger son of a lord, and as such not were
  not destined to inherit the burdens of your father’s title. You
  grew up dreaming of studying at one of the new universities,
  perhaps even traveling the world cataloging knowledge and
  shaping the future of the world with ideas. While studying
  at the university, you made friends with an old and wise
  instructor who taught you many things. You are now ashamed
  to admit that you dismissed some of his teachings as the
  fancies of an old man, but when he Embraced you and
  brought you into Cainite society, you saw the error of your
  judgment. Your sire also taught you that there is balance in
  all things, that a man can be both scholar and warrior, and
  be better for it. Though never groomed for knighthood, you
  entered the Order of the Black Cross to learn the ways of a
  knight and to travel the world collecting knowledge. You
  know that one day you will trade in your sword for a quill,
  but at the moment you are content to learn by experience,
  strengthening both mind and body.
  You were excited to be called to the land of Lord
  Jürgen, and hope that while there you will have time to
  study the land and its secrets. You were disappointed to
  learn that your duty is brief and straightforward, but
  agreed to meet and escort the spy because you understand
  the value of knowledge. You wonder what you will en-
  counter in the woods, and hope that perhaps you will
  learn something new after all. However, it will not do to
  become too distracted by academic pursuits, for surely
  Lord Jürgen would not call in five knights if the woods
  were not treacherous indeed!
  Roleplaying Hints: Recently Embraced, you still have
  all the enthusiasm and curiosity of a young man. Friendly
  and genial, you look on each person as either a potential
  teacher or student, and you share your knowledge gener-
  ously. Still, you have learned the value of the sword, and
  study the skills of a knight as diligently as you study the
  world. For the moment, you are content to let others lead,
  trusting the skills of the scouts and the experience of the
  other men at arms. You will cheerfully lend your blade and
  your mind to the task presented, for every task offers the
  chance to increase skill, knowledge, or both.
  Gear: A student’s clothes, quill, parchment, broad-
  sword, armor
  Clan: Brujah
  Brujah are committed, intelligent and passionate.
  They take up their cause with strength and valor, fighting
  to shape the world to their vision. As ideas begin to
  multiply and grow, many Brujah have begun to question
  the visions of their clan mates. The line between passion
  and temper is a thin one indeed, and many a fight has
  broken out among clan mates. Elder Brujah worry that
  vision and passion may tear their young progeny apart
  from the inside out.
  Weakness: The Brujah find their passion a blessing
  as well as a curse, and a Brujah’s temper is always just
  below the surface. The difficulty of a Brujah’s roll to resist
  frenzy is always increased by 2.
  Nature and Demeanor
  Pedagogue: Knowledge is your passion and your
  cause, and people must be led by the word as well as by the
  sword. Though you share your clan’s fierce temper, your
  eagerness and vision allows your true nature — that of a
  scholar — to shine through.
  Disciplines
  Celerity
  Cainites wielding this power move with inhuman
  speed. Each level of Celerity grants one extra action in a
  turn, and the character must spend a blood point for each
  level of Celerity he wishes to activate.
  Potence
  Some Cainites learn speed, other learn endurance. Those
  who study Potence learn strength. Each dot in Potence adds
  one automatic success to any roll involving Strength.
  Road and Virtues
  Joseph follows the Path of Humanity. Via Humanitatis
  teaches that a vampire is no different than his fellow man,
  and that mortal and Cainite alike are measured by word,
  deed and heart. Only by holding on to human compas-
  sion, conscience and reason can a Cainite separate himself
  from his Beast. The Golden Rule guides the Road of
  Humanity: Do unto others as you would have them do
  unto you. Via Humanitatis upholds the Virtues of Con-
  science and Self-Control.
  Background
  Meeting Lord Jürgen
   the Sword-Bearer
  The year is AD 1230. You are a Teutonic Knight of
  the Order of the Black Cross — a secret order of vampire
  knights operating within the greater Teutonic Order.
  You have been stationed at heavily fortified Bran Castle
  located on a high hill overlooking a dark, forbidding
  forest in the wilderness of Kronstadt, Hungary. You are
  part of an army of vampires and men, led by an old and
  powerful vampire known as Lord Jürgen the Sword-
  Bearer. You are recently arrived from your order’s
  headquarters in Magdeburg, Germany, and you come
  highly praised and recommended by the order’s second-
  in-command, Lucretia von Hartz.
  
  2 7
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  Road of Humanity
  Hierarchy of Sins
  Score
  Minimum Wrongdoing
  Rationale
  10
  Selfish thoughts
  Thought is as good as deed.
  9
  Minor selfish acts
  Compassion separates us from the beasts.
  8
  Injury to another person
  Follow the Golden Rule.
  (deliberate or otherwise)
  7
  Theft and robbery
  Respect the property of others.
  6
  Accidental violation of another
  Ignorance does not excuse cruelty.
  5
  Wanton destruction
  Man creates; the Beast destroys.
  4
  Impassioned violation of another
  Those who act as beasts become beasts.
  (e.g., killing in frenzy)
  3
  Planned violation of another
  If you surrender to the Beast, you become
   (e.g., murder)
  its slave.
  2
  Casual violation of another
  Others are worthy of your respect.
  (e.g, wanton killing, feeding past satiation)
  1
  The most heinous and demented acts
  Are you man or beast?
  You awake night after your arrival at Bran Castle to
  find many of your fellow soldiers in a state of excited
  agitation. The castle’s defenses are being checked and
  double-checked, and there are more guards in evidence
  on the walls than usual. Mortal scouts are being sent out
  and reporting back twice as frequently as usual, and the
  castle’s smiths and armorers are working frantically. Even
  the horses and livestock seem skittish and anxious. Over-
  head, clouds are rolling in from the east, bringing the
  sound of faraway thunder and intermittent flashes of
  lightning to mirror the growing anxiety on the ground.
  Before you can investigate the cause of all this agitation,
  though, a captain of the castle guards approaches you,
  with several other knights at his side.
  “Knight of the Black Cross,” he says.
  “You must come with me at once. Lord Jürgen bade
  me collect you and escort you to him. No questions, now,
  this is urgent. Come.”
  The captain then leads you across the castle’s bus-
  tling courtyard and into the castle proper. You follow him
  through echoing stone corridors to a small, torch-lit
  chamber where Lord Jürgen himself is waiting for you on
  the other side of a heavy wooden table. Jürgen is a tall,
  powerful-looking man with blond hair, broad shoulders
  and striking blue eyes. He is wearing full chain armor with
  a belted white tabard over it, as well as thick leather
  gloves and boots. A stark black cross upon his chest
  dominates the center of his tabard. An enormous and
  ornate broadsword hangs at Lord Jürgen’s hip, and one of
  his hands rests on its pommel. This man radiates an aura
  of command that makes him seem invincible, as if he
  could never possibly fall in battle. He dismisses the
  captain before turning to speak to you.
  “Fellow knights of the Black Cross,” he says to
  you.”“Thank you for coming so quickly. Let me welcome
  you personally to Bran Castle. Lucretia von Hartz speaks
  highly of you in our correspondence. She feels that you
  will serve me well in our crusade against the demonic
  fiends who oppose us here. In fact, the time has come for
  you to prove to me that her faith in you is well founded.
  I have chosen you to undertake a mission of critical
  importance. Are you ready to prove yourselves to me and
  the rest of your sword-brethren?”
  Lord Jürgen does not wait for your answer, certain of
  your agreement, and you let him continue uninterrupted.
  “Excellent. Now, you may have noticed that your
  fellow soldiers seem ill at ease of late. They are anxious
  because a great battle against our foe looms on the
  horizon. The monstrous vampire-fiend Vladimir
  Rustovitch has raised an army of men, vampires and
  inhuman monstrosities against us, and he means to drive
  us out once and for all.
  “But know this, my sword-brethren, I will not be
  chased out of this castle or out of this country, not by man
  nor king nor demon-fiend. We have all worked too hard
  these many years to turn back now, and I say we fight for
  this land and domain we have earned by right of arms.
  That is why I have summoned you tonight. I have re-
  ceived word from a spy in Rustovitch’s camp that
  preparations for a major, conclusive offensive are under-
  way, and that Rustovitch’s army plans to attack us in one
  week’s time. My spy has gathered information on the
  planned assault that could prove crucial to our victory —
  perhaps even our survival. He is planning to break away
  from Rustovitch’s camp tomorrow night and make his
  way here to report to me.
  
  2 8
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  “The wilderness between Rustovitch’s camp and
  ours is arduous and heavily contested, and my spy does not
  trust his wilderness survival skills enough to make the
  entire trek alone. I need you to make your way in secret to
  a rendezvous point, meet up with my spy and guide him
  back safely to deliver the intelligence he has gathered. I
  know some of you are excellent scouts and all of you are
  able, valiant men at arms. I can spare no men to aid you,
  but I promise you great rewards should you succeed. So
  what say you? Can you be prepared to leave tomorrow
  night, one hour after sunset?”
  This is a simple  enough task, and it takes you only a
  moment to agree to Lord Jürgen’s request.
  “Very well. I will see that you are given new weapons
  and armor, supplied with maps of the forest in which your
  rendezvous will take place, and given your fill of fresh
  blood for the hard work ahead. May God’s grace be upon
  you, my knights of the Black Cross. All of your sword-
  brethren are counting on you. Do not let us down.”
  Lord Jürgen then nods gravely and raps on the table
  with his knuckles. The captain of the guards who led you
  here reenters the room and escorts you out.
  The Woods
  The next night, you awake well rested and find the
  other soldiers at Bran Castle as excited and edgy as they
  were the night before. You are allowed to drink your fill
  of blood in preparation for your mission, and once you
  have finished, you are outfitted with new weapons and a
  suit of chain mail that is as light as leather armor, and
  which has been designed to make as little noise as possible
  while you’re running through the woods. The scouts are
  allowed half an hour to commit the maps of the surround-
  ing forest and the directions to the rendezvous point to
  memory. You’re not allowed to carry the maps with you
  because they also mark important ambush sites and troop
  placements, which could be harmful if they fell into
  Rustovitch’s hands.
  The captain of the guards who led you to Lord Jürgen
  last night takes you and your companions to the edge of
  the woods and gives you one final briefing.
  “Now remember, knights,” he says. “Lord Jürgen’s
  not asking much of you. Just go to the rendezvous point
  and wait there. Our spy’ll meet you there and show you a
  sign he’s Jürgen’s man, loyal to the Black Cross. When
  you find him, get him here without letting any of
  Rustovitch’s men find him. Simple as that. Just remember
  to keep quiet and try to stay hidden. These woods are full
  of wolves and men and worse, and dono’t none of ’em
  want you there. Stay sharp and alert if you want to make
  it back here no more dead than you already are.”
  With that, the captain laughs a spitefully and leaves
  you and your fellow knights alone at the edge of woods, to
  face whatever dangers lie within.
  
  2 9
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  
  3 0
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
   Rachael
  Born to noble parents, as a child you behaved in ways
  which appalled your caretakers, until they despaired of ever
  making you a lady. Forever dragging home sick and injured
  animals, or giving away your expensive possessions to those
  in need, most adults viewed you as careless, with no apprecia-
  tion for station and wealth. Your habits did not change as you
  grew to adulthood, and your parents sent you to a convent,
  hoping a life of piety would settle you down. The sisters saw
  the value in your generous behavior and through their
  example and love, you came to appreciate the simple life of
  service and ministry that Holy Orders offered. You would
  have been content to live out your days as a nun, had your sire
  not Embraced you and opened your eyes to new evils in the
  world. With all humanity as your charge, you left the Holy
  Orders and joined the Knights of the Black Cross, to fight evil
  in all its forms. Lacking the strength of body or will to wield
  the sword and deliver death, you applied your keen mind and
  sound education instead. You are known as a scout of all
  terrain, navigating with equal ease through foreign geogra-
  phy and the complex political games played at court. Your
  natural charm is rivaled only by your sharp investigative skills
  and attention to detail, making you very good at your job.
  Though wary of working for any lord who bears such a
  name as “Sword-Bearer” you have heard of the evil fiends
  whom Lord Jürgen prepares to battle. Such evil must be
  destroyed, so you did not hesitate when he asked you to help
  him, though you disagree with some of his other political
  goals. But the best defense is sound information, and what
  ever intelligence Lord Jürgen’s spy can bring is worth the
  danger of the woods. Though you do not know your compan-
  ions, they are fellow knights and deserve the protection that
  your knowledge can bring them.
  Roleplaying Hints: You are kind and generous to all
  you meet, but you are not naÔve. You know that appear-
  ances are deceiving and oaths may be lies, so you are careful
  in choosing whom to trust. Your faith in God is sincere, and
  you will always strive to show compassion and mercy: no
  man or demon is beyond redemption. Those who have fallen
  to evil ways may yet be saved, but those who refuse salvation
  must be cast back to the hell whence they came. You are
  devoted to the well-being and protection of those you love
  and trust, including your fellow knights. You know they are
  depending on you. After all, only one other knight has seen
  the maps, and getting lost could lead to failure — and to the
  deaths of many and the victory of evil in Lord Jürgen’s land.
  Gear: Simple, practical clothing, rosary beads, small
  pouch with herbs for healing various ailments, needle,
  thread, and a dagger for self-defense
  Clan: Toreador
  Toreadors are the artisans of Cainite society. Drawn
  to beauty, Toreadors select progeny from among the
  beautiful or the socially adept, from among scholars or
  artists. Nobility, beauty, grace and an appreciation for
  what it means to be human mark members of clan Torea-
  dor. Many Toreador retain ties to the mortal world,
  striving to remember what it is to be human, pursuing
  beauty and art in all its forms, using these as tools to
  control the Beast within them.
  Weakness: Every time a Toreador beholds a thing of
  beauty, whether object, person or idea, she becomes en-
  tranced by it. This fascination may last for hours, and while
  enraptured the Toreador is oblivious to her surroundings
  and helpless against attack. When her character is con-
  fronted with a thing of beauty, the player should role
  Self-Control (difficulty 6) to see if the character falls victim
  to it. If the player fails, the character is entranced until the
  source leaves her sight. If attacked or harmed while en-
  tranced, the player should make another Self-Control roll
  to see if the character can break the spell and defend herself.
  Nature and Demeanor
  Caretaker: You are indeed your brother’s keeper, and
  devote your life to providing for other’s needs, even in the
  face of ingratitude. You are not jaded or cynical enough to
  feel the need to hide your Nature, preferring to live openly
  God’s commandments to love thy neighbor and thy enemy.
  Regain Willpower when you put forth significant effort that
  benefits others, without any gain for yourself.
  Disciplines
  Auspex
  Auspex is a Discipline which allows a vampire to
  sharpen her senses, at high levels even shattering the
  limitations of the physical world, so she can see, hear and
  interact with the metaphysical world.
  • Heightened Senses
  The most basic ability of Auspex doubles the range and
  sensitivity of a vampire’s five sense: hearing, sight, smell, taste
  and touch. No roll is required to activate this power and while
  active, the difficulty of rolls using the character’s senses decrease
  by a number equal to the character’s Auspex rating. A vampire
  using Heightened Senses is susceptible to strong stimuli, such as
  bright lights or loud noises, and such stimuli can be very painful,
  leaving the charatcer deaf, blind, numb or otherwise unable to
  use the affected sense for a short time (10 minutes).
  Celerity
  Cainites wielding this power move with inhuman
  speed. Each level of Celerity grants one extra action in a
  turn, and the player must spend a Blood point for each
  level of Celerity he wishes to activate.
  Presence
  Presence is a tool of persuasion, allowing a Cainite to
  augment her talents of expression and intimidation.
  
  3 1
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  • Awe
  The use of Awe increases a character’s charisma, mak-
  ing her more fascinating and impressive to those around, and
  targets are more likely to listen to and work with a vampire
  successfully using Awe. To activate Awe, the player rolls
  Charisma + Expression (difficulty 7). The number of suc-
  cesses determines the number of people affected.
  Successes
  Effectiveness
  1
  One person
  2
  Two people
  3
  Six people
  4
  20 people
  •• Dread Gaze
  By activating Dread Gaze and physically revealing
  her vampiric nature by baring her fangs, glaring and
  hissing, the Cainite inspires unbearable terror in her
  victims, sending them fleeing from her horrific visage. To
  use Dread Gaze, the player rolls Charisma + Intimidation,
  difficulty equal to the victim’s Wits + Courage.
  Road and Virtues
  Racheal follows the Path of Humanity.
  Via Humanitatis teaches that a vampire is no different
  than her fellow man or woman, and that mortal and
  Cainite alike are measured by word, deed and heart. Only
  by holding on to human compassion, conscience and
  reason can a Cainite separate herself from her Beast. The
  Golden Rule guides the Road of Humanity: Do unto
  Road of Humanity
  Hierarchy of Sins
  Score
  Minimum Wrongdoing
  Rationale
  10
  Selfish thoughts
  Thought is as good as deed.
  9
  Minor selfish acts
  Compassion separates us from the beasts.
  8
  Injury to another person
  Follow the Golden Rule.
  (deliberate or otherwise)
  7
  Theft and robbery
  Respect the property of others.
  6
  Accidental violation of another
  Ignorance does not excuse cruelty.
  5
  Wanton destruction
  Man creates; the Beast destroys.
  4
  Impassioned violation of another
  Those who act as beasts become beasts.
  (e.g., killing in frenzy)
  3
  Planned violation of another
  If you surrender to the Beast, you become
  (e.g., murder)
  its slave.
  2
  Casual violation of another
  Others are worthy of your respect.
  (e.g, wanton killing, feeding past satiation)
  1
  The most heinous and demented acts
  Are you man or beast?
  others as you would have them do unto you. Via Humanitatis
  upholds the Virtues of Conscience and Self-Control.
  Background
  Meeting Lord Jürgen
   the Sword-Bearer
  The year is AD 1230. You are a Teutonic Knight of
  the Order of the Black Cross — a secret order of vampire
  knights operating within the greater Teutonic Order.
  You have been stationed at heavily fortified Bran Castle
  located on a high hill overlooking a dark, forbidding
  forest in the wilderness of Kronstadt, Hungary. You are
  part of an army of vampires and men, led by an old and
  powerful vampire known as Lord Jürgen the Sword-
  Bearer. You are recently arrived from your order’s
  headquarters in Magdeburg, Germany, and you come
  highly praised and recommended by the order’s second-
  in-command, Lucretia von Hartz.
  You awake night after your arrival at Bran Castle to
  find many of your fellow soldiers in a state of excited
  agitation. The castle’s defenses are being checked and
  double-checked, and there are more guards in evidence
  on the walls than usual. Mortal scouts are being sent out
  and reporting back twice as frequently as usual, and the
  castle’s smiths and armorers are working frantically. Even
  the horses and livestock seem skittish and anxious. Over-
  head, clouds are rolling in from the east, bringing the
  sound of faraway thunder and intermittent flashes of
  lightning to mirror the growing anxiety on the ground.
  Before you can investigate the cause of all this agitation,
  
  3 2
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  though, a captain of the castle guards approaches you,
  with several other knights at his side.
  “Knight of the Black Cross,” he says.
  “You must come with me at once. Lord Jürgen bade
  me collect you and escort you to him. No questions, now,
  this is urgent. Come.”
  The captain then leads you across the castle’s bus-
  tling courtyard and into the castle proper. You follow him
  through echoing stone corridors to a small, torch-lit
  chamber where Lord Jürgen himself is waiting for you on
  the other side of a heavy wooden table. Jürgen is a tall,
  powerful-looking man with blond hair, broad shoulders
  and striking blue eyes. He is wearing full chain armor with
  a belted white tabard over it, as well as thick leather
  gloves and boots. A stark black cross upon his chest
  dominates the center of his tabard. An enormous and
  ornate broadsword hangs at Lord Jürgen’s hip, and one of
  his hands rests on its pommel. This man radiates an aura
  of command that makes him seem invincible, as if he
  could never possibly fall in battle. He dismisses the
  captain before turning to speak to you.
  “Fellow knights of the Black Cross,” he says to
  you.”“Thank you for coming so quickly. Let me welcome
  you personally to Bran Castle. Lucretia von Hartz speaks
  highly of you in our correspondence. She feels that you
  will serve me well in our crusade against the demonic
  fiends who oppose us here. In fact, the time has come for
  you to prove to me that her faith in you is well founded.
  I have chosen you to undertake a mission of critical
  importance. Are you ready to prove yourselves to me and
  the rest of your sword-brethren?”
  Lord Jürgen does not wait for your answer, certain of
  your agreement, and you let him continue uninterrupted.
  “Excellent. Now, you may have noticed that your
  fellow soldiers seem ill at ease of late. They are anxious
  because a great battle against our foe looms on the
  horizon. The monstrous vampire-fiend Vladimir
  Rustovitch has raised an army of men, vampires and
  inhuman monstrosities against us, and he means to drive
  us out once and for all.
  “But know this, my sword-brethren, I will not be
  chased out of this castle or out of this country, not by man
  nor king nor demon-fiend. We have all worked too hard
  these many years to turn back now, and I say we fight for
  this land and domain we have earned by right of arms.
  That is why I have summoned you tonight. I have re-
  ceived word from a spy in Rustovitch’s camp that
  preparations for a major, conclusive offensive are under-
  way, and that Rustovitch’s army plans to attack us in one
  week’s time. My spy has gathered information on the
  planned assault that could prove crucial to our victory —
  perhaps even our survival. He is planning to break away
  from Rustovitch’s camp tomorrow night and make his
  way here to report to me.
  “The wilderness between Rustovitch’s camp and
  ours is arduous and heavily contested, and my spy does not
  trust his wilderness survival skills enough to make the
  entire trek alone. I need you to make your way in secret to
  a rendezvous point, meet up with my spy and guide him
  back safely to deliver the intelligence he has gathered. I
  know some of you are excellent scouts and all of you are
  able, valiant men at arms. I can spare no men to aid you,
  but I promise you great rewards should you succeed. So
  what say you? Can you be prepared to leave tomorrow
  night, one hour after sunset?”
  This is a simple  enough task, and it takes you only a
  moment to agree to Lord Jürgen’s request.
  “Very well. I will see that you are given new weapons
  and armor, supplied with maps of the forest in which your
  rendezvous will take place, and given your fill of fresh
  blood for the hard work ahead. May God’s grace be upon
  you, my knights of the Black Cross. All of your sword-
  brethren are counting on you. Do not let us down.”
  Lord Jürgen then nods gravely and raps on the table
  with his knuckles. The captain of the guards who led you
  here reenters the room and escorts you out.
  The Woods
  The next night, you awake well rested and find the
  other soldiers at Bran Castle as excited and edgy as they
  were the night before. You are allowed to drink your fill
  of blood in preparation for your mission, and once you
  have finished, you are outfitted with new weapons and a
  suit of chain mail that is as light as leather armor, and
  which has been designed to make as little noise as possible
  while you’re running through the woods. The scouts are
  allowed half an hour to commit the maps of the surround-
  ing forest and the directions to the rendezvous point to
  memory. You’re not allowed to carry the maps with you
  because they also mark important ambush sites and troop
  placements, which could be harmful if they fell into
  Rustovitch’s hands.
  The captain of the guards who led you to Lord Jürgen
  last night takes you and your companions to the edge of
  the woods and gives you one final briefing.
  “Now remember, knights,” he says. “Lord Jürgen’s
  not asking much of you. Just go to the rendezvous point
  and wait there. Our spy’ll meet you there and show you a
  sign he’s Jürgen’s man, loyal to the Black Cross. When
  you find him, get him here without letting any of
  Rustovitch’s men find him. Simple as that. Just remember
  to keep quiet and try to stay hidden. These woods are full
  of wolves and men and worse, and don’t none of ’em want
  you there. Stay sharp and alert if you want to make it back
  here no more dead than you already are.”
  With that, the captain laughs a spitefully and leaves
  you and your fellow knights alone at the edge of woods, to
  face whatever dangers lie within.
  
  3 3
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  
  3 4
  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  Ralph
  Born a peasant, you had a  hard life, eking out a living from
  the land for a lord who took more than his share and left you
  and your family to make do with what was left. Stricken by a
  pox when you were young, you were never an attractive child,
  and that only added to your pains. Though you were strong and
  good, few young women could see past your appearance. You
  had resigned yourself to living and dying alone. Walking home
  late one night, you saw a young woman walking ahead of you.
  She dressed well, and her brown curls hung freely down her
  back, unseemly conduct for a woman of any station, and
  certain to draw unwanted attention. You approached, but hid
  your face, worried you might frighten her. When a few steps
  away, you called out to her, ready to admonish the foolish girl
  for walking alone at night, but the words died when you saw
  her face. At first you thought she was a demon, with her thin,
  distorted face, all points and angles. It looked as if she had no
  skin, her sinews showing clearly, and her body smelling of raw
  meat. Then you saw her eyes, brown and human and full of
  sadness, shedding tears of blood and begging pity. In that
  instant you knew she was no monster. You never returned
  home that night, and you walked many roads with Anne
  before finding your own path as a Knight of the Black Cross.
  A knight’s life is his duty, and his duty is dictated by
  his lord. You go where duty calls, and were prepared to
  accept Lord Jürgen’s request before you even knew what
  it was. You must wonder, though, what strange and
  terrible dangers the wood holds, that five knights are
  needed to escort one spy. What ever the danger, you will
  face it with sword and with fist, defending your new
  comrades, especially as some do not look capable of
  defending themselves! Let the women worry about the
  spy — you are there to protect your fellow knights against
  the dangers of the woods, for surely they will need your
  strength and courage to survive the perils ahead.
  Roleplaying Hints: You are valiant and strong in
  both body and will. While most of your fellow knights are
  repulsed by your appearance, few judge you by it, for a
  knight proves himself by word and deed. You have proven
  to be skilled and honorable, and your courage is spoken of
  by all who know you. Because you are ugly and speak
  infrequently, you are often mistaken as stupid, but your
  friends understand that you simply do not waste words
  when action will suffice. You will carry out Lord Jürgen’s
  orders because that is your duty, but you know your real
  purpose here is to defend your comrades from the un-
  known dangers of the wood.
  Gear: Ralph places no value on possessions. He
  travels with only his shield and bastard sword, and a lock
  of Anne’s hair tucked in the bandages near his heart.
  Clan: Nosferatu
  The Nosferatu are shunned and despised by mortal and
  vampire alike, for each and every member is hideously de-
  formed, the curse of Caine twisting his body into a truly
  monstrous shape. Some Nosferatu believe their appearance is
  a test; as God tested Job, so too is He testing them. Other
  Nosferatu believe their appearance to be visible proof of their
  damnation, and abandon God as they believe He abandoned
  them. Still others do not blame God or devil for their affliction,
  merely accepting it as their lot. Forced to live on the fringes of
  mortal and Cainite society, Nosferatu lurk in the shadows and
  seek out each other for company or solace. Nosferatu trade
  information freely among themselves, and barter it for high
  prices to vampires not of the clan. Masters of hiding, deception
  and subterfuge, the Nosferatu have learned that some times
  walls do talk, and they are always there to listen.
  Weakness: Nosferatu can never any dots in Appear-
  ance. Ralph was always tall and broad, but the Embrace
  thickened and grew his limbs until he towered over all
  men and most Cainites. It also opened old scars, turning
  them into fresh boils that seep with a dark, viscous fluid.
  Ralph wraps his body, hands and face in burlap, which
  quickly becomes stained and foul, and he dresses in burlap
  robes. Ralph smells of illness and rot, and is often sur-
  rounded by flies and bugs.
  Nature and Demeanor
  Defender: You stand guard over that for which you
  care, and you do not bother to hide you devotion, the
  better to warn those that might harm that which you
  defend. Regain Willpower whenever you defend your
  chosen object of loyalty from some outside threat.
  Disciplines
  Obfuscate
  Masters of stealth, Obfuscate allows a Nosferatu to
  hide his body with shadows and his appearance with
  illusion.
  • Cloak of Shadows
  By standing still and silent in the shadows, the Nosferatu
  can conceal himself. No roll is required, but the character
  must have some sort of cover, and cannot move or speak.
  •• Unseen Presence
  The Nosferatu no longer relies on the shadows for
  cover; he has learned to conceal himself even in plain
  sight, and can move unseen by others. Again, no roll is
  required, but the Nosferatu must begin in a concealed
  place. He can move about slowly and stealthily, but
  speaking or interacting with his environment will break
  the concealment.
  Potence
  Some Cainites learn speed, other learn endurance.
  Those who study Potence learn strength. Each dot in
  Potence adds one automatic success to any roll involving
  Strength.
  
  3 5
  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  Road and Virtues
  Ralph follows the Path of Humanity. Via Humanitatis
  teaches that a vampire is no different than his fellow man,
  and that mortal and Cainite alike are measured by word,
  deed and heart. Only by holding on to human compas-
  sion, conscience and reason can a Cainite separate himself
  from his Beast. The Golden Rule guides the Road of
  Humanity: Do unto others as you would have them do
  unto you. Via Humanitatis upholds the Virtues of Con-
  science and Self-Control.
  Background
  Meeting Lord Jürgen the Sword-
  Bearer
  The year is AD 1230. You are a Teutonic Knight of
  the Order of the Black Cross — a secret order of vampire
  knights operating within the greater Teutonic Order.
  You have been stationed at heavily fortified Bran Castle
  located on a high hill overlooking a dark, forbidding
  forest in the wilderness of Kronstadt, Hungary. You are
  part of an army of vampires and men, led by an old and
  powerful vampire known as Lord Jürgen the Sword-
  Bearer. You are recently arrived from your order’s
  headquarters in Magdeburg, Germany, and you come
  highly praised and recommended by the order’s second-
  in-command, Lucretia von Hartz.
  You awake night after your arrival at Bran Castle to
  find many of your fellow soldiers in a state of excited
  agitation. The castle’s defenses are being checked and
  double-checked, and there are more guards in evidence
  Road of Humanity
  Hierarchy of Sins
  Score
  Minimum Wrongdoing
  Rationale
  10
  Selfish thoughts
  Thought is as good as deed.
  9
  Minor selfish acts
  Compassion separates us from the beasts.
  8
  Injury to another person
  Follow the Golden Rule.
  (deliberate or otherwise)
  7
  Theft and robbery
  Respect the property of others.
  6
  Accidental violation of another
  Ignorance does not excuse cruelty.
  5
  Wanton destruction
  Man creates; the Beast destroys.
  4
  Impassioned violation of another
  Those who act as beasts become beasts.
  (e.g., killing in frenzy)
  3
  Planned violation of another
  If you surrender to the Beast, you become
  (e.g., murder)
  its slave.
  2
  Casual violation of another
  Others are worthy of your respect.
  (e.g, wanton killing, feeding past satiation)
  1
  The most heinous and demented acts
  Are you man or beast?
  on the walls than usual. Mortal scouts are being sent out
  and reporting back twice as frequently as usual, and the
  castle’s smiths and armorers are working frantically. Even
  the horses and livestock seem skittish and anxious. Over-
  head, clouds are rolling in from the east, bringing the
  sound of faraway thunder and intermittent flashes of
  lightning to mirror the growing anxiety on the ground.
  Before you can investigate the cause of all this agitation,
  though, a captain of the castle guards approaches you,
  with several other knights at his side.
  “Knight of the Black Cross,” he says. “You must come
  with me at once. Lord Jürgen bade me collect you and
  escort you to him. No questions, now, this is urgent.
  Come.”
  The captain then leads you across the castle’s bus-
  tling courtyard and into the castle proper. You follow him
  through echoing stone corridors to a small, torch-lit
  chamber where Lord Jürgen himself is waiting for you on
  the other side of a heavy wooden table. Jürgen is a tall,
  powerful-looking man with blond hair, broad shoulders
  and striking blue eyes. He is wearing full chain armor with
  a belted white tabard over it, as well as thick leather
  gloves and boots. A stark black cross upon his chest
  dominates the center of his tabard. An enormous and
  ornate broadsword hangs at Lord Jürgen’s hip, and one of
  his hands rests on its pommel. This man radiates an aura
  of command that makes him seem invincible, as if he
  could never possibly fall in battle. He dismisses the
  captain before turning to speak to you.
  “Fellow knights of the Black Cross,” he says to
  you.”“Thank you for coming so quickly. Let me welcome
  you personally to Bran Castle. Lucretia von Hartz speaks
  highly of you in our correspondence. She feels that you
  
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  • DARK AGES: VAMPIRE •
  will serve me well in our crusade against the demonic
  fiends who oppose us here. In fact, the time has come for
  you to prove to me that her faith in you is well founded.
  I have chosen you to undertake a mission of critical
  importance. Are you ready to prove yourselves to me and
  the rest of your sword-brethren?ol”
  Lord Jürgen does not wait for your answer, certain of
  your agreement, and you let him continue uninterrupted.
  “Excellent. Now, you may have noticed that your
  fellow soldiers seem ill at ease of late. They are anxious
  because a great battle against our foe looms on the
  horizon. The monstrous vampire-fiend Vladimir
  Rustovitch has raised an army of men, vampires and
  inhuman monstrosities against us, and he means to drive
  us out once and for all.
  “But know this, my sword-brethren, I will not be
  chased out of this castle or out of this country, not by man
  nor king nor demon-fiend. We have all worked too hard
  these many years to turn back now, and I say we fight for
  this land and domain we have earned by right of arms.
  That is why I have summoned you tonight. I have re-
  ceived word from a spy in Rustovitch’s camp that
  preparations for a major, conclusive offensive are under-
  way, and that Rustovitch’s army plans to attack us in one
  week’s time. My spy has gathered information on the
  planned assault that could prove crucial to our victory —
  perhaps even our survival. He is planning to break away
  from Rustovitch’s camp tomorrow night and make his
  way here to report to me.
  “The wilderness between Rustovitch’s camp and
  ours is arduous and heavily contested, and my spy does not
  trust his wilderness survival skills enough to make the
  entire trek alone. I need you to make your way in secret to
  a rendezvous point, meet up with my spy and guide him
  back safely to deliver the intelligence he has gathered. I
  know some of you are excellent scouts and all of you are
  able, valiant men at arms. I can spare no men to aid you,
  but I promise you great rewards should you succeed. So
  what say you? Can you be prepared to leave tomorrow
  night, one hour after sunset?”
  This is a simple  enough task, and it takes you only a
  moment to agree to Lord Jürgen’s request.
  “Very well. I will see that you are given new weapons
  and armor, supplied with maps of the forest in which your
  rendezvous will take place, and given your fill of fresh
  blood for the hard work ahead. May God’s grace be upon
  you, my knights of the Black Cross. All of your sword-
  brethren are counting on you. Do not let us down.”
  Lord Jürgen then nods gravely and raps on the table
  with his knuckles. The captain of the guards who led you
  here reenters the room and escorts you out.
  The Woods
  The next night, you awake well rested and find the
  other soldiers at Bran Castle as excited and edgy as they
  were the night before. You are allowed to drink your fill
  of blood in preparation for your mission, and once you
  have finished, you are outfitted with new weapons and a
  suit of chain mail that is as light as leather armor, and
  which has been designed to make as little noise as possible
  while you’re running through the woods. The scouts are
  allowed half an hour to commit the maps of the surround-
  ing forest and the directions to the rendezvous point to
  memory. You’re not allowed to carry the maps with you
  because they also mark important ambush sites and troop
  placements, which could be harmful if they fell into
  Rustovitch’s hands.
  The captain of the guards who led you to Lord Jürgen
  last night takes you and your companions to the edge of
  the woods and gives you one final briefing.
  “Now remember, knights,” he says. “Lord Jürgen’s
  not asking much of you. Just go to the rendezvous point
  and wait there. Our spy’ll meet you there and show you a
  sign he’s Jürgen’s man, loyal to the Black Cross. When
  you find him, get him here without letting any of
  Rustovitch’s men find him. Simple as that. Just remember
  to keep quiet and try to stay hidden. These woods are full
  of wolves and men and worse, and don’t none of ’em want
  you there. Stay sharp and alert if you want to make it back
  here no more dead than you already are.”
  With that, the captain laughs a spitefully and leaves
  you and your fellow knights alone at the edge of woods, to
  face whatever dangers lie within.
  
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  • KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK CROSS •
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Storyteller [multi]/World of Darkness (WoD) [multi]/Vampire/Vampire (oWoD)/World of Darkness (WoD)/oWoD/Dark Ages (c)/Knights of the Black Cross.pdf