Vampire V5 GM checklist cheat sheet
Before-session and during-session reminders. At-the-table reference for Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition.
VtM V5 Storyteller checklist: prep social pressure, track Hunger, and let the Beast drive the drama.
Before the session
- Prep NPC motivations and faction tensions (Camarilla, Anarch, etc.).
- Decide which scenes will trigger Hunger: when will feeding be available?
- Plan 1-2 situations that test each PC's Convictions or Touchstones.
- Set stakes for social conflicts: Vampiric politics are more dangerous than combat.
During play
- Track Hunger for each PC visibly (it is a shared tension tool).
- Let messy criticals and bestial failures drive scenes, not derail them.
- Offer feeding opportunities that come with social or moral costs.
- Use Frenzy as a dramatic beat, not a gotcha.
- Coterie dynamics: spotlight the social friction between Clans.
Common mistakes
- Hunger is not a punishment mechanic; it is a narrative pressure tool.
- Combat in V5 is fast and lethal for mortals; PvP can end a character quickly.
- Do not let Discipline powers solve everything: social consequences persist.