Derangement (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
Flaws
Definition
Derangement represents a persistent mental health condition. Under pressure, especially at high Hunger or after frenzy, it shapes how you perceive and react. Paranoia, intrusive voices, dissociation, and obsessive fixation are common examples. Handle it with care at the table. It should complicate choices and relationships, not turn the character into a joke.
How it works
**Effect**: In stressful situations the Storyteller may impose a penalty, force a specific reaction, or require a Willpower spend to act against the condition. **Interaction**: Malkavians already suffer a derangement as their clan bane in this system; taking the flaw as a Malkavian deepens or adds to it. **Benefit**: Grants creation experience points or story leverage, like every flaw on the RPG Stack sheet.
Tips
**Character concepts**: Malkavian oracle, war veteran Brujah, Nosferatu who has not spoken to anyone in years, survivor of a brutal Embrace. **When to take**: Take it with the whole table's buy-in and a clear definition of what it does and does not do.
Frequently asked questions
Can I choose the condition?
Yes, and you should define it specifically with the Storyteller, including what triggers it and how it shows up.
Can it be treated?
Managed, yes: therapy, routine, Touchstones. Cured is rarer for Kindred, and the Malkavian bane version cannot be removed at all.