Rules reference
Attributes in Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition
What attributes mean and how to use them at the table. Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition is a modern gothic horror tabletop roleplaying game where you play as a Kindred, a vampire struggling to maintain their humanity while navigating the complex politics of the Camarilla. Set in a dark reflection of our world, VTM5e combines personal horror with political intrigue, as players balance their Beast against their fading Humanity.
Key points
Attributes describe your broad capability. In play, they usually combine with skills (or directly with a roll mechanic) to resolve actions.
- 14 clans: Brujah and Gangrel run as Anarchs outside the Camarilla; Banu Haqim, Lasombra, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, and Ventrue hold Camarilla seats; Hecata, Ministry, Ravnos, Salubri, and Tzimisce lean independent, Sabbat, or unaligned
- 10 Predator Types: Alleycat, Bagger, Blood Leech, Cleaver, Consensualist, Extortionist, Farmer, Osiris, Sandman, Siren
- Discipline system: In-clan Disciplines cost less XP than out-of-clan
- Hunger dice: a separate resource (0-5) that adds volatility to rolls via messy criticals or bestial failures
- Humanity tracking: Starts at 7, decreases with immoral actions
- Blood Potency: Increases with age, affects feeding and Discipline power
If you want to solve problems physically, invest in physical attributes; if you want social leverage, invest socially. Your skills make that approach reliable.
Pick 1-2 ‘core’ attribute areas for your concept and accept a weakness to keep choices meaningful.
- Mistake: Spreading points evenly. Fix: Pick 1-2 strengths that match your concept and accept a weakness.
- Mistake: Ignoring how attributes connect to rolls. Fix: Check what combines with skills (or what the system uses most) and build around that.