Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition clan
Ravnos
Ravnos is a clan in Vampire V5: Wandering tricksters who can never stay in one place for long.
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Key facts
- Disciplines
- animalism, obfuscate, presence
Overview
The Ravnos are wanderers, illusionists, and tricksters who can never stay in one place. In V5 the clan has been devastated, many elders self-immolated in the Week of Nightmares, and the survivors are scattered, restless, and few. Modern Ravnos drift from city to city, taking what they need and leaving before they're noticed. They are con artists, refugees, scouts, and entertainers, surviving on charm and cunning. Ravnos characters excel at deception, stealth, and social manipulation. Their Disciplines (Animalism, Obfuscate, and Presence) make them skilled at infiltration and escape. Their clan bane (Sun-Cursed) means sunlight is even more deadly to them than to other Kindred, and the sight of fire can entrance them.
How it works
Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Presence Clan Bane - Sun-Cursed: Ravnos take Aggravated damage equal to their Bane Severity from sunlight in addition to the normal sunlight damage. They are also vulnerable to fire entrancement: when they see open flame they must roll Composure + Resolve at a Difficulty equal to Bane Severity or become fixated on it for a turn. Compulsion - Tempting Fate: When triggered, you must take the riskiest plausible option in any decision, the one with the most danger and the most potential reward. You take a two-dice penalty to all rolls until you pursue a course of action you know is reckless. Starting Disciplines: Choose 3 dots among Animalism, Obfuscate, and Presence (max 2 dots in any single Discipline at creation).
Tips and playstyle
Character Concepts: Con artist, smuggler, traveling performer, drifter, refugee, scout, fortune-teller, freelance fixer. Playstyle: Ravnos suit players who want a trickster whose stories are about staying one step ahead, of cities, hunters, and themselves. They work well as the coterie's infiltrator and as the source of trouble that drives sessions. Pair with Predator Types like Alleycat (opportunistic feeding) or Roadside Killer (feeding while on the move). Synergies: Obfuscate for invisibility and false faces. Presence to talk your way past trouble. Animalism for scouts and warnings. Invest in Subterfuge, Larceny, and Stealth.
Frequently asked questions
What was the Week of Nightmares?
In canon, in 1999, the Ravnos Antediluvian woke and was destroyed in a week of catastrophic violence. Most elder Ravnos either self-immolated or were burned out in the aftermath. The clan is reduced to a few hundred Kindred worldwide. Your character might be a young Ravnos who never met an elder, or a survivor still processing the trauma.
Why can't Ravnos stay in one place?
It is partly cultural, the clan's roots are in nomadic traditions, and partly metaphysical. The Sun-Cursed bane and the Tempting Fate Compulsion both create pressure to keep moving. Settling down means being caught, and the Beast knows it. Many Ravnos rotate cities on a regular schedule to avoid building lasting enemies.
Are Ravnos welcome in the Camarilla?
Reluctantly tolerated at best. Camarilla princes don't like the trail of theft and Masquerade breaches that often follows Ravnos, but the clan is small enough not to be a political threat. Anarch baronies are usually more welcoming. Independent operation is also common.