Derangements

Roleplaying Derangements

Derangements create challenges for the player to solve, but they’re not intended to provide an impediment to play. Derangements are aspects of a character that frequently impact their unlives negatively, and subsequently require adjustments to their interactions to manage or avoid this negative impact. Most Derangements lie somewhat dormant, with their traits present in small mental and verbal traits or tics and only manifesting fully during periods of stress — generally, most stimuli that could potentially cause frenzy or any stress that calls for a Self-Control or Instinct roll will automatically trigger a Derangement. The player and Storyteller should agree on what stimuli triggers the Derangement for the character. Once the stress triggers the Derangement, it remains in effect for the rest of the night. By spending a Willpower point, a Cainite may experience a single turn of lucidity, holding the Derangement at bay by sheer force of will. Each Derangement stipulates how it affects vampires; while mortals much the same way vampires can, the actual mechanical effects are up to the Storyteller.

Discipline Derangements

(Source: Player's Guide to High Clans.)

While a Cainite who possesses advanced levels of one or more Disciplines might have incredible power at her disposal, such power can (and often does) also begin to affect her mentally. Just as some mortal lords become corrupt
and degenerate because of the power they wield
over their fellow humans, a Cainite might find her
sanity eroded by the powers of the Gifts of Caine.

When to afflict “Discipline Derangements” is ultima-
tely up to the Storyteller. Below is a list of conditions that indicate that a Discipline derangement might develop. In general, only characters who have a Discipline at level 6
or above are in danger of developing Discipline derangements, but if the player and Storyteller agree,
such a derangement might come at earlier levels. If a character fulfills three conditions, she is in serious
danger of receiving a temporary derangement.
Fulfilling five or more conditions might inflict a
permanent derangement. The derangements
appropriate to each Discipline are listed in their
own section.

• The level of a clan Discipline is higher than the other two clan Disciplines together.
• The level of a non-clan Discipline is higher than any clan Disciplines.
• The character has multiple powers of the same level of the Discipline.
• The character has reached her maximum potential in the Discipline without reaching at least level 5 in another.
• The character has botched uses of the Disciplines several times recently.
• The character has repeatedly achieved phenomenal results (six or more successes) while using the Discipline recently.
• The character relies heavily on using the Discipline, even when it is not necessary.
• The character has learned or advanced in the Discipline as a result of diablerie.

Temporary Discipline derangements fade when the conditions that brought them about no longer apply, while permanent Discipline derangements are just that. They may eventually be overcome just as other derangements, but the character cannot find a cure by simply refraining from the use of the Discipline that brought on the derangement; it lingers on.

Use of Merits and Flaws

Aside from the list below, many Mental, Social or Supernatural Merits and Flaws could be used as inspiration for "new" derangements. A merit could be reversed, while a 1-pt flaw should be amplified. When doing so, of course, the bonus or penalty in freebie points is disregarded.

Most of these "new" derangements would probably fall into one or more of the derangements described therein, but with a definite or specific flavor that could make them more unique.

List of Derangements

Dark Ages Derangements

Tremere-Specific Derangements

Ghoul-Specific Derangements

Modern Derangements

Bulimia

Individuals with bulimia assuage their guilt and insecurity by indulging in activities that comfort them — in this case, consuming food. A bulimic will eat tremendous amounts of food when subjected to stress, then empty her stomach through drastic measures so she can eat still more.

In the case of vampires with this derangement, the need to feed is a means of relieving the fear and anxiety endemic to the World of Darkness. A bulimic vampire may feed four or more times a night — gorging herself, burning the blood in pointless (or not so pointless) activity, then starting the again.

A vampire with bulimia gets hungry much more quickly than other vampires do. When feeding, a bulimic vampire must make a Conscience or Conviction roll (difficulty 7). If she fails the roll, she feeds until her blood pool is full, whether the vampire needs the extra blood or not. A vampire who is forcibly kept from feeding risks frenzy (make a frenzy roll, difficulty 6). The difficulty increases by one for every 15 minutes that she is prevented from drinking.

Catatonia

A character suffering from this derangement may withdraw from the world entirely at times of stress, remaining largely immobile and unresponsive. Due to the major limiting factors on their actions, catatonia is not recommended as a player derangement.

Dependant

Beings with dependent personality disorder are needy and helpless. Unlike beings with the Child Nature, they don’t necessarily retain a sense of wonder or innocence. In fact, the opposite is often true. People with this condition can't stand being alone or acting on their own. They cling to others and fear losing them, often jumping from relationship to relationship, even abusive ones. They are overly sensitive to disapproval and may break down, even to the point of suicide when faced with rejection. They let others make important decisions for them.

A Dependent Cainite may be particularly vulnerable to the Bulimia derangement (Vampire, p. 223).

Desensitization

The vampire with this affliction is a virtual emotional amputee. As a derangement, desensitization inhibits the vampire's ability to feel any sort of strong emotion whatsover, whether joy, sadness, anger or love. The afflicted just can't make the appropriate neural connections (well, for want of a better term).

The power of Dominate of the blood bond can still hold a vampire so afflicted in check, but even though such a supernatural compulsion governs the vampire's actions, it has less an effect on her psyche. Even when blood bound, the

vampire gos through the motions of love and devotion like a distracted actor half-heartedly playing a part. She will still throw herself in from of a car to save her "loved one", but she will do so without so much as a word, a tear or a smile. When she frenzies, she does so in a chillingly silent paroxysm of violence; when struck with the Rötschreck, she scuttles away like a cockroach instinctively fleeing the light.

Vampires with this derangements find it difficult to truly believe in their own ideals, and so make all Humanity, Path, Conscience or Conviction rolls at +2 difficulty. They also suffer a one-die penalty to any Social dice pools that require some show of emotion or warmth, and cannot purchase the Performance Ability at all.

Dissociative Blood-Spending

One of the less obvious derangements, this affliction inhibits a vampire's conscious control over his own vitae. Vampires with this derangement have a tendency to unconsciously spend blood points to raise their Attributes at unusual and inappropriate times - increasing their strength in the middle of a round of drinks, upping their reaction speed while trying to compose a letter, and so on. These vampires have even been known to spend blood points during the day while they sleep, waking up even hungrier than usual and never knowing why.

If a character has this derangement, once per session the Storyteller can rule that the vampire has just spent a blood point to raise a given Attribute, or that the vampire wakes up an extra blood point low. The Storyteller is even within her rights to tell the player that his character's missing a blood point, without elaborating exactly when and where he spent the blood, or what for. After all, the vampire wouldn't know where it went. Players are also welcome to roleplay this derangement, of course (and it can be fun to start randomly spending blood in the middle of a tense scene, just to worry the other players), but the Storyteller has final control over making this derangement a drawback rather than a simple quirk.

Fantasy

Some characters cannot accept the real world, so they transpose themselves into an illusory world instead. The scope and degree of this fantasy varies considerably. A character may hold conversations with characters who aren’t there, or hear “voices from the gods” commanding him to carry out a wide range of acts. He may also interact with people and institutions of the Dark Medieval in an almost normal manner but with their perception of events skewed by their fantasy. For example, a Cainite may regard himself as Lancelot from the Arthurian legends, on a quest to slay a vile demon or rescue a fair princess. Such fantasies manifest as a quirky outlook, but they are rarely dangerous (unless the Cainite believes that he can walk about in the daylight…). They can, however, adversely affect the character’s reaction to others, perhaps making them more likely to frenzy (“They are Mordred’s get, milord!”) or determined to carry out a mad assault (“The grail lies this way!”)

Fits

You suffer t errible fits in stressful situations. The form of the fit varies with the situation, but it is always inappropriate. You might break into hysterical laughter at a funeral, wracking sobs when you are trying to impress some bigshots with your finesse, or epileptic seizures when it would be better to remain still. When you find yourself in a stressful situation you become very nervous, always wondering when your curse will overtake you and betray you for an uncontrolled fool.

Fugue

Victims suffering from fugue experience “blackouts” and loss of memory. When subjected to stress, the individual begins a specific, rigid set of behaviors to remove the stressful symptoms. This differs from multiple personalities, as the individual in the grip of a fugue has no separate personality, but is on a form of “autopilot” similar to sleepwalking.

Kindred suffering from this derangement require a Willpower roll when subjected to extreme stress or pressure (difficulty 8). If the roll fails, the player must roleplay her character’s trancelike state; otherwise, control of the character passes to the Storyteller for a number of scenes determined by the roll of a die. During this period, the Storyteller may have the character act as she sees fit to remove the source of the stress. At the end of the fugue, the character “regains consciousness” with no memory of her actions.

Gluttony

Gluttonous vampires have difficulty taking their sustenance in moderation. To the mind of the gluttonous Cainite, why stop when one is merely sated? Why not drink in the heady vitae until one is full as a bloated tick? This derangement is particularly common among elder vampires, who have indulged their vices for so long they lack the ability to control their hunger.

Vampires suffering from gluttony must spend a point of Willpower when they wish to stop feeding from a vessel, unless they have reached their maximum blood pool capacity. Also, a gluttonous character automatically frenzies when confronted with the sight, smell or taste of blood when hungry (at 3 blood pool or less).

Histrionic

Some ghouls sublimate their urge to escape or believe that their new powers entitle them to a certain amount of attention. Ghouls who develop histrionics must be center stage is all situations. They affect extreme but shallow emotions or behave and dress provocatively. Each scene, a histronic ghoul must spend a point of Willpower to avoid seeking the spotlight.

Player beware: this derangement isn't a license to hog energy scene, then write it off as roleplaying. Histronics are hypersensitive to the opinions of others, not oblivious to the glares of the crowd as they enact some slapstick melodrama. Histronic cases are pathetic, and most people recognize them as such the first time they flash their shit-eating grins or refuse to leave the stage. A histronic might latch onto one

person the entire evening and pester her for every ounce of attention. He might become sullen or leave in a huff if he believes that someone has upstage him. If your Storyteller allows this derangement, roleplay it as the emotional disorder it is rather than an excuse to be obnoxious.

Hysteria

A person in the grip of hysteria is unable to control her emotions, suffering severe mood swings and violent fits when subjected to stress or anxiety. Hysterical Kindred must make frenzy checks whenever subjected to stress or pressure. The difficulties of these rolls are normally 6, increasing to 8 if the stress is sudden or especially severe. Additionally, any action that results in a botch causes the vampire to frenzy automatically.

Intellectualization

(Source: The Anarch State.)

You have recoiled from the horror of your situation and protect yourself by feeling nothing. You insulate yourself in a world of logic and intellectual vigor where emotions have no place. By isolating your incompatible needs and thoughts into separate compartments you avoid losing control. However, the pressure inevitably mounts and the dam eventually bursts. If you passion and emotion are thrust upon you during a stressful situation, you may frenzy. This frenzy may last for some time depending on how long it's been since you last "let off steam".

Lunacy

This madness comes and goes, linked to the cycle of the moon. When the moon is full, the character is manic and delirious, while at the time of the new moon, he may be reserved and melancholic. At other times, he may appear normal and unaffected. His ability to resist frenzy and Rötschreck varies accordingly, increasing and decreasing by a point to reflect his mood.

Masochism

A person with this derangement closely associates pain with pleasure. In vampires, who no longer enjoy sex in its own right, masochism tends to be linked to the pleasure received by drinking blood or receiving the Kiss. Masochism is usually linked to deep feelings of shame, and masochistic vampires have a tendency to be repulsed by the actual process of feeding from mortals. They are only fulfilled when they're suffering, presumably as some sort of penance for the pleasure they feel when feeding.

Vampires with this derangement begin to have difficulty operating when they become wounded. Once a masochistic vampire drops below the Bruised health level, he must make a Willpower roll, difficulty 6; failure indicates that he takes no action next turn, instead delighting in the sensation of pain. Furthermore, the masochist must make a Self-Control roll, difficulty 8, in order to use blood points to heal himself, no matter how terrible his injuries.

Megalomania

Individuals with this derangement are obsessed with accumulating power and wealth, salving their insecurities by becoming the most potent individuals in their environment. Such individuals are invariably arrogant and supremely sure of their abilities, convinced of their own inherent superiority. The means of achieving their status can take many forms, from devious conspiracies to outright brutality. Any individual of equal or higher status than the victim is perceived to be “competition.”

Kindred with this derangement constantly struggle to rise to the height of power and influence, by whatever means necessary. In a megalomaniac’s view, there are only two classes of people: those who are weaker, and those who do not deserve the power they have and must be made weaker.

This belief extends to everyone around the vampire, including members of her own coterie. This derangement lends an extra die to all of the victim’s Willpower rolls, due to her towering sense of superiority.

If a megalomaniacal vampire is presented with a realistic chance to diablerize a more potent Kindred, she will be sorely tempted. A Willpower roll (difficulty 9) is needed for the vampire to avoid taking “what is rightfully hers.”

Melancholia

Cainites with this derangement frequently slip into deep depression, losing interest in their normal activities and becoming withdrawn. When suffering from melancholia, the vampire’s Willpower rating is greatly reduced (half the

normal value, round up) and they have difficulty becoming motivated. These depressive periods often follow failure of a particular action, though they may also result from hunger (a blood pool of one-quarter or less) or psychological factors.

Memory Lapses

This derangement isn't like amnesia in the classic sense. It's not that a portion of the vampire's memories has been permanently blocked off - it's that the vampire tends to lose random portions of her memory at inopportune times. The memories fade in and out, and can return as quickly as within a few minutes, or they might not come back for decades.

At least once per scene, the vampire suffering from memory lapses will forget something relevant for a time. This might be as simple as forgetting where she left her keys (which can be a real problem when you're locked out of your haven and the eastern sky's getting brighter), or as complicated as forgetting an entire Ability - and even the knowledge that she once had that skill. ("Why are you looking at me like that? I've never touched a keyboard before in my life.")

Since this derangement requires particular attention from the Storyteller, players should double-check that it's okay to that this for a character. Yes the player can ad lib minor memory lapses as they come along, but sooner or later the lapse has to get more serious. It can be hard to determine just when forgetting how to use a gun will be dramatically appropriate, and when it'll make the other players organize an impromptu lynch mob. Storyteller discretion is particularly advised.

Multiple Personalities

Also called Dissociative Identity Disorder, the trauma that spawns this derangement fractures the victim’s personality into one or more additional personas, allowing the victim to deny her trauma or any actions the trauma causes by placing the blame on “someone else.” Each personality is created to respond to certain emotional stimuli — an abused person might develop a tough-as-nails survivor personality, create a “protector,” or even become a murderer in order to deny the abuse she is suffering. In most cases none of the personalities is aware of the others, and they come and go through the victim’s mind in response to specific situations or conditions.

When a vampire suffers this derangement, the Storyteller and the player must agree upon how many and what kind of personalities develop, and the situations that trigger their dominance in the victim. Each personality should be relevant to the trauma that causes it. Not only is each personality distinct, but in the case of Kindred, the different personalities might believe themselves to be from different Clans and sires.

Kindred with multiple personalities can manifest different Abilities and even Virtues for each of their personalities, but it is the Storyteller’s responsibility to determine the specific details.

Narcissistic

Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by self-centeredness. As with histrionic disorder, people with this condition seek attention and praise. They grossly exaggerate and distort their accomplishments, expecting others to acknowledge them as superior. They tend to be choosy about picking friends, since they believe that not just anyone is worthy of them. They tend to make good fist impressions, yet have difficulty maintaining long—lasting relationships. They are generally uninterested in the feelings of others and may take advantage of them.

A narcissistic vampire is a prime candidate to end up with the Megalomania derangement (Vampire, p. 223).

Nyphomania/Satyriasis

A notable few vampires have subconsciously denied their undead state, and find themselves "sexually" attracted to mortals, other vampires (and, in particularly severe cases, other paramours). Of course, as vampires lack the ability to procreate due to their undead status, any couplings they may achieve are inevitably frustrating and fruitless.

Such limitations do not hinder the efforts of those who suffer from this derangement, however, and they pursue the carnal act with every ounce of their being. By spending a blood point, the vampire may "function" and even bring a partner to climax, provided they're not dead, too. Vampires under the influence of this derangement often sink into ever more depraved activity, hoping to somehow stimulate the pleasures they have been denied. Indeed, outside of "normal" hetero- ans homosexual affairs, these vampires may indulge in bestiality, pedophilia, rape and all manner of other vile acts.

A character afflicted with this derangement is always "on the prowl" and should attempt to consummates as many relationships as he can, according to his orientation (which may well change over the course of the chronicle). This derangement has no mechanical effect; it is included as a curious condition rather than a dice-governed system.

Obsessive-Compulsive

The trauma, guilt, or inner conflict that causes this derangement forces the individual to focus nearly all of her attention and energy onto a single repetitive behavior or action. Obsession relates to an individual’s desire to control her environment — keeping clean, keeping an area quiet and peaceful, or keeping undesirable individuals from an area, for example. A compulsion is an action or set of actions that an individual is driven to perform to soothe her anxieties: for example, placing objects in an exact order, or feeding from a mortal in a precise, ritualistic fashion.

Vampires with an obsessive-compulsive derangement must determine a set of specific actions or behaviors, as described above, and follow them to the exclusion of all else. The effects of obsessive-compulsive behavior can be negated for the course of one scene by spending a temporary Willpower point. The difficulty of any attempt to coerce or Dominate a vampire into ceasing her behavior is raised by one. If a vampire is forcibly prevented from adhering to her derangement, she automatically frenzies.

Overcompensation

An overcompensating character attempts to make up for a flaw in her character (real or perceived) by stressing another aspect of her personality. This limits her actions and skews her perceptions of the world. She may take a “holier than thou” attitude toward others, lecturing them about their shortcomings, constantly attempting to take the moral high ground. If the character’s own flaws are revealed, the embarrassment would be acute and her reaction unpredictable.

Paranoia

The victim of paranoia believes that her misery and insecurity stem from external persecution and hostility. Paranoid individuals obsess about their persecution complexes, often creating vast and intricate conspiracy theories to explain who is tormenting them and why. Anyone or anything perceived to be “one of them” is often subjected to violence.

Kindred who suffer from paranoia have difficulty with social interaction; the difficulties of all dice rolls involving interaction are increased by one. They are distrustful and suspicious of everyone, even their own blood-bound progeny. The slightest hint of suspicious behavior is enough to provoke a frenzy roll, with the difficulty relative to the degree of the behavior. This paranoia may even extend to complex and rigorous feeding practices, to keep “them” from contaminating the vampire’s food supply.

Perfectionism

Perfectionists seek to control every aspect of their unlives, often following a rigid set of rules intended to ensure that everything “runs to plan.” All their efforts are directed to ensuring that things happen as intended, and if they don’t, the perfectionists become agitated, possibly even entering frenzy.

Phobia

You have a deep-seated fear of something. Whatever it is, you dream of it at night, waking to soaked sheets and your own choked screams of terror. Nothing is more horrible than being confronted with the object of your fear. You will go to almost any lengths to avoid this kind of confrontation. You know it is always possible for you to find yourself in a nightmare from which you can not escape, because you are already awake.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) arises in response to severe trauma such as combat, rape or servitude to a Tzimisce. A ghoul who has been the subject of his master's latest experiment with superdermal bone art or witnessed his hungry master devour his mortal family might develop this derangement. PTSD can even afflict vampires, perhaps those who survived a Lupine attack or awoke one night to gfind their havens on fire.

Symptoms manifest as recurrent, debilitating flashbacks and extreme avoidance of situations likely to recreate the initial trauma. The player of a ghoul or Cainite afflicted with PTSD must spend a point of Willpower for her character to enter such situations. If compelled by a blood bond or other forms of control, the sufferer's player cannot spend Willpower to gain automatic successes on any rolls, and all of the character's dice pools are halved (rounded down). In any circumstances, botched Willpower rolls or other stimuli deemed appropriate by the Storyteller induce flashbacks of the traumatic episode with the same penalties described above. Ghouls laboring under this disorder are typically disposed on by their domitors. Clan Tzimisce requires servants made of sterner stuff.

Power-Object Fixation

The vampire afflicted with this derangement has invested much of her self-confidence in an external object, to the point where she believes she cannot function properly without its presence. Such a derangement is often linked to some past trauma in which the object in question played a major role - although not always in the obvious way. For instance, a victim might fixate on his dead fiancée's engagement ring if holding his fiancée's hand was his only source of comfort during hard years, but another individual might focus on the belt her father beat her with as he source of strength.

Victims of this fixation lose two dice from all their dice pools if somehow separated from their object of focus. It is hard to hide this fixation from careful observers; in time of stress, the vampire must make a Willpower roll to avoid cradling the object to her torso, rubbing it obsessively or otherwise physically comforting herself with its presence.

This derangement sometimes spawns other related derangements over time. The fixated person may, for instance, develop multiple personalities related to the object - the aforementioned abuse victim might develop a bullying personality much like her abusive father's, and so on.

Regression

Characters suffering from regression also have difficulty accepting the real world. However, rather than retreating into a fantasy environment, they retreat into a more simplistic mentality, often that of a child. Such characters are usually heavily dependent on others, both for tasks and decision-making. They are frequently naïve, which may be a boon or a curse depending on the circumstances. This refuge of youth may be permanent, or it may kick in as a result of stress. Some characters retreat even further when placed under great pressure, their mental faculties completely shutting down and leaving them to operate on instinct alone. These episodes result in blackouts and periods of memory loss that may be roleplayed, with the character acting on instinct subject to a predetermined set of guidelines, or abstracted, with the character coming to her senses with no recollection of the last few minutes/ hours/ days.

Vampires with this derangement are at a permanent +2 difficulty on Self-Control/Instinct rolls; children have very little sense of discipline for the sake of discipline, and aren't sufficiently self-aware to master their own Beasts. The regressive is no different.

(Storyteller beware: This derangement, improperly used, leads to Malkvavians who are cute rather than creepy; you know the type. The ones with teddy bears and bunny slippers. When properly used, a regressive should be terrifying - a supernaturally powerful creature with no real sense of right or wrong - so feel free to crack down on players who tend to play this derangement more for laughts than for horror value.)

Sanguinary Animism

This derangement is unique to the Kindred, a response to vampires’ deep-seated guilt regarding the act of feeding on the blood of mortals. Kindred with this derangement believe that they do not merely consume victims’ blood, but their souls as well, which are then made a part of the vampire’s consciousness. In the hours after feeding, the vampire hears the voice of her victim inside her head and feels a tirade of “memories” from the victim’s mind — all created by the vampire’s subconscious. In extreme cases, this sense of possession can drive a Kindred to carry out actions on behalf of her victims. Diablerie would be particularly unwise for an animist. Whenever a vampire with this derangement feeds on a mortal, a Willpower roll is needed (difficulty 6, or 9 if she drains the mortal to the point of death). If the roll succeeds, she is tormented by the “memories” of the person whose soul she has partially consumed, but is still able to function normally. If the roll fails, then the images in her mind are so strong that it is akin to having a second personality inside her, an angry and reproachful personality that seeks to cause harm to the vampire and her associates.

Self-Annihilation Impulse

This derangement is more common among older vampires, although there's nothing stopping a neonate from acquiring the affliction. The afflicted vampire feels a deep sense of revulsion for his flesh, and is literally terrified of the thought of "living" forever, or of continuing to exist inside a cold, dead shell. This revulsion is entirely unconscious, however; on a conscious level, the vampire is wholly unaware of his "death wish," though he may demonstrate a morbid streak.

Whenever the character is confronted with more-or-less direct evidence of his immortality - such as visiting the churchyard where is mortal daughter is buried, or watching a ghoul die - he must make an immediate Willpower roll, or begin to undertake some sort of potentially deadly behavior. This behavior might be as direct as storming into Elysium and giving the Prince a piece of his mind, or it might be more subtle, such as breaching the Mascarade by talking to a reporter.

In any event, the pursuit of self-destruction is not a conscious decision, and it's not open for debate. The character will doggedly go about his "chosen" task until it's completed, resisting any attempts to talk him out of it. He may even consciously believe that the actions he's undertaking are perfectly safe. The compulsive behavior lasts only for a scene or so; however, depending on the nature of the threats he's called down on himself, the consequences can last quite a bit longer.

Schizoid

Characters with schizoid personality disorder not only have a difficult time with interaction, they prefer it that way. They genuinely choose to be alone and do not secretly wish for popularity. They tend to seek jobs that require little social

contact. Their social skills are often weak and they do not show a need for attention or acceptance. They are perceived as humorless and distant and often are termed “loners.”

A schizoid Cainite who pulls too far away from reality may develop Fugue, Schizophrenia or Multiple Personality derangements (see Vampire. pp. 222-224).

Schizotypal

Schizotypal personality disorder might be a lesser form of schizophrenia (see Vampire, p. 222). While not as severe as a derangement, this condition is characterized by odd forms of thinking and perceiving. Individuals often seek isolation from others, have difficulty concentrating for long periods of time, and engage in “conspiracy theory" behavior. Their speech patterns are convoluted, sometimes nearly nonsensical, with a free association style of thoughts juxtaposed. Schizotypal speech is not as incoherent as schizophrenic “word salad," but jarring nonetheless.

Schizophrenia

Conflicting, unresolveable sets of feelings and impulses can cause a victim to develop schizophrenia, which manifests as a withdrawal from reality, violent changes in behavior, and hallucinations. Roleplaying this derangement requires careful thought, because the player must determine a general set of behaviors relevant to the trauma that caused the derangement. The hallucinations, bizarre behavior, and unseen voices stem from a terrible inner conflict that the individual cannot resolve. The player needs to establish a firm idea of what that conflict is and then rationalize what kind of behavior this conflict will cause.

Kindred with this derangement are unpredictable and dangerous. In situations that trigger a vampire’s inner conflict, the difficulties of all rolls to resist or direct frenzy increase by three, and the vampire loses three dice from all Willpower rolls.

Synesthesia

This derangement has little to do with logic and more with sensory interpretation. The afflicted vampire's sensory input is somewhat "scrambled"; although he's still capable of receiving sensory information, the information each sense provides is processed in terms of a different sense. In short, the synesthetic "hears" colors, "smells" textures, "tastes" sounds and the like, and is hard-pressed to this of such stimuli in any other fashion.

Although the synesthetic is presumably accustomed to the unusual sensory input, his real problem lies in communicating what he senses to others. A character so afflicted has difficulty expressing concepts as simple as "cut the red wire" - he's much more likely to say "cut the sandpapery wire" or something similar - and even has similar difficulties comprehending speech from others. Since the associations vary from individual to individual, there's not even any guarantee that another synesthetic would be able to understand the vampire.

Apart from the aforementioned difficulties in daily communication, the synesthetic receives +2 difficulty to any Expression and Performance rolls that don't involve creating purely surreal art, poetry or the like. The synesthetic may spend a Willpower point to correlate her sensory input in a "normal" fashion for a turn - or rather, at least to be able to communicate "normally" in terms of colors, textures, smells, tastes, temperature or sound. The character would still hear a ringing noise and think of it as a spicy smell, for instance - he's just able to focus enough to associate that spicy smell he hears with what other people call "ringing."

Visions

This derangement leads sufferers to believe that they are granted an insight into the divine through visions, trances and other ecstatic states. During these spells, they may be catatonic, in a trance-like state or rave uncontrollably. Their ability to recall details of the visions is similarly varied, sometimes recalling precise details while having only the vaguest recollections of others. Some details may not resurface until days after the revelation, emerging in response to some external stimulus.

These visions may be products of an overactive imagination, or they could, at the Storyteller’s discretion and very rarely, reflect a real insight into the unknown.

Additional Derangements

(Source: by u/LeRoienJaune, on r/WhiteWolfRPG, except as noted.)

Face Blindness

You are utterly incapable of recognizing other people, or their body language. Everybody looks the same to you - they've all got two arms, two legs, two eyes. The ugliest Nosferatu and the most beautiful Toreador are equally indistinct and unremarkable to your perception. A person with Face Blindness continuously has to ask people to wear name tags, because they can't tell anyone apart.

Fregoli’s Delusion

The opposite of Capgrass syndrome: you believe that multiple people are really just one person, in disguise. A person with Fregoli’s Delusion often mistakes and reacts to strangers as if they were people that they already knew.

Habbakuk's Achronia

A supernatural mental disorder, wherein your memory happens in reverse to the normal time flow. You remember tomorrow like it was yesterday, but have no knowledge of the past, because it has yet to occur to you. It's amnesia, but you model it by maxing out all pre-cognitive/fortune telling merits. For advanced players only.

Jumping Frenchmen Disorder

Your anxiety and stress expresses itself in sudden burst of intense physical action. You climb walls and you don't know why. You take off sprinting for no reason. Sometimes, you hurtle yourself through a window, just because.

Landau-Kleffner Syndrome

A neurolinguistic disorder affecting syntactic structures. Think of it as verbal dyslexia, or Yoda's disease. You still understand individual words, but you continuously confuse word order and tense without grammar or syntax.

Leroi's Compulsion

You must quantify, and classify, and organize. A taxonomical expression of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, wherein you

must make lists, indexes, tables. You develop graphs and charts for everything. Your haven is cluttered with tables and non-sensensical case studies, statistical analyses, and algorithms. Only you have managed to identify the correlation between Tremere regent feeding cycles and federal reserve quantitative easing.

Macropsia/Micropsia

Also known as Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, a visual neurodisorder in which the sufferer continuously misperceives visual data. Thus, other persons and objects seem to shrink or grow randomly. One also perceives their own limbs to grow and shrink.

Pathoheterodoxy

A misguided and delusional expression of Narcissism that manifests as a continuous under-estimation of the competence and benignity of others. A patient suffering pathoheterodoxy believes the world to be populated by bumbling venal idiots. It’s a compulsive expectation of the worst behavior of others, and an inability to recognize the potential of other people.

Psychohypochondria

A continuous anxiety disorder that one is developing new mental illnesses and psychological disorders. At any given time, a psychohypochondriac is a bipolar schizophrenic epileptic with megalomania, or something else like that.

Quixotism

There are no mortals or mundanes. Everybody and everything is a supernatural creature. Everybody is a part of some greater conspiracy.

Sanguine Personality Disorder

Blend together Schizoid with Sanguinary Animism. Your character assumes the personality and identity of whoever they fed on most recently. Not necessarily what the victim was actually like, but what you subconsciously believed/ assumed them to be like.

Stendahl Syndrome

Formerly known as Lizstomania, Stendahl Syndrome involves hysterical reactions to the works of a particular artists or musician.

Surgical Addiction

The character is addicted to body modification and the surgical process, possibly doing so without anaesthesia. Their dysmorphia causes them to continuously pursue new forms and body shapes.

Truman's Syndrome

You believe that you are the star of a TV show, and everything around you is a set, and everybody you meet are actors. The world is controlled by the directors, whom you will never meet.

Discipline Derangements

Unconscious Influence

Commonly associated with Presence, the vampire activates his persuading powers without acknowledging that he use them. If someone would point the use out to them, they vehemently deny it.

Unconscious Thought Reading

Commonly associated with Auspex, the vampire begins to casually invade the mind of others, reacting to thoughts before they are spoken. Too many people cause a static background noise that can drive the vampire into Frenzy.

Additional Discipline Derangements

(Source: by u/LeRoienJaune, on r/WhiteWolfRPG)

Dark Ages Derangements

The derangements below include some of those above but grouped into three sub-groups, reflecting the "medical" knowledge that mortals and Cainite of the Dark Ages had. Aside from this classification, these derangements are used as any others. Furthermore, other "modern-day" derangements can afflict characters of the Dark Ages equally; they would just be identified and classified differently.

Dyscrasia

A disease of the body. The four humors of the human (and Cainite) body lie in a delicate balance, though individuals are predisposed towards different temperaments depending on how much of one humor they’ve got in their body. However, factors both internal and external can lead to one humor’s ascendency over the others, causing a physical and mental reaction.

Players of characters with a humor imbalance should choose one that’s fairly close to the character’s personality. Humor imbalances are personality traits magnified to extremes.

• Melancholics are introverted, introspective, and irritable. They can be startlingly dispirited (even when the situation calls for or demands a more spirited response). They tend to stare off listlessly, lost in sadness deep and dark as black bile. They lose track of themselves, and can’t touch their emotions easily. Melancholia causes a -1 penalty to all dice pools, but a -1 difficulty for all manner of frenzy.
• Phlegmatics are calm, thoughtful, and patient. The temperament is common amongst academics, and they tend to be extremely orderly about their area of expertise. However, due to their inward focus, they have trouble adapting quickly or adroitly to changes in their environment (-1 die to Wits and Dexterity rolls).
• Sanguines are lively, sociable, optimistic, and passionate, sometimes overly so. When the blood sings in their veins, every emotion is heightened and verges on the inappropriate. They have deep difficulties in focusing on the moment. The Storyteller chooses three Abilities at random; the difficulty for rolls using these Abilities increases by one, due to the character’s lack of focus. Increase the difficulty of all rolls featuring Mental Attributes by one as well.
• Cholerics are restless, aggressive, and impulsive. They tend to be ambitious, but may become angered or even violent when their ambitions are thwarted. When gripped by an imbalance of black bile, increase the character’s difficulty to resist frenzy by two, but reduce the difficulty to perform any acts of painful physical violence by one.

Sins of the Soul

A damning pall over the soul. The Church and its adherents hold that the moral failures of the impious are what cause these Derangements, but they can affect even the holiest individuals.

• Sanguinary Animism: This uniquely Cainite Derangement leads sufferers to believe they drink the souls of their victims with the blood. Feeding causes intense guilt in sufferers of sanguinary animism; their victims communicate with them as voices in their heads and memories seeping into their consciousness. The suffering vampire often blames his actions on these voices, claiming that they are an effort to pacify his tormentors. The vampire is compelled to reply to the voices, and must utter these replies aloud (even if it’s just a low muttering). This may result in variable difficulties to Social rolls.
• Visions: You’ve transgressed against your culture, causing potentially irreparable harm to your soul. You’ve struggled to put your guilt behind you. But someone, or something, forgives you — and they let you know. During times of stress, the character sees holy figures encouraging her to act according to her better nature, ready to punish her if she fails again. She is especially wary of the holy figures’ watchfulness (-2 dice to all degeneration rolls).
• Voices: The demons know your sins, and they’re hunting you for it. Victims of demon voices become paragons of self-persecution, fearing divine retribution and seeing it in every angle. Their paranoia exhibits during times of stress; they’re wary of social interactions (+1 difficulty to Social rolls) and fearful that anyone could be a demon in disguise. A botch on a Social roll (from either party) will invariably result in panicked flight from the perceived demon (an automatic fear frenzy).

Tremere-Specific Derangements

Of all the clans, the Tremere are the most universally steeped in mystic understanding. While Malkavians have a built-in perception of a broken universe, and Tzimisce have their own forms of sorcery, the Tremere’s very seat of power predicates upon symbolism, mystical links, symmetry and patterns of will. As Tremere students of the occult must pit their minds against unnatural forces and permutations of their own vampiric Curse, it’s no surprise that some levels of mental imbalance and affliction crop up among an unfortunate few, as well as those who repeatedly delve into mysteries best left unexplored.

Conservative Cainite scholars argue that the Curse encompasses only certain needs, and thus that some types of power fly in the face of what is “normal” for vampirism. Thaumaturgy is foremost on the lists of such reactionaries. While most Tremere scoff at this and merely assert that their formidable training and methods allow them to access powers that other Cainites simply haven’t the skill to use, some indications have arisen that thaumaturgical study can be rather unbalancing. Indeed, the very nature of Thaumaturgy — pitting one’s will against the curse of undeath to channel the power of blood into new forms — speaks of unwholesome investigation into the terrible malison that afflicts the Kindred. Some Tremere find the truths unearthed therein too terrible to confront rationally.

Dependent Personality Disorder

As the name of this disorder implies, a ghoul possessing it displays tremendous dependence on others, namely the domitor or any remaining human contacts he may have after the transformation into ghoulhood takes place. A ghoul affected by this personality disorder is usually extremely indecisive — if it were up to him, his domitor would tell him what to wear, what to eat, whom to associate with, when to go to sleep and what to enjoy. Most of this behavior is brought on by excessive fear of abandonment. Fearing disownment, the ghoul instead tolerates constant abuse. The more the ghoul tolerates others’ control over him, the more he feels helpless and stupid, and so he is further discouraged from taking any actions that would ease his situation. Thus, this disorder often goes untreated as long as the dependent ghoul’s clingy behavior is reinforced by his domitor.

As a Derangement: The victim must make a Willpower roll (usually difficulty 6) to refuse an order or suggestion from his domitor. The ghoul‘s Nature often changes to that of Sycophant.

Self-Defeating Personality Disorder

More commonly known as masochism, Self—defeating Personality Disorder appears routinely in ghouls, particularly those ghouls in vassalage to Cainite “elders.” The servitors in question seem compulsively drawn into situations or relationships that they know will cause them intense pain (often to the detriment of their mortal liaisons). They make numerous sacrifices, often needless ones. in the names of their domitors. These disturbed ghouls often have difficulty relating to other ghouls, mortals or vampires who treat them with respect.

Contrary to common opinion, many ghouls who display signs of Self-defeating Personality Disorder do not necessarily enjoy pain and suffering; most sufferers of this disorder simply fear to assert themselves to their domitors. Others were abused or sexually molested as mortals, and do not know how to be treated any differently. Still others deny that they are being abused, as they feel sacrifices must be made in exchange for the eternal life provided by their domitors. Finally, a few ghouls rationalize that they are being rightfully punished for “sinning” against the God in which they believed during mortal years.

Self—defeating Personality Disorder usually goes untreated, as many domitors prefer their ghouls to be somewhat submissive. Often this disorder is accompanied by promiscuity in the ghoul, who may receive sexual gratification from pain, feeling that this is the only form of attention she gets from her domitor.

As a Derangement: The ghoul's nature changes to that of Masochist or Martyr. Fulfilling the conditions of the Nature is the only way this ghoul can regain Will- power (i.e., he does not regain an automatic point per story, etc.).

Severe Dysmenorrheic Psychosis

This disorder manifests itself in approximately 30-40% of “healthy” female ghouls who continue to have regular menstrual cycles after the transformation into ghoulhood. Aside from painful menstrual cramps, the victim suffers from bouts of severe depression and paranoid delusions during her period. These episodes usually Iast from five to seven days, depending on the average length of the ghoul’s menstrual cycle and the amount of blood lost during the cycle. If a ghoul has not yet ingested her required monthly dose of vampire vitae by the time her menstrual cycle begins, the blood loss that occurs during her menstrual period has traumatic psychological effects. The ghoul feels that she is about to die, and i she becomes extraordinarily paranoid about not being tended to by her domitor. During the onset of SDP, the ghoul bursts into hysterics at every perceived slight, literally deathly afraid that her domitor will fail to replenish the dwindling supply of vampire vitae in her bloodstream. There is no known cure for Severe Dysmenorrheic Psychosis, although Dr. Netchurch has formulated a serum that alleviates some of the disorder's symptoms. This drug has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and is currently available only on the black market or through the express permission of Dr. Netchurch.

As a Derangement: Whenever the appropriate conditions exist, the ghoul loses two points of temporary Willpower; these points return at the end of the menstrual cycle.

Sexual Dysfunction

A ghoul who spends any time in the thrall of a Tzimisce domitor is likely encumbered with a variety of sexual dysfunctions. Female ghouls typically develop vaginismus, involuntary contracting of the vulval and rectal muscles preventing penetration, or dyspareunia, severe pain during intercourse. Males, if not rendered completely impotent, sometimes fixate sexually on acts favored by their domitors. All such conditions are likely to instill an extreme aversion to sex, further separating ghouls from the lifestyles they lead prior to their servitorship.

Before allowing this derangement, Storytellers should consider whether its inclusion will make any player uncomfortable. Many people prefer not to explore such personal issues in detail, especially during a game. Although the setting is a suitable venue for such unpleasantness, you can challenge your players without resorting to poor taste. These caveats in mind, this derangement can be played without mentioning graphic details - Storytellers can extrapolate the likely effects such a condition might have on a ghoul's relationship with his or her partners.