Assamites

We are not here to reap the benefits of

your hard work, or to take what you so
richly deserve. No, if you sow a strong
seed, we will not take it. We are here to
reap the rotten, the corrupt, and the
depraved those who have been judged
unworthy.

Most of Cainite society remains ignorant about the

Assamites nature and intentions. They view the
Assamites as a young clan emerging from the Middle
East to take a bold stance in the nightly struggles
between Cainites. Only elders and Cainite scholars
can describe a time when the Assamites were active
members of vampire society, before they retreated into
their own studies in Alamut, the clans sanctuary in
the mountains of Anatolia. European vampires rarely
interact with any but the clans ambassadors, the
viziers, and a few sorcerers. The clan presents an
organized front with an uncanny ability to
communicate over long distances, as well as keep in
touch with their brethren in Alamut.
Many Assamites trace their roots back to lands
now known as Persia, where the clans founder was
born, but members come from all over the Middle
East. In recent years, many younger members follow
Islamic beliefs. Older ancillae and elders look upon
these younger Cainites with disdain, believing that
mortal religion distracts from their true purpose.
However, the rest of Cainite society mostly interacts
with the younger vampires, and the name Assamite
has become nearly synonymous with Muslim, earning
them the sobriquet Saracens. Many older Assamites
are happy to let the other Cainites believe what they
want, as long as it allows them to further their own
goals.
The Assamites do not refer to themselves as Saracens,
preferring instead to be called the Children of Haqim, after
their progenitor. Haqim crafted a specific set of rules, which
he charged his clan to follow. Cainites are dangerous
creatures who meddle too much in the affairs of mortals. The
Children of Haqim are charged with respecting their elders,
protecting mortals from other Cainites, and judging (and
punishing) other Cainites. The Children of Haqim are
charged with reclaiming the blood of wasteful Cainites,
those who misuse mortals and should not have such gifts.
This leads the clan to engage in diablerie as a matter of
course, though few adhere strictly to this tenet.
The clan consists of three sects that work together
closely to accomplish the goal of judgment. The sorcerers

keep the other members of the clan in communication with

each other, as well as providing for the clan while at Alamut.
The warriors judge vampires and mete out punishment when
necessary. The viziers are the public face of the clan,
gathering information and keeping the clan informed on
politics and current affairs. Most Assamites living within
Cainite-held cities are viziers, with a few sorcerers
supporting them.
Sobriquet: Children of Haqim, Saracens
Appearance: Nearly all Assamites are Middle Eastern
in appearance, though some neonates have been embraced
as far west as the Iberian Peninsula. All Assamites are

required to spend time in Alamut shortly after Embrace, and

most adopt traditional Middle Eastern dress regardless of
their origins. Dress between the three sects of the clan varies
due to functionality. Sorcerers tend to dress strictly
traditional, warriors adopt more comfortable clothes for long
sojourns, and viziers sometimes adopt the dress of whatever
city they happen to be living in.
Haven: Assamites choose easily defended dwellings
away from the eyes of mortals. This is especially true when
visiting European domains. They tend to value security over
material comforts, favoring a well-defended shack over an
exposed estate. Many Assamites choose dwellings outside
city centers, but near enough to keep an eye on other
vampires and their interactions with the mortal population.
However, practicality sometimes means luxury; certain
Assamite viziers need to impress mortal and Cainite courts,
so if they open their doors to visitors, they decorate well.

Character Creation
Assamite viziers are both scholars and act as
ambassadors, and prefer a mix of both Social and Mental
Attributes and Abilities. Most Children of Haqim have at
least one dot in Mentor (usually their sire). Some have one
or two dots in Generation, due to the practice of diablerizing
those who are judged unfit. Many tend to follow the Road of
Heaven or Humanity, with a few following the
Road of Kings. Many of the older warriors and the more
traditional Assamites follow the Road of Blood.
Sorcerer and Warrior information is on p. 431.

confirm as positive for diablerie whenever scrutinized with

supernatural powers, even if the character has never tasted
the blood of another Cainite.

Attributes
Abilities
Disciplines
Backgrounds
Lores
Virtues
Max Merits bought with Flaws
Starting Status (free)
Freebies

Neonate
7/5/3
13/9/5
4
5
4
7
7
1
75

Ancillae
7/5/3
13/9/5
4
5
4
7
7
2
175

Only one max dot per category in attributes and abilities

at creation.
Only one discipline or primary path of Blood Sorcery,
Thaumaturgy and Necromancy can have max dots at
creation.
Only one dot in one advance discipline is allowed at
creation.
Out of Clan Disciplines can be taken at character creation
with Freebie points and only with Storyteller permission.
Celerity, Fortitude and Potence does not need Storyteller
permission, nor does it count toward the max in the
other out of clan disciplines chart.

Vizier Disciplines: Auspex, Presence, Quietus (Hematus)

Weakness: Assamite viziers are rigorous to a fault. Each
character has an obsession with her highest intellectual or
creative Ability, which acts as a derangement. While the
derangement is active, the characters aura glows in a way
as to provide hints to the viziers true Nature, as well as the
object of her obsession, visible to Auspex users.
Additionally, Assamites darken with age. This is a slow
process. But over the centuries, Assamite skin blackens to a
matte onyx.
Sorcerer Disciplines: Assamite Sorcery (Thaumaturgy),
Auspex, Celerity
Sorcerer Weakness: Sorcerers have a difficult time
hiding their arcane nature. All mystical attempts to
determine magic use on or around the character are made at
a -2 difficulty and are considered two levels higher for the
purposes of opposed powers and rolls.
Warrior Disciplines: Celerity, Obfuscate, Quietus
(Cruscitus)
Warrior Weakness: Warriors are marked with
their tradition of diablerie. Warrior Assamites always

Starting out of clan Disciplines

Age
Max number of Disciplines
allowed
Max dots in each Discipline
Max number of Physical
Disciplines allowed
Max dots in Celerity, Fortitude
or Potence

Neonate
2

Ancilla
3

3
2

4
2

Before buying the domain background consult with the

storyteller.

Freebie Point cost

Trait Cost
Attributes
Ability
Discipline
Blood Sorcery Path
Blood Sorcery Ritual

(Per Dot)
5
2
7
4
Ritual Level

Backgrounds
1
Lores
1
Virtue
2
Area of Expertise
1
Road
2
Willpower
1
Organization: Due to the abilities of the sorcerers,
Clan Assamite is more intricately organized than most. The
clan follows the Eldest, usually the eldest of Haqims childer
not currently in torpor. Each of the three sects has its own
internal leader. The three sects collectively work together to
deal with the night-to-night operations of the clan. Each
sects role is loosely defined by their own interpretations of
Haqims decrees. The viziers view themselves as judges
only, taking the measure of Cainites in the world and alerting
their brethren to those who are unfit to retain the blood of
Caine. The sorcerers spend their time researching ways to
improve interactions and relations with mortals, and play a
large part in keeping the three sects in communication at all
times. The warriors tend to fill the role of executioner when
a Cainite has been judged unworthy, often leading nomadic
lives and going where their brethren direct them to fulfill
their duties.
Stereotypes
Tremere: They do not know what they toy with.
Brujah: They claim to be Philosopher-Kings, yet their
passions dictate their actions, leaving little room for actual
philosophy.
Cappadocian: As long as their research into death does
not somehow leak into the mortal sphere, I see nothing
wrong with them.
Gangrel: Probably the least problematic of all the other
clans, the Gangrel understand honor. I have yet to judge a
Gangrel unfit.
Followers of Set: Heretics, every last one of them.
Their debauchery and evil should not be tolerated.

Assamite-Specific Merits/Flaws

to blood magic, including (but not limited to) use of path

powers and rituals, whenever you are not under the drug of
your choice. For 5 points, you are completely unable to focus
yourself enough to perform even the simplest blood magic if
the drug is not in your system. Only characters with at least
one dot in Assamite Sorcery may take this flaw. NonAssamites may take this flaw if they somehow receive
tutelage in the Discipline.
Disgraced (2 Point Flaw)
You broke the laws of the khabar at some point
during your training, and though you have since partially
made amends (enough to prevent yourself from being
destroyed on the spot, and to be grudgingly accepted as a
rafiq), your name still bears the stain of your misdeed. All
dealings with other Assamites are at + 1 difficulty, though
the Storyteller has the discretion to vary this penalty for
individuals who know you well or whom you have served
well or badly in the past. Clearing your name will be a strong
motivation for performing well in all respects while on an
assignment.
Outcast (2 Point Flaw)

You have rejected the ethos of the caste into

which you were Embraced. Perhaps you are one of the
few viziers or sorcerers to support the Web of Knives or
pursue the Path of Blood. Perhaps you are a warrior who
has little stomach for combat, preferring instead to be a
diplomat or a student of the occult. Perhaps you made
some kind of public spectacle that revealed your disdain
for your fellow caste members. Your sire now rejects you,
as do the other members of your caste. The difficulty of
all Social rolls against members of your caste is at +2.
Du'at Enemy (4 Point Flaw)
During your apprenticeship at Alamut, you
somehow incurred the displeasure of one of the du'at, and
your existence will be considerably more difficult as a result.
Your enemy is unlikely to be your direct commander (the
caliph in the case of warriors), and you may not even know
his identity -- though you may certainly try to find out and
make your peace somehow.

Magical Addict (3 or 5 Point Flaw)

Whether through a weak will, a lingering anomaly
from your mortal days or overuse of ritual components like
kalif, you have become addicted to the alchemical
psycoactive drugs that some sorcerers use to focus their
blood magic. Going beyond a mere physical or
psychological addiction, this dependence goes so far as to
affect your very mastery of the powers at your command.
Your competence with Assamite Sorcery is dependent on the
frequency at which you cater to your addiction If you take
this Flaw at 3 points, suffer a +2 difficulty to all rolls related

Combination
Disciplines
If a combination Discipline power lists a castespecific version of Quietus as a requirement, only the
exact power listed must be of the caste type. For example,

if the requirement is Quietus (Vizier Caste) , then

the character only needs to have Taste of Bliss the
other four Quietus powers can be any combination of
default or vizier-specific Quietus. If no caste-specific
version is mentioned, any version of Quietus will suffice
as a prerequisite.

Baals Sight
(auspex , Quietus (sorcerer caste) )

Oft times, the demon hunters of the sorcerer caste

lack the time to activate the spiritual sight associated with
Baals Caress. This power removes the requirement that
they do so.
System: Upon learning this power, the sorcerer
gains the permanent ability to see dematerialized spirits
and the like. There is no roll and no cost for doing so, and
this counts as part of the requirement for the sorcerer
version of Taste of Death. However, the power
permanently alters the sorcerers eyes, rendering them
disturbingly bloodshot as if he had a permanent infection
in both eyes. In addition, any spirit in the sorcerers
presence will intuitively sense that he can see them, which
some spirits find offensive.
This power costs 18 experience points to learn.

Eyes of Alamut
(auspex , Quietus )

This power allows for a most cunning

surveillance. The Assamite must touch the target to
activate the power. If successful, then for the next hour
per success, she can see through the targets eyes and hear
through his ears.
System: To activate Eyes of Alamut, the player
must spend a Willpower point and roll Perception +
Awareness (difficulty is targets current Willpower). This
power can only be used to scry on someone who the
Assamite has physically touched, and the connection only
lasts for an hour. A target who also has Telepathy (Auspex
) may notice the fact that someone is riding his senses
with a successful Perception + Occult roll (difficulty 6).
Such a character automatically realizes the intrusion if the
Assamite uses Command from Afar and the control
attempt is unsuccessful.
This power costs 21 experience points to learn.

Forced March

can aid the Assamite in moving with great speed without

the debilitating vitae cost of conventional Celerity.
System: The Assamite spends a number of blood
points equal to half his Celerity rating, rounded up. For a
number of hours equal to his Fortitude, the Assamite
multiplies his normal running speed by his Celerity rating.
Thus, an Assamite with Fortitude and Celerity who
could normally run at around four miles per hour (six kph)
could use this power to run at a speed of 16 miles per hour
(25 kph) for up to three hours.
This power costs 12 experience points to learn.

Honeyed Words
(auspex , presence )

The viziers are preternaturally skillful at telling

their listeners what they want to hear. So skillful, in fact,
that a vizier sometimes doesnt even need to know what
hes talking about. This power assures the vizier that, no
matter what words tumble out of his mouth, they are
always the perfect response.
System: The player must roll Manipulation +
Expression (difficulty 6). For the remainder of the scene,
the difficulty for all rolls to persuade, manipulate, or
interrogate a single target through mundane conversation
are reduced by the number of successes rolled to a
minimum of 4. Additionally, the Storyteller (or player if
this power is used against a players character) must
advise the viziers player if the vizier is in danger of
saying anything that might offend, confuse, or worry the
target. It is possible to use this power to baffle someone
with highly technical jargon that the vizier himself
doesnt understand at all.
This power costs 9 experience points to learn.

Shadow Feint
(celerity , obFuscate )

Shadow Feint combines the characteristics of

Celerity and Obfuscate to blur the perceptions of her
enemies.
System: At the beginning of any turn in which
the Assamite has activated Celerity and in which her first
action is an evasive one, the player may spend an
additional blood point to activate Shadow Feint. For the
rest of the turn, the difficulty of all rolls to target the
Assamite increase by +2, to a maximum of 9. This is an
Obfuscate power and cannot affect any vampire whose
Auspex exceeds the Assamites Obfuscate.

(celerity , Fortitude )

Forced March allows the Assamite to cover

ground quickly. This power cannot be used in combat but

This power costs 12 experience points to learn.