Frenzy waits for every vampire: a constant threat to their fragile peace. Outside circumstances usually provoke a frenzy, snapping the thin leash of the snarling Beast within. The ultimate expression of the basest drives of the Blood, a frenzy looses the Beast without thought or remorse: the predator in full abandon. A vampire in frenzy loses all capacity for rational thought, driven solely by rage, starvation, or panic. They do whatever it takes to rip their provocation to pieces, slake their Hunger, or escape the perceived threat, usually violently and with plenty of collateral damage. Unlike many other impulses of the Blood, a frenzy is never subtle. To resist frenzy, the vampire rolls Willpower against a Difficulty set by the Storyteller based on the level of provocation. Vampires add dice equal to one-third of their Humanity (rounded down) to their Willpower pool when resisting frenzy. A vampire resists frenzy on a normal win but must spend a turn to suppress the impulse. On a critical win, they resist the frenzy without losing a turn.
Effects of Frenzy:
While in frenzy, vampires remain immune to any Health-based penalties short of mutilation. They can only use physical Disciplines (such as Celerity, Fortitude, and Potence), but they resist mental disciplines (e.g., Dominate, Presence) with three extra dice added to their resistance pools. (If the Discipline has no resistance pool, the user adds +2 to their Difficulty.) The player can spend a Willpower point to assume control of their character for a single turn while in frenzy, but may not use Willpower to re-roll dice.
The frenzied vampire cannot be provoked into frenzy by another stimulus, nor can they gain Compulsions. They try to achieve their goal at any cost, and their frenzy remains until they do so or until the scene ends.
types of frenzy:
Different stimuli provoke different types of frenzy, roughly classified in three categories: fury, hunger, and terror. Each type of frenzy expresses itself in a different way, albeit through the actions of a maniacal Beast.
Fury Frenzy:
Provocation causes fury frenzy; insults, humiliation, or aggression risk unleashing bestial violence. A vampire in fury frenzy stops at nothing to tear the cause of the provocation to pieces, often together with anyone nearby: friend or foe. After destroying the subject of their ire, the vampire can make a Willpower test at Difficulty 3 (or 5 if other enemies remain standing). Success ends the frenzy, while failing drives them deeper into the rage; they keep slaying anyone in the vicinity unless subdued.
| Provocation |
Difficulty |
| Friend killed |
2 |
| Lover or Touchstone hurt |
3 |
| Physical provocation or harassment |
2 |
| Insulted by inferior |
2 |
| Public humiliation |
2 |
|
|
Hunger Frenzy:
Temptation causes hunger frenzy; the Beast always craves more blood. Every time a vampire fails a Rouse Check while at Hunger 5, they must make a hunger frenzy test. Depending on the chronicle, the Storyteller can enforce hunger frenzy tests more or less strictly, but they should always remain a possibility. During a hunger frenzy, the vampire seeks fresh human blood from the closest source. (If the closest source is their Touchstone, one hopes the player still has some Willpower to spend to take control of the vampire and send them after a different target.) The hunger frenzy ends when the vampire reaches Hunger 1 or below.
| Provocation |
Difficulty |
| Sight of open wound or overpowering smell of blood while Hunger 4 or higher |
2 |
| Taste of blood while at Hunger 4 or higher |
3 |
| Fail Rouse Check while Hunger 5 |
4 |
Terror Frenzy:
Danger causes terror frenzy; the Beast must preserve itself against all threats. Also known as Rötschreck, a terror frenzy manifests when a threat like sunlight or open flames confront the vampire. Grave damage to the body of the vampire can also elicit this response. While in terror frenzy, the vampire flees from the source of danger, without regard to anyone or anything in their way. The terror frenzy ends when the vampire can no longer perceive any danger or when the scene ends
| Provocation |
Difficulty |
| Bonfire |
2 |
| Inside a burning building |
3 |
| Being burned |
2 |
| Obscured sunlight (through window, etc.) |
3 |
| Fully exposed to direct sunlight |
4 |
