my new campaign ideas

[Irish Wolf]

Originally Posted by whswhs

For vampires, the obvious hint seems to be that beings who are "unnatural"—for example, people with big boosts to their Physical stats—become thaumivores (a really misformed word; it ought to be thaumatophage, or perhaps virivore, "eater of vis"), needing to consume Quintessence or start devouring their own Health levels. Taking blood from other humans could be a specialized source of Quintessence, with each Health level granting one Quintessence. This would imply that vampires are either mages who've pushed their own bodies outside the natural limits, or legendary creatures that can only survive in the physical world by preying on mundanes. I can also see an analogy to the way that Marauders export their own Paradox to the people around them, so maybe vampirism is a vice that Marauders fall into.

Your interpretation of the Kindred is supportable - they feed on something called "vitae" from human blood, and find animals less satisfactory because of the much lower degree of vitae. Said vitae is also burned to accomplish their semi-mystical feats, including the mere act of rising in the evening. (That's why older Kindred tend to nap for years, even decades, at a time - the older you are the more vitae you need just to rise.)

That maps neatly, in my opinion, with your view of Quintessence above.