How They Do It It has been rumored that vampires are sexless creatures, no longer interested in sexual intercourse either with normal mortals, or even other Kindred. For the vast majority of vampires, this is far from the case. Although not being totally alive does complicate courtship and copulation, many vampires are tremendously sexual beings, and, in fact, use this fact to their advantage as they hunt for their sustenance. Not all vampires are interested in the more carnal pleasures. Some are physically incapable of sexual intercourse, while others simply no longer have an interest in sex, seeing themselves as being above such mortal fallacies. There are also many other Kindred who disdain having sex with mortals, preferring to look upon the Un-Embraced as lower creatures. As one such vampire once said, rather crudely: "Mortals are for sucking, not for fucking." In more polite company, the phrase "Mortals are for chewing, not for screwing," is often substituted. However, Embraced with this attitude are in the minority and generally are forgiving of what they see as their fellow Kindred's sexual "deviancies," and even the most prudish Cainite is not above seducing a mortal if it seems to be the only way they will be able to satisfy their more conventional vampire hungers. As mentioned earlier, sexual intercourse is slightly more complicated for vampires, given their undead nature. There are three basic problems: Cold Flesh: Being no longer among the living, vampires bodies tend to equalize at room temperature, which most mortals would find repellant, unless their minds are somehow clouded. Lack of Proper Blood Circulation: This is a bigger problem for males rather than females, for obvious reasons, although it is still a problem for both. Frenzy During Sexual Intercourse: If you are seducing a mortal to feed, this is not a real problem. However, if you are actually interested in a long-term relationship with the mortal or are sleeping with another Kindred, suddenly biting their neck and sucking them dry can be a problem. Unfortunately, many sexual positions have the unfortunate effect of placing the other person's neck in a readily accessible position, and the build-up to sexual climax has its parallels to the build-up to a vampiric feeding frenzy, and it is all too easy for a romantic Kindred to suddenly slip from sexual frenzy into the other kind, especially if the sex is rough or their blood pool is low. The first two problems are easily solved and can be overcome either individually or together. Individually, they can be overcome through the appropriate Merits. Cold flesh can be cancelled out by the merit of Baby Face, which will make the Kindred both look and feel as warm as a mortal. The lack of proper blood circulation can be defeated through the merit of Normal Sexual Function (see below). This will allow the Kindred to function identically to a mortal in all sexual aspects. If the Kindred has neither of these Merits or only the first (Baby Face is a prerequisite for Normal Sexual Function), all is not lost. Through the expenditure of but a single blood point, a vampire can restore normal body temperature and full sexual function for a duration equal to their Stamina in hours. The drawback to this is that a Kindred may spend too much blood in the course of a romantic evening and leave themselves wide open to frenzy. As mentioned above, there is a chance of frenzy in every sexual encounter a vampire has. The following chart has been created as a general guide to use when determining difficulties: Provocation Difficulty Smell of Blood (when hungry) 4 Sight of Blood (when hungry) 5 Rough Sex 6 Taste of Blood 6 Taste of Blood (when hungry) 8 There are some things which should be explained about the above chart. First of all, it only applies when the vampire is involved in sex. Second of all, the Storyteller should feel free to modify the difficulties as appropriate given the circumstances. For example, the difficulty should be lowered if the vampire is actually in love with the person they are having sex with or if there is an audience, etc. Conversely, the difficulties should be increased if the vampire does not like the person they are having sex with or if the person they are having sex with actively tries to get them to bite their neck. Of course, the vampire can still spend a permanent point of Willpower to prevent or prematurely end the frenzy end the frenzy, as with any other frenzy. Complicating the issue is the fact that in many sexual relationships involving at least one vampire, the exchange of blood is a standard part of foreplay and the lovemaking process. Many Kindred couples who are deeply committed to each other will drink each others blood just prior to climax, so that eventually they are blood-bound to each other. Similarly, many of the Embraced prefer to feed from their blood dolls or ghouls during the sexual act and also prefer to have their ghouls take their supply of vampiric blood the same way. There are even some vampires who are limited to feeding only upon mortals who are either having sex or in the throes of sexual climax, as defined below. Merits: Normal Sexual Function (2 point Merit) This allows a Kindred to function sexually exactly as a normal mortal, without having to spend blood points. The prerequisite for this merit is Baby Face. Taste for Lover's Blood (2 point Merit) The blood taken from a partner during sex is considered to be potent if they have this merit, so each point counts as two. If their partner already has the flaw of Potent Blood, then the vampire gets three points for every one they take. The Efficient Digestion merit is compatible with this merit as well, although the Storyteller should drop all fractions created by the math. Flaws: Curse of the Succubus (2 point Flaw) The Cainite afflicted with this flaw may only ghoul, blood-bond, or Embrace someone while having sex with them. This restriction does not change any of the requirements for the above-mentioned processes. For example, during the Embrace, the Kindred must still drain all of the subject's blood and let them drink of their own, but they must also do this while engaged in sex with them. Attempts at blood-bonding, ghouling, or Embracing someone without being sexually joined with them will result in failure. In the case of trying to Embrace someone, this will result in the subject dying, since they will have lost all of their blood, without being given the vampiric Gift. Feeding Limitation: Only During Sex (2 - 3 point Flaw) The Kindred needs mortal blood infused with the hormones released during lovemaking to sustain themselves. Normal mortal blood will only give them one blood point for every two points taken. The two point version of this limitation applies only if they can feed at any time during the sexual act. If they can only feed when their partner reaches climax, then the three point version of this feeding limitation is appropriate. This flaw is incompatible with the merit of Efficient Digestion, although it can certainly be taken with the new merit of Taste for Lover's Blood. Sexually Incapable (3 point Flaw) The Kindred is physically incapable of engaging in sex of any kind. This flaw is, of course, fatal to a Succubus, although will not hugely affect most other Embraced. The affected Kindred will seem emotionally removed, even from other Kindred, although on the positive side, they are totally immune from the effects of any sexually based magic or discipline, such as Lilitha. Raptureless Bite (4 point Flaw) The Kindred's bite does not cause rapture in mortals, so that they are free to resist the vampire even as their blood is being drained. The subject must therefore be totally willing, unconscious, or otherwise distracted in order for the vampire to easily feed. -- By Tim Walker This essay was originally posted to alt.games.whitewolf. It is reprinted here with permission from the author. Le Salon de la Rose [ Front Page | Contents ] [ Grand Salon | Artistes | Poseurs | Amour | Milieu ] [ Voix | Célébrités | Couture | Personnages | Autres ] Webmistress: Trystan L. Bass URL: http://www.trystancraft.com/toreador/