Vampire: The Masquerade

Vampire: The Masquerade is a tabletop role-playing game created by Mark Rein•Hagen and first published by White Wolf Publishing in 1991.

Vampire: The Masquerade is a tabletop role-playing game created by Mark Rein•Hagen and first published by White Wolf Publishing in 1991. Set in the World of Darkness, it presents a gothic-punk modern world where players portray vampires struggling with hunger, morality, and secrecy. It was the first World of Darkness game and an early Storyteller System title.

Gameplay and themes

The game focuses on personal horror, social conflict, and moral compromise. Characters must manage blood hunger, maintain Humanity, and operate within vampire society. Players portray vampires navigating politics, survival, and their own inner struggle against the Beast.

World of Darkness setting

Vampire: The Masquerade is part of White Wolf’s World of Darkness shared setting. Its modern gothic-punk atmosphere distinguishes it from more heroic fantasy role-playing games. The setting depicts a fictionalized modern world with horror and political conflict.

The Masquerade

The Masquerade is the central secrecy rule in the setting, requiring vampires to hide their existence from humans. Breaking it can bring severe consequences within the fiction.

Publication history

The game debuted in 1991 and has appeared in multiple revised editions over time. Later editions updated rules and presentation while retaining the core premise. The original release was followed by later editions including second edition, Revised Edition, 20th Anniversary Edition, and fifth edition.