Vampire: The Masquerade – Tips For Role-Playing An Anarch

Highlights

When creating an Anarch vampire character, players should consider how their vampire fits in with the Rebels and why they were drawn to that sect.
Unlike the Camarilla, the Anarchs value personal freedom and equality, and are not bound by as many traditions.
While the Anarchs are rebels, they are not outright villains and have their own sense of morals, looking after their young and not manipulating Neonates and Fledglings.

The Vampire: the Masquerade TTRPG is one that boasts an incredible wealth of world-building and lore for players to really sink their fangs into, immersing themselves in the popular World of Darkness. Players have the freedom to choose what kind of vampire they wish to be in Vampire: the Masquerade, including the clan and faction, depending on their Storyteller, of course.

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There are four major factions in the vampire world in the modern nights, consisting of the Camarilla, Anarchs, Sabbat, and the Independents, which technically are factionless. While some overlaps exist between them, each of these sects is disparate enough that they warrant different sorts of play and characters.

7 Creating the Right Character

The Anarchs Attract a Certain Type of Vampire

Nines outside if a mansion, looking off to one side with a guilty expression.

Character creation is a core mechanic for any RPG, as giving fans the freedom to craft a character to their particular tastes helps them feel more attached to the story they are part of, but players also need to be mindful of the sort of game their Storyteller wants to run to avoid causing friction at the table, and ensure a seamless and smooth vampire experience.

For those who are gearing up for an Anarch game, this should be one of the things they take under consideration when creating their character. What sort of vampire would fit in with the Rebels, and why was their particular character drawn to that Sect? Did they join it post-embrace, or was their Sire a part of the Anarchs? These are just a few questions that can help players craft an Anarch vampire without losing their agency.

6 No Gods, No Masters

The Anarchs Value Freedom

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While the Camarilla values traditions, hierarchy, age, and status, the Anarchs hold extremely different values, enjoying personal freedom and equality, to a certain extent. The Anarchs still have their own leaders, known as Barons, but their hierarchy is more lax.

Split image of Bloodlines 2 and Shadows of New York.

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This is something players should bear in mind while exploring an Anarch city. While the Baron is definitely in charge, Anarchs aren’t beholden to as many traditions as the Camarilla. They can and do withhold the masquerade but value their freedom to embrace and feed as they wish without seeking the permission of higher-ups. Anarch vampires never ask, but instead act, and will not ask for forgiveness late. It is simply in their nature to rebel.

5 Not the Villain of the Story

The Anarchs Aren’t Without Morals

Blood Hunt three vampires roof Prague burning church

Thus far, it might sound like the Anarchs are vampires that roll into a city and spark fires, endangering the lives of humans along with other vampires, but this isn’t strictly true. While the TTRPG hammers home the point that all vampires are monsters trying to navigate the slippery slope of humanity, the Anarchs are not outright villains.

They tend to look after their young and don’t manipulate Neonates and Fledglings, or at the very least not as flagrantly. The Anarchs might not be deserving of the titles of heroes, but labeling all of them as villains would be doing the Movement a disservice. Nuance and shades of gray thrive in the world of vampires and are definitely applicable to the Anarch movement and its followers. Just because they don’t follow a stringent list of rules, doesn’t make them wanton murderers and sociopaths.

4 Vampires of a Feather

The Anarchs Don’t Go It Alone

The Enforcers from Bloodhunt confidently walking the streets of Prague.

It is thought that most vampires hold a natural disdain for one another, but this is not exactly a universal truth, especially where player characters are concerned. It is foolish for vampires to brave the nights alone with so many threats that mean a lone vampire is ripe for killing or kidnapping.

The Anarch movement recognizes there is strength in numbers, as there would not be much of a movement without them. As such, it is certainly not unheard of, and even common for vampires to form coteries with others that align with their own convictions. This is their greatest means of survival, making the formation of coteries of utmost importance to Anarch vampires.

3 Hatred For The Camarilla

The Anarchs View the Camarilla as Their Number One Enemy

Damsel aiming a shotgun at the reader Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines 2

There is much animosity between these two factions that is deeply ingrained within the lore of Vampire: the Masquerade, showing members of these factions as mortal enemies at worst. The Camarilla view Anarchs as unruly children deluding themselves with the ideals of freedom, and the Anarchs view the Camarilla as outdated ‘Capes’ that need to stay the hell out of their territory.

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While it probably isn’t wise to outright attack every Camarilla vampire an Anarch comes across, they aren’t exactly going to invite them for a cup of vitae either. Irreverence, intolerance, teasing, and warnings to stay out of their territory are just a few simple ways to role-play the Anarchs’ natural disdain for members of the Ivory Tower. The fighting can come later when the Anarchs have the proper firepower to oust them.

2 Be Unique

The Anarchs Are Individuals

A vampire using soaring leap to jump to incredible heights.

With all said and done about what to bear in mind while role-playing an Anarch, players shouldn’t be afraid to break the mold, as being an Anarch is all about rebelling and not conformists. As such, players should not feel pigeonholed into creating what would be the most stereotypical Anarch, such as a leather jacket-wearing Brujah with a foul mouth, but instead think of what they would be as an Anarch.

After all, Vampire: the Masquerade is a more personal and intimate experience than some other TTRPGs, thriving on personal stories, conflicts, and role-play. At the end of the day, these tips should serve as a guide and not as rules they should follow, as what Anarch would follow rules anyway?