Anarch Rep

What is it?

Anarchs pride themselves on being above the petty social games of the Camarilla or the savage infighting of the Sabbat, where wars spanning centuries have been waged about perceived slights against one’s good name and a single scandal or defeat can spell the end of a centuries-old Kindred.

However, this is not to say that Anarchs don’t play games of their own regarding standing within the Movement and the respect of their peers; they just go about it a bit differently than their fellow Kindred do.

Unlike the sects, an Anarch’s Reputation is not based on position, rites or generation - indeed, even a ghoul can have a Reputation among the Anarchs. Rather, revolutionaries gain or lose Reputation by their deeds alone, as judged by their comrades-in-arms.

In an abstract sense, this should mean that merit and personal achievement on the part of dedicated revolutionaries are rewarded without the vicious trappings of conventional status games.

In practice, however, it means that some Anarchs spend as much time building and defending their Reputations as many sect members spend pursuing Status in the eyes of their peers. They become like inner-city gang lords who mock the country clubs and society snobbery of the city’s elite, only to turn around and viciously destroy those who offer them even the slightest hint of disrespect.

Or as one Anarch sage wryly noted: “A lot of the neonates keep using a high school metaphor that depicts us as the rebels and outsiders pitted against the fashionable Camarilla in-crowd or the tough Sabbat jocks. They forget that even the outcasts still have a pecking order.”

Seeing only the possible gains that come from carving out their own niches, these Anarchs fail to realise that they are perpetuating the same power games they claim to despise, selling out their principles for the sake of a name that inspires respect.

Make no mistake, however - even Anarchs who pursue such good standing with their peers recognise that it is still fundamentally different from the more rigid and codified systems of the sects. When your approval rests in the hands of the mob, however sympathetic that mob may generally be, you’re standing on thin ice, and Anarchs concerned with their Reputations are well aware of it.

While an Anarch’s Reputation may carry throughout the Movement and inspire fear or respect in revolutionaries across the country, individuals still suffer no penalty whatsoever for ignoring it except whatever punishment the Anarch can bring down on the upstart. In other words, a Reputation is worth as much pull as the audience wants to give it, so canny Anarchs don’t try to ride Reputation alone, or they risk losing it quickly. It’s a simple truth: If you abuse your Reputation, you will lose it.

How can I use this shit?

Anarchs can use Reputation Traits in all the same ways as Camarilla or Sabbat Status - Reputation can be added to Social Challenges, loaned as a favour, etc.

There are some differences though.

• First, other Anarchs suffer no penalty for ignoring Reputation use in a challenge, save whatever punishment the character with Reputation can levy for disrespecting her standing in the Movement. (Few dedicated revolutionaries take such slights against their good names lightly, so would-be upstarts beware.)
• Second, Anarch Reputation Traits never apply against Camarilla or Sabbat vampires, just as Status in those sects never applies against the Anarchs.
• Third, although an Anarch with greater Reputation is more likely to be believed than one with less in a casual setting, Reputation is not the final factor that decides whose word is accepted as it is in the sects. All Anarchs are considered equal in the eyes of their fellows regarding disciplinary proceedings or criminal accusations, or at least, if there is corruption in the process, it doesn't lie at the Reputation stage of the proceedings.
• Finally, among the anarchs, clan standing or the whims of hoary old elders do not determine Reputation, but rather recognition by one’s fellow Anarchs for what a character has achieved (or failed to achieve). A full-fledged Anarch gathering must be under way, and a character other than the one seeking newfound respect (or deserving censure) must first propose that the selected character gain or lose the Trait in question. All it takes to award or remove a Reputation Trait is then a majority vote of the Anarchs present at any particular gathering, not including the character in question.
  • The voting process is simple - on a count of three, each character with the "Committed" Trait holds thumbs up for “yes,” thumbs down for “no” or a plain fist for “abstain”. Majority wins.

What Rep traits are there?

Words of Anarch reputation are hardly set in stone... But, generally, an Anarch can have up to eight Reputation Traits.

Since the Anarchs recognise no formal offices as such - even the most prestigious Baron still technically occupies an unofficial post - the only way to earn Reputation is to become known for a particular accomplishment or talent. While it is theoretically possible to lie about one’s deeds to gain Reputation, doing so is rarely anything but an invitation to disaster when one’s true past is eventually revealed. The possible reward is just not worth the potential consequences, as most such liars and frauds quickly discover to their dismay. While Anarchs may not be as formal about Reputation as their sect counterparts, that doesn’t mean they enjoy being lied to any more than anyone else does, especially by their “comrades.”

Some reputation traits that appear with some commonality are:

• Committed.
  • The vampire has proven her dedication to the ideals of the Anarch Revolt as well as her loyalty to her fellow Anarchs after a suitable probationary period and/or trial by fire. Once received, this Trait cannot be removed short of the holder’s decision to leave the Movement or being permanently banished from the ranks of the Anarchs as a result of betrayal, chronic incompetence, etc.
• Advocate, Believer, Champion, Preacher.
  • These degrees of Reputation recognise how well known an Anarch is for teaching independent or sect-aligned vampires about the true ideals of the Anarch Revolt, gathering recruits or defusing tensions born of misunderstanding.
• Bond/Bond Girl.
  • The Anarch is a successful spy within one of the larger sects, whether a simple observer or actively working to undermine it from within.
• Hardcore.
  • The Anarch has gone above and beyond the call of duty and placed herself directly in harm’s way in order to complete a mission of great importance to the Movement even in the face of superior odds, serious personal objections, grave danger of Final Death or other overwhelming factors.
• Loaded, Hooked-Up, Connected.
  • The Anarch is well known as a trusted source of necessary resources: money and equipment, information or Influence-based favours, respectively.
• Marked.
  • Through her actions in pursuit of the goals of the Movement, the Anarch has become the target of a Blood Hunt, War Party or even placed on the infamous Red List. This may be a negative Reputation Trait in areas where the Anarchs are trying to keep a low profile.
• Soldier, Warrior, Veteran, Lifer.
  • Each time an Anarch survives a protracted siege, pitched battle or similar major tactical undertaking-not just afraid or a minor brawl - she receives one of these Traits. Additional victories beyond this number simply increase the degree of respect granted.
• Tested.
  • An Anarch who has survived a successful planned raid or similar organised minor conflict may receive this Trait. It is only received once, after the first such clash the vampire survives; after that the Anarch is expected to know how to take care of himself in such situations.
• True Believer.
  • The Anarch has gone above and beyond the call of duty to directly place himself in harm’s way for the sake of spreading the ideals of the Anarch Revolt. Most often given to recruiters and emissaries who risk Final Death to spread the ideals of the Movement in actively hostile cities.
• Visionary.
  • The Anarch has become known for proposing new and useful ideas related to the Cause, whether a more amicable way to divide hunting grounds between a city’s gangs, a better method to gather Influence in local government or a tactical plan that saved the city from a Sabbat invasion.

The Anarchs also define a number of standard negative Reputation Traits. An Anarch member may possess two of these at any given moment. Recently awarded negative Traits displace older ones as far as game mechanics go, though that doesn’t mean the Anarchs have forgotten past indiscretions - their ire is simply focused in another direction at the moment.

Generally speaking, a vampire can earn the removal of the Trait by twice successfully completing whatever task he failed at to earn the negative Trait in the first place, or by publicly and conclusively clearing his name in the matter of a false accusation.

• Burnt Out.
  • This Trait goes to Anarchs who have demonstrated a distinct: lack of enthusiasm for the Cause, as well as those who have been heard to belittle or otherwise downplay the importance of the Anarch Revolt in general.
• Casualty.
  • The Anarch has become careless, whether in word or deed, and in so doing placed fellow revolutionaries in direct danger. The not-so-subtle implication is that if the Anarch doesn’t shape up soon, no one will back him the next time he is under fire.
• Cherry.
  • This Trait goes to Anarchs who exhibit a dangerous naivety about the Movement, their gang’s goals or even just unlife in general. That said, only the most militant packs generally give this Trait just for being new to the Cause; most of the time a vampire’s inexperience has to have caused serious problems or even bodily harm to fellow Anarchs before this Trait applies.
• Defeated.
  • The Anarch recently lost a battle. This does not generally apply to situations where the only sane response would be to take flight, such as one Anarch facing a horde of Sabbat, but does apply to any fair fights the Anarch lost. This also applies to Anarchs who lose a personal duel.
• Overzealous.
  • The vampire’s refusal to compromise personal beliefs (generally hypocritical self-important ones) has led her to needlessly endanger the welfare of other Anarchs or even the city as a whole.
• Thug.
  • Simply put, the Anarch is too eager to start a fight or otherwise put himself (and often others) directly at risk, even when it’s not the best option available. Use your fists instead of your wits too often, and this Trait will find you.
• Unenlightened.
  • Even after having them explained to her, the Anarch cannot remember the details of essential components of the Anarch Revolt, such as the history of the Cause, the importance of the Convention of Thorns, the principles of the Status Perfectus and so on. Usually awarded to an Anarch who publicly demonstrates such ignorance, especially in front of members of the sects.
• Unreliable.
  • The vampire failed to perform some key duty for his gang, generally one that was explicitly outlined in the past and which the Anarch is well aware it is his responsibility to fulfil.
• Vain (also known as Cocky, Full of Himself, etc).
  • The vampire claims mastery of some field in which she goes on to fail publicly, preferably in an impressive or even physically dangerous way. This Trait commemorates acts of unsuccessful hubris of all kinds.