“Our history is a litany of tragedy. Be wary of whom you wrong, for the dead have a long memory.” – Damien Spectre, Assamite Anarch 

This chapter outlines Background traits that players may purchase to round out their characters with Mortal Connections. These may be people in their lives who help them, increase their income streams, provide steady sources of blood, or assist in other ways. Mortal Connections may be improved or weakened by Advantages and Disadvantages, which modify the Mortal Connection they are attached to. The chapter also sets out the Spheres of Influence that organize the mortal world in Vampire: The Masquerade. 

Mortal Connections may be used during a game session and as part of the three Downtime Actions provided monthly. They do not provide additional Downtime Actions (see Downtime Actions, pages XX). When used during a game session, your Storyteller determines how many tasks can be accomplished based on the in-character time span of the game session and the time it takes to accomplish the task. Between game sessions, each use of a Mortal Connection requires the use of a Downtime Action. They range from one to three dots, with more dots representing a more capable mortal or a stronger connection. In brief, Mortal Connections can exist as the following: 

● Allies: Mortals who will carry out activities on the vampire’s behalf. 

● Familiar: An animal ghoul who assists the vampire. 

● Contacts: A mortal who is a source of information for the vampire. 

● Resources: A vampire’s disposable income and lifestyle. 

● Fame: The level to which the vampire is exceptionally well-known in public. ● Herd: Mortals who are sources of stable feeding. 

● Haven: A vampire’s safe haven and resting place. 

● Mask: A vampire’s cover for their true identity as an undying creature of the night. Here are key rules for Mortal Connections: 

● During character creation, the character gains seven free dots of Backgrounds of the player’s choosing. These can be used to purchase Mortal Connections and Advantages and are in addition to any Background traits given for free by the character’s selected Predator Type. 

● Characters may purchase Mortal Connections and Advantages for 3 XP per dot at any time with Storyteller approval.

● You may have more than one Contact, Ally, Haven, or Mask. Fame may be applied to a character’s real identity or a Mask and may be purchased once per Mask. Resources and Herd may only be purchased once. 

● Some Mortal Connections, Advantages and Disadvantages may be shared within a coterie (see Coteries, pages XX). 

● A character may select any number of Disadvantages for free. A character that selects dots of Disadvantages gains an equal number of dots of Advantages for free, divided as they choose. Characters may not gain more than five dots of Advantages by selecting Disadvantages. 

● Disadvantages provided by your Predator type do not give additional free Advantages. 

● Unless otherwise noted, you cannot purchase the same Advantage or Disadvantage more than once. Unless the text indicates otherwise, benefits from Advantages and Disadvantages are not cumulative: if you purchase two dots of an Advantage, you do not get both benefits combined. Instead, refer to the highest dot level purchased for your benefit. For example, if you choose to apply the ●● Level 2 Diversity Advantage to an Ally, your Ally is able to work in three Spheres of Influence, not five. 

● If a Disadvantage is no longer appropriate, a Storyteller may instruct a player to remove it from their sheet. Additionally, a player who has demonstrated appropriate in-character efforts may remove a Disadvantage at their Storyteller’s discretion. If the player received free Advantages from the removed Disadvantages, they must either spend the necessary XP or take a new Disadvantage as appropriate to keep the character sheet XP balanced. 

● Sometimes, a character may lose access to a Mortal Connection, either temporarily or permanently. This includes any gained from a Loresheet Advantage. For example, one of their Allies may be hospitalized or their Contact may be killed. In such an event, the Storyteller may set conditions that make sense for the Mortal Connection to be replaced. If the Ally is hospitalized for a month, then they return after a month. If the Contact is killed, then the character must spend a number of Downtime Actions equal to the dots in the Mortal Connection to cultivate a replacement. At their discretion, the Storyteller may elect to simply refund the XP spent, but this should be done rarely. Replacing a lost Mortal Connection can make for an interesting story. Once a Mortal Connection has been restored, you automatically regain any Advantages associated with it. 

● Allies, Contacts, and Enemies (see page XX) must be assigned to a Sphere of Influence (see page XX).

● It is possible for the same NPC to be an Ally, Contact, or Enemy for multiple Player Characters. Player characters may not necessarily know of this. Advantages and Disadvantages chosen for an Ally, Contact, or Enemy only apply to the characters that have chosen them. For example, an Ally may only be Paranoid when accomplishing tasks for Griff the Ravnos, but they might be Flaky when working for Jeffrey the Ventrue. 

Spheres of Influence 

There are myths and rumors of vampires changing the course of humankind through subtle manipulation and influence since the time of antiquity, at times manipulating thousands of people through a vast network of mortal connections. As the world’s population has grown more connected through digital media, and the Masquerade has become increasingly difficult to uphold, these complex and vast machinations pose a great threat of exposing vampires to the mortal world. Along with the disappearance of almost all the vampire elders, such large-scale Machiavellian strategies have begun to vanish as well. In the modern era, most vampires have a small number of Contacts and Allies they interact with and manipulate for personal gain. 

In this edition of Vampire:The Masquerade, mortal influence is represented by 15 different Spheres. Each Contact or Ally whom a character purchases must belong to one of the 15 Spheres of Influence. The total scope of these Spheres is not limited to the examples provided. If a player has an idea for a Mortal Connection that is not clearly set out in one of the Spheres, the Storyteller can put the NPC in the Sphere with themes that they match most closely. 

The specifics of the Contact or Ally can be defined with a greater focus, but Chris the Lawyer is part of the Legal Sphere of Influence as much as Justine the County Judge or Chuck the Farmer. This helps the Storyteller categorize the various Mortal Connections in the city using the Relationship Chart (see Storytelling, page XXX). It also helps for connected chronicles to maintain separation between the mortal connections of each game location. For how Contacts and Allies work in connected chronicles, see below. 

Church 

Influencing the Church is dangerous, second only to trying to influence the Federal Government. However, cautious manipulation at the local level can dissuade, distract, and mislead more dangerous members of the broader Church Influence Sphere. Mortals found within this Sphere are members of a broad range of organized religious beliefs, from Judaism to Islam to Catholicism and its many subsects. Other groups, perhaps less well known, may also constitute an organized set of religious beliefs. Contacts and Allies within this Sphere of Influence may not be part of the Second Inquisition, nor can they interact directly with them.

Example Contacts and Allies: Ministers, rabbis, bhikkhus, priests, activists, evangelists, and nuns. 

Finance 

“Money makes the world go round” is an old adage. Influencing mortals who control the currencies of the world is the next best thing to having stacks of money to spend. Mortals in this Sphere are able to move large quantities of money above and below boards, manage stock investments over centuries and through changes in personnel and identities, bribe officials and even drain bank accounts if requested. 

Example Contacts and Allies: CEOs, bankers, tellers, stock brokers and loan agents. Health 

Blood bags do not appear out of nowhere. Not only can the Health field provide restricted pharmaceuticals and quick emergency access, but there is often an ample supply of blood that can be influenced into your possession. This Sphere also covers access to morgues, ambulances, first responders, and even the administration of hospitals and clinics. Health is not limited to the mortal health field, either, as veterinarians, lab researchers, and animal care professionals can provide valuable services as well. 

Example Contacts and Allies: Doctors, nurses, therapists, lab workers, and pharmacists. High Society 

Lifestyles of the rich and the famous – few people really know them, but nearly everyone wants to be like them. People within this Sphere are used to power, money, and the adoration of the masses; they know which ears to whisper names or rumors in, can make or break upcoming media or stars, and even draw attention from otherwise suspicious nightly activities with their presence. Within this Sphere, a skilled character can influence the influencers. 

Example Contacts and Allies: Movie stars, rock stars, dilettantes, legacies, trust fund inheritors, and fashion models. 

Industry 

Most people know someone in Industry, the blue-collar jobs that keep mortal society from collapsing down on itself. Having influence over such workers is often underrated, but others may see the incredible usefulness of favors from a construction team or a farmer. Useful members of this Sphere may be able to help locate buildings owned by specific people, delay or speed up construction, shut off utilities, and influence the mass production of material goods.

Example Contacts and Allies: Union workers, engineers, construction workers, agriculturists, miners, mechanics, farmers, telecommunications staff, technical support workers, and electricians. 

Legal 

Litigation is everywhere among those with the power to get things done. For those who tend to prefer less-than-legal activities, knowing someone inside this Sphere can also keep them out of jail or keep their rivals in. Maybe you know a trial lawyer who’s never lost, the bright-eyed, always optimistic district attorney who is resolute on cleaning up the city, or even the bondsmen who organize bail money; all of these people fall within the Legal Sphere. 

Example Contacts and Allies: Lawyers, court reporters, judges, clerks, district attorneys, bailiffs, and bail bondsmen. 

Media 

Need a story to make headlines? What about squashing something that is sure to make the front page? Navigators in the labyrinthian mazes of news outlets, magazines, and radio, people belonging to this Sphere can do all that and more. They can get press passes allowing access to the most secure events or situations, publish or redact just the right (or wrong) photos, and ensure the public knows everything–or nothing. 

Example Contacts and Allies: Reporters, photographers, disc jockeys, station directors, bloggers, and internet streamers. 

Occult 

It is wise for any supernatural creature to keep themselves up to speed on the occult goings-on in their area. Whilesome may not know of supernatural creatures’ existence specifically, people in the Occult Sphere form a group of mystics, spiritualists, and devotees who often adhere to non-traditional beliefs and may pursue what they believe to be magic. Along with having information on “conspiracies” such as werewolves nearby, mortal occultists and conspiracy theorists would likely be among the first to notice Masquerade breaches that other, less open-minded groups might dismiss. 

Example Contacts and Allies: Occultists, treasure hunters, conspiracy theorists, alternative religion charlatans, and doomsday preppers. 

Police 

Not much happens on the street that the Police do not know about. Will they do anything with what they learn? That answer depends on who happens to come across it first and, sometimes, on

whom they owe a favor. Knowing someone in law enforcement may give access to evidence, crime insight, or simple confidence that the cops will not interrupt a feeding session. 

Example Contacts and Allies: Beat cops, SWAT operators, homicide detectives, police department administrators, and dispatchers. 

Politics 

For those who want to shape the city, having a Contact in Politics is ideal. People who are trying to make, change, and enact policy belong primarily to this Sphere regardless of the changes they are trying to enact. Your Contacts include bureaucrats drowning in red tape, polling place coordinators, activists, and local politicians alike. 

Example Contacts and Allies: Pollsters, activists, lobbyists, candidates, and incumbent politicians. 

Service Industry 

The often-overlooked workers in the Service Industry tend to know far more about things happening on the front lines of the mortal world than any high-level corporate bigwigs. Hotel desk staff can locate patrons or make their stays fly under the radar, waitstaff can pick up the juiciest bits of conversation, and anyone who handles money transactions could pick up credit card numbers or a little extra cash on the side. 

Example Contacts and Allies: Bartenders, hotel employees, waiters, dishwashers, chefs, delivery drivers, bouncers, janitors, and security guards. 

Street 

The society of the Street is just as difficult to navigate as any other, and it’s always best to have a guide. Mortals who fall into this Sphere call the streets their home. They know how to get around unnoticed, survive when the world is out to get them, and pick the best potential targets for the next hustle. If someone needs to disappear, or be impossible to ignore, they know how and when to make those things happen. 

Example Contacts and Allies: Unorganized petty thugs, homeless, townies, street vendors, street performers, and sex workers. 

Transportation 

Travel can become a necessary part of life, and knowing who and what is moving where can be incredibly useful. Wth the Second Inquisition on the rise, safe travel can be a challenge. Mortals operating within this Sphere range from everyday cab drivers to dispatchers, truckers, pilots, and

more. Need a fake flight plan? How about altering cargo manifests? These are the mortals for the job. 

Example Contacts and Allies: Cab drivers, pilots, transportation dispatchers, couriers, truckers, travel agents, toll booth employees, and sea captains. 

Underworld 

Beneath the surface of every law-ridden society is a seedy collection of individuals seeking to profit from breaking those laws. From trafficking to embezzlement, forgery and petty theft to assassination, if a task needs to be accomplished under the table, these are the mortals who can get it done. All for a price, of course. 

Example Contacts and Allies: Organized crime groups, hitmen, black market traders, gangs, and drug traffickers. 

University 

The leaders of tomorrow are often the students of today. Any paid or volunteer mortal who focuses the majority of their day on education and research belongs to the University Sphere of Influence. These educators, students, and administrators can change curriculums, arrange fundraisers, and influence the expenditure of grant money, as well as being able to shut down campuses, clog streets with partying college kids, and fix scores in sports games. 

Example Contacts and Allies: Teachers, college professors, researchers, translators, deans, scientists, and students. 

Storyteller Note: The Federal Government There is a 16th Sphere of Influence: the Federal Government. With the rise of the Second Inquisition, influencing the Federal Government is extremely dangerous. We do not recommend allowing players to purchase Contacts and Allies within the Federal Government Sphere of Influence. Storytellers, however, should include them in their Relationship Map.