The Nature of the Feast - Blood, feeding and sex in Vampire: the

Masquerade
Blood

Fun blood facts:

The average adult human body contains a little less than 9 pints (5 litres) of blood; this is about 7% of the body by
volume. Blood is pumped around the body by the heart, through the 100,000 miles (or thereabouts) of blood vessels
which make up the circulatory system, carrying oxygen to, and carbon dioxide away from the organs and muscles. The
heart is a two stage pump, which connects to two distinct circulatory systems. The first is the pulmonary circulation,
which carries blood from the right side of the heart, through the pulmonary artery and into the lung capillaries. The
blood then returns through the pulmonary veins to the left side of the heart. The left side then pumps the blood into the
aorta, from where it is distributed around the body through the systemic circulation.
Blood vessels which take blood away from the heart are called arteries. The blood in the arteries is under high
pressure from the heart's pumping action. They are tough, elastic-walled vessels, and muscles in the walls which aid the
heart in pumping the blood. The relaxing and constricting action of the arteries creates the pulse that can be felt at the
wrists and throat. With the exception of the pulmonary artery, the arteries carry oxygen-rich blood to the capillaries,
tiny, thin-walled vessels where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged within the body tissues. The blood, now rich
in waste carbon dioxide, returns through the veins to the heart, and is pumped into the pulmonary circulation where the
reverse transfer takes place. The veins are less strong than the arteries, since the blood is at lower pressure, which also
means that a pulse can not be felt in the veins. Venous blood is purplish in colour.
About 55% of the blood, by volume, is plasma, a straw-coloured liquid which acts as a medium for the blood cells
and platelets. The plasma is 90% water, with the remainder being made up of proteins, including albumin, various
clotting factors and immunoglobins. Albumin levels regulate the diffusion of water through the walls of the capillary
vessels; low levels lead to excess leakage. The plasma also carries many dissolved minerals and nutrients from digested
food to the body's tissues.
The aorta is the main artery which carries blood away from the heart. It is located within the thorax and abdomen.
The carotid arteries carry blood up the neck to the brain. The femoral arteries are located in the thighs, and contain
blood under very high pressure. Serious damage to the femoral arteries can virtually empty the body of blood in
seconds. The primary vein in the upper arm is the brachial, while the lower arm has the ulnar and radial. The main
veins are the inferior and superior vena cava, which complete the return of blood to the heart, and the jugular vein
which returns blood from the throat. The saphenous vein is the main vein in the leg. The hepatic portal vein carries
blood loaded with the digested parts of food to the liver. The pulmonary artery and veins form the pulmonary
circulation. Here the artery carries waste-rich blood, and the veins oygenated.
The main pulse points are the carotid (throat), temporal (temples), facial (cheek), brachial (inside of the elbow
joint), radial (wrist), femoral (thigh/groin), posterior tibial (ankle) and dorsalis pedis (back of the foot).
Blood cells are of two basic kinds. Red cells (erythrocytes) carry oxygen and carbon dioxide around the blood
stream and give the blood its colour. They carry the gases in combination with a protein called haemoglobin. Platelets
(thrombocytes) are a specialised class of erythrocyte which provide the primary mechanism of blood clotting -platelet
aggregation - and are responsible for the formation of a scab over a cut. Platelet aggregation is triggered by clotting
factors in the blood plasma. White cells (leukocytes), which defend the body from foreign micro-ogranisms, and
themselves come in a number of specialised forms.
Blood loss in all animals creates an effect called hypervolemic shock. In shock, blood is diverted to vital organs,
while the flow of blood to the skin and muscles is restricted, resulting in palour and weakness. Heart rate increases,
breathing becomes shallow and rapid. The skin also becomes cool, as blood flow to the skin aids in giving off heat. The
victim will sweat, and become thirsty; senses will be clouded, and physiological effects will begin to cause a sense of
panic. These effects become apparent when 10-25% of blood volume is lost.
Platelet aggregation increases to try and stem the bleeding. When more than 25% of the blood volume has been
lost, the level of aggregation can cause clotting in the lungs and resultant respiratory failure. Cellular processes then
begin to break down with the dearth of oxygen, and the major organs eventually simply stop working. This process can
take anything from hours to days after the original blood loss. Roughly stated, loss of one-third of the body's blood
volume in one go is fatal. If the loss is drawn out over a longer period of time – twenty-four hours or more – the body
may be able to sustain a loss of almost two-thirds blood volume before death.
Blood loss is treated by transfusion, but only in rare cases is whole blood used for treatment these days. Instead, it
is separated out into its components, which are stored and transfused separately. Most common are transfusions of red
blood cells (stored refrigerated for up to 42 days, or frozen for up to a year), plasma (fresh frozen and stored for up to a
year) and platelets (transfused within a day of donation). It is common practise for patients entering surgery to donate
blood a week or so before to be retransfused into them during the operation.

Fun Vampire Facts (some rather dry mechanics)

An ordinary human being can be drained for 10 blood points (blood point). Each point drained inflicts one Health
Level of damage, of which an average mortal has seven. Garou, and some humans (those with merits such as 'Spark of
Life') have more than 10 blood points, but the same number of Health Levels. Usually, such creatures are considered to
give a tenth of their blood point total for each Health Level lost. Some humans or Garou may have an additional Health
Level (merit: huge), and might be considered to hold an extra blood point. Animals have far fewer blood points,
regardless of their blood volume.
Despite the traumatic effects of massive blood loss, a human being in Vampire can apparently lose two-thirds of
their blood in one fell swoop, and still have a slim chance of recovering, given decent medical treatment. Anything
down to six blood points is automatically recoverable as simple injury. This is part of the White Wolf system's general
lack of medical detail, but it is a huge discrepancy which troubles many people, and leads to the question: when is
feeding safe, and when does it kill the victim? Given the massive impact which this question has on the Masquerade
itself, it is an important one.
N.B. – throughout this essay, the terms victim and prey will be used for the creature being fed upon. Individual
vampires may see their food as something else, but these terms will be used for convenience. Also, in deference to the
classic Hammer Horror feeding dynamic, the vampire will be referred to as ‘he’, and the victim as ‘she’.
One way to look at it, encouraged by the fact that different creatures have differences in blood point levels which
are not related to blood volume, is to say that blood points do not relate directly to blood volume, but to a form of vital
energy, which the vampire draws from its victims through the medium of the blood (and this Kindred of the East
explicitly does). Not only then can different creatures possess different levels of this energy for the same blood volume,
but the volume of blood equating to one blood point need not be one-tenth of a human's nine pint total. In fact, it does
not need to be a fixed volume at all.
The following is a possible system for blood points that do not equate to a given blood volume.

Blood Points, Health Levels and Blood Loss

One blood point is a measure of vital energy, not of volume. When a vampire feeds, he uses his victim’s blood as
a conduit to draw out this energy, but it does not suffuse the blood at a specific concentration. The volume of blood
which the vampire must consume is related to the number of blood points remaining in the victim; the closer she is to
death, the harder her spirit will cling to its remaining vitality, and thus the more blood he must drain to force it from
her. Consequently, the volume associated with a blood point rises as a vampire continues to feed, and light feeding does
not automatically result in non-trivial levels of hypervolemic shock.
In this system, the seven Health Levels of a mortal human still represent approximately two-thirds of the body’s
blood capacity (six pints in the average adult), but they do not represent a pint apiece when a vampire is feeding.
Instead – assuming a neat feeding, using the Kiss – the first point is transferred by little more than a mouthful of blood;
the second by a healthy gulp. With each point drained, the next requires a greater effort, and a greater volume of fluid
to be extracted.
This means that the first blood point will barely be missed by a healthy victim. The blood loss is equivalent to a
bad nose-bleed, and the loss of the first Health Level imparts no penalties. The victim might feel a little light-headed,
but nothing that can not be chalked up to the ecstasy she will have experienced in the Kiss. A second Health Level will
make the victim woozy from the loss of vital energy, but the blood loss is still nominal. At this stage, there is still
almost no shock involved, so blood loss is unlikely to be blamed for the victim’s symptoms, a tremendous advantage
for vampires attempting to maintain the Masquerade, or at least a low profile.
If three or four Health Levels are taken, then the victim will enter a state of mild shock. They will feel listless and
exhausted, far more so than would be accounted for by their blood loss (four blood points probably totals a little over a
pint). They will recover without aid, given time – although transfusion will speed their recovery – at this level of
feeding however, a medical examination will clearly reveal significant blood loss.
A fifth Health Level requires almost a further pint of fluid, and substantially greater effort to claim. Even from
peripheral arteries, the vampire will probably have to suck for this blood point. The victim will require medical
attention to survive at this stage, and probably a blood transfusion. The effects of moderate shock will be immediately
apparent at a glance.
If a vampire drains his victim of six Health Levels at one go, she will die from the effects of severe hypervolemic
shock and blood loss – even if the last spark of life remains within her – unless she receives immediate medical
attention and a blood transfusion within a few hours. Even if drained slowly, over a number of nights, her need for
medical care and replacement blood will be urgent. Such a victim will be barely conscious, if at all, in her last few
hours of life, but she will be better off than one reduced to incapacitated by blood loss.
 Once seven Health Levels have been taken, the loss of blood has become so severe that death is almost
unavoidable. If the blood was taken gradually, and immediate medical attention and transfusion is available, the victim
may survive, but she will be comatose, and the chances are that she will stay that way. If all seven Health Levels are
taken in one go, there is no chance. The victim’s lungs, heart and kidneys will fail, and she will die.
If blood is taken on top of existing injuries, the victim’s vital energy is already low. If a vampire drains a
Wounded victim to Mauled, that one Health Level still requires almost a pint of blood, and will severely weaken the
victim. I most cases, treat recent injury as concurrent with the feeding to determine the effects of shock and blood loss,
while older wounds should be treated like feedings a night or more past.

Residual Blood
Even once the victim reaches Incapacitation and death, there is still about three pints of blood remaining in the
circulatory system. If drained quickly – requiring considerable effort on the vampire’s part – this residual blood can
yield a further three blood points. In fact, even this will not completely drain the body; that would require a powerful
vacuum pump, or some manner of press, but these three points are the last that can usefully be extracted. The rest is
waste material, devoid of life and energy. Even if the last drops of blood are extracted, they grant no nourishment
whatsoever.
Note that the residual blood in a dead body never yields more than three blood points, even if the cause of death
shed no blood at all. Once the spark is gone, all that is left is the residue. Moreover, the energy quickly fades, and a
corpse more than a few hours old, though immaculately preserved and chock-full of blood, provides no sustenance. A
very small number of necromancers claim to have found a way to feed on the death energies of corpses, but few people
have seen this happen.

Storing Blood
Spilt blood rapidly loses its potency, and unless consumed while still warm will not provide sustenance.
Moreover, at least a pint of spilt blood must be consumed, and it will yield no more than a blood point; perhaps two if
the source is especially potent. Stored blood may last longer, but in most cases it too loses potency once cold. Some
vampires store mortal blood in airtight containers, but this can only ever retain the vital energies within the blood for a
few days. Older blood, unless the energy is locked in by some mystical means, may retain its freshness and consistency
with correct treatment, but it is utterly without nourishment. Ultimately, the only reliable store of blood is the living
body of a human being.
The problem stems from the simple fact that mortal blood does not store its vital energy. A human’s circulation is
like an electrical circuit: In feeding, the vampire taps into that circuit to draw off electricity, but if the wires are
removed, they do not bring the electricity with them. Vampiric vitae is a different matter entirely, and its primary
purpose is to act as a holder for vital energy once removed from the mortal frame, but there are entirely separate
problems involved in storing it.
Bank blood retains its nummy bloody goodness longer than most, because its purpose, the reason for its storage, is
the transference of life from one human to another. Symbolically, and through the mysteries of medical science, it
retains its vital virtue – which is also why transfusion aids in the recovery of lost vital energy as well as blood. It is
weakened though, and as with spilt blood, a full baggie will supply only a single blood point.
It should also be remembered that blood is rarely stored whole. The stored form most useful to a vampire is Packed Red
Cells (PRC), which contains the red cells from one unit of blood, together with a small amount of plasma and anti-
coagulants. PRCs are stored refrigerated, with a shelf-life of about forty-two days. Plasma and some red cells are stored
frozen for up to a year, but these are next to useless to a vampire.

Powerful Blood
When a vampire talks of powerful blood, he means a powerful life. In general terms, blood will be increased in
potency by any factor which, as an ongoing effect, elongates lifespan or accelerates healing. The incredible
regenerative powers of the Garou mean that their blood is twice as strong as that of a human: for every Health Level
inflicted on a Garou while feeding, the vampire gains two blood points, along with a propensity for violent frenzy. The
Health Levels lost by the Garou represent stolen vital energy, and as such will not heal like physical injury. The
werewolf’s lost Health Levels will heal like aggravated damage, at a rate of one level per day of rest. As a consolation
to the Garou, the vampire will almost certainly be in a far worse state.
Likewise, the Spark of Life merit, which increases a character’s healing rate – albeit to a less dramatic level than a
Garou’s regeneration – and accelerates the healing of those around her means that a vampire can draw up to fifteen
blood points from someone so blessed. Two Health Levels from such a person grants the vampire three blood points,
but if an odd number are taken, the excess is wasted.
Conversely, the flaw Psychic Vampire means that a mortal heals more slowly, needing to leech strength from
those around them to heal normally. These individuals may have fewer blood points within them, in which case the
vampire will need to draw more blood to obtain them. Doing so will not necessarily cause more damage in terms of
Health Levels, but it will mean that the psychic vampire will suffer greater effects from shock. Moreover, the very
nature of their condition will mean that they recover more slowly, and are more susceptible to such trauma.

Recovery
An ordinary mortal will heal Health Levels lost to a feeding vampire as if they were regular wounds. As blood
transfusion represents a transfer of life energy, a unit of PRCs or plasma transfused into the victim will heal one Health
Level lost to the vampire, if the victim is recovering normally. A victim suffering severe shock will only be stabilised
by the initial transfer. Once they are in a stable and recovering condition, an additional transfer will speed their
recovery. In general terms, even if receiving multiple transfusions, only one Health Level per day will be recovered.
It should be noted that feeding a mortal vampire blood does not count as a transfusion. It will assist the recovery
of a victim in trivial, mild or moderate shock, restoring one Health Level per blood point as it passes through the
digestive system into the body and finds its way into the bloodstream. It will also of course turn the victim into a ghoul,
with the usual effects. If a victim has lost six or seven Health Levels, then even if they can be persuaded to drink, it is
insufficient to aid recovery. Direct transfusion – of vitae or of regular blood – to the circulatory system is needed to halt
the victim’s decline in such severe cases, and even that is not assured of success.

The Giovanni
The Curse of Lamia means that the Giovanni Kiss causes incredible pain, and also inflicts greater harm upon the
victim than an ordinary vampire’s bite. This is because the curse extracts a tithe of sorts on the vital energies gathered,
requiring the Giovanni to draw harder on the victim’s spirit to gain nourishment. This means that the Giovanni draws
out twice as much vital energy as an ordinary vampire for the same gain, but not much more blood. Four blood points
will kill any mortal victim outright, sapping her of all of her vitality. The remaining blood may be drawn off as
residual, but this does limit the amount of blood points a Giovanni may drawn from a given individual to seven (four in
the kill, three residual). The residual energy is of the dead, in the province of the Giovanni, and thus can be claimed
without loss. A mortal with the Spark of Life might supply a full ten blood points, losing one Health Level per point, as
might a Garou. In either case, the Kiss still hurts, and a Giovanni is even less likely than any other vampire to survive
trying to feed from a Garou.
A victim in the grip of the Giovanni Kiss pales visibly as their life-force is drained. A slain victim actually
displays fewer signs of blood loss than would be left by another vampire, an if the residual blood was not claimed, the
loss is rarely enough to be considered the principal cause of death. However, the victim’s face will also be distorted in
agony, their skin grotesquely blanched, and shock is apparent, even if not from blood loss. There also tends to be
marked tissue damage at the point of contact, even when the Kiss wounds are closed. The usual cause of death is heart
failure or respiratory collapse.

Feeding

Feeding With the Kiss

The Kiss is one of the most potent weapons in the vampire’s arsenal. It is not to be mistaken for a mere bite; it
does little physical harm, and certainly no appreciable level of damage, and even if not closed with a lick, the tiny
wounds – usually twin punctures or a small gash – will stop bleeding after a minute or so, scab over, and heal almost
completely unless the injury is picked at and worried. The Kiss is the feeding process at its most sophisticated; forming
a close bond between vampire and victim, through which the vital energies may flow. The nature of this bond is a
continual flow of blood between the two parties, and it makes the Kiss an efficient and relatively swift way to feed. The
rules in the section above all assume feeding through the Kiss.
To invoke the Kiss, the vampire must break the skin of his victim using either a claw or more usually his fangs.
The wound must be small enough for the vampire to cover with his mouth, and this he must do, so that no drop of
blood is spilt. This process forms the bond, and seals it so that the flow efficiently delivers all of the victim’s essence to
the vampire. It creates in the victim an ecstatic bliss, akin to orgasm, but more sustained than most; a vampire’s most
important guard against discovery and destruction is the pleasure he gives to victims he does not kill. Most never
realise that they are being harmed in any way. The tiny wounds used to feed may be closed by a simple lick from the
vampire who inflicted them, completely concealing the deed.
Long term use of the Kiss can cause degradation in the victim. If the same contact point is used repeatedly, the
flesh around it begins to degrade. Tissue damage and even collapse of the veins in the area can occur, like with overuse
of a vein to inject drugs, and it pays to move your contact point. As an added incentive to do so, an over-used point can
become numbed, and the impact of the Kiss can be lessened.
Feeding Without the Kiss
While it is possible to feed from a regular bite, or indeed any other open wound, without the Kiss, feeding is
sloppy. First of all is the simple fact that your victim knows that you are drinking their blood. In some cases this is not a
problem, but most vampires benefit from the protection of the Kiss. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, with out
the tight bond of the Kiss, the flow of energy degrades significantly, and the vampire must take far more blood to gain
his sustenance. Blood is also often spilt, and the wounds cannot be closed so easily as a Kiss mark, leaving more traces
of the vampire’s actions than is quite safe.
If even two or three blood points are taken from a victim without the kiss, then she is at risk of death. In this
instance, the effects of shock are substantial, with some two pints of blood already spilled. Four points or more will
result in death from hypervolemic shock within hours of the attack, assuming that the victim does not bleed to death
from her open wound in the meantime.
There are almost no instances in which a vampire will chose to feed without the Kiss, but a frenzied vampire lacks
the control to invoke its bond. Some vampire who follow paths may retain the control when riding the frenzy to seal
their mouth over a wound, but even in a hunger frenzy it would be rare. The aftermath of a frenzied feed is truly
gruesome. The vampire will be covered in his victim’s blood, and her body will usually be torn open, usually at the
throat, although some vampires have been known to disembowel a victim and feed from the major internal arteries in
frenzy. The victim’s wounds can not be licked closed, even if they are inflicted by the vampire’s own claws and fangs;
that only works on small cuts and punctures.

Limitations of the Kiss

In some circumstances, grappling a foe and invoking the Kiss can seem a good way to end a combat, but it should
be noted that there are two major limitations of the power of the Kiss, especially when used in combat.
Firstly, it is an absolute bastard to try and place someone under the Kiss in combat. Since they must be held
absolutely still to initiate the contact, the effect of the Kiss itself are often mere gravy. Also any creature in frenzy is as
unaffected by the Kiss as she would be by any other form of pleasure, pain or physical stimulus. Attempting to invoke
the Kiss on a frenzied foe is asking for death, as it will limit the vampire more than his enemy.
Secondly, while ordinary mortals are almost completely overwhelmed by the Kiss, vampires and extraordinary
mortals are far more resistant. For vampires, the Kiss brings pleasure, but it is controllable, and most will not be
distracted from a deadly battle by a quick thrill. A Mage is a little more susceptible, but her Avatar will actively prompt
her resistance against the embrace of the parasitic spirit of the vampire. A Mage is permitted a Willpower roll to ignore
the effects of the Kiss. Garou lack the sheer will of Mages, but they have a chance to be carried through by their
preternatural passions. A Garou in the grip of the Kiss must immediately test for frenzy due to the intense emotion
generated by the Kiss itself. If they frenzy, they are immune to the effects of the Kiss as per usual.

Matters of Taste
Blood, for a vampire, is not merely blood. Like any kind of food or drink, it has its vintages, its varieties, and its
flavourings. There are many factors which go into making up the bouquet of a particular blood, and each vampire has
his preferences. The primary factors are: physiology and biochemistry; health; diet; drug-use; and emotional state.
Physiology has a number of effects. Firstly, a person’s racial heritage imparts certain, subtle, innate
characteristics, which form the basis of al else; blood group and rhesus factors also provide their own unique flavours.
These factors overlap with health conditions. Hyperglycemics taste sweet, while diabetics do not. Exhaustion depletes
the flavour, while a healthy body has more flavour; like corn-fed chicken. Any disease which affects the blood will add
to the bouquet, but most are avoided, as they add a taste of decay. Body fat makes the blood rich, but heavy; it is purely
a matter of taste.
Diet has a tremendous effect on a victim’s taste. Whatever she eats most often will leave a residual taste, as well
as affecting the balance of minerals and fats in the bloodstream. Garlic, onion, strong spices and chilli peppers leave an
especially notable aroma, and curry hounds are an acquired taste. Drug-use not only provides a taste sensation, by
altering the body’s chemistry, it provides a solid rush as the drugs enter the vampire’s body. This effect is milder than
direct use of the drug, but is the only way a vampire can experience most drugs. Alcohol is the most common drug, and
has a particularly potent effect on blood chemistry, as well as filling it with alcohol.
Emotional state is also a very important factor. Endorphins, sex hormones, adrenaline; all of these things are
released into the blood and affect its flavour. These can be among the most important factors to vampires, because they
are the factors most easily controlled. A vampire may like to toy with his victims, to put the taste of fear in their blood,
and many Casanovas hunt the way they do because they enjoy the taste of an aroused victim. In addition, emotional
levels are like a drug, and can infect the feeding vampire, especially through the Kiss. In this way, a vampire can
become happy, sad, depressed, excited, aroused or angry through the blood chemistry of their prey. Those who feed on
frightened mortals often liken the experience to that of a mortal on a rollercoaster.
Feeding on Animals
While they do not contain as much vital essence as a human, it is possible for a vampire to live by hunting and
feeding on animals. It is not possible to live well on such a diet. Aside from the fact that a vampire who eschews human
prey must almost constantly hunt to find enough to support himself, they will also begin to take on bestial
characteristics from the blood which they consume. These are usually not physical traits, such as Gangrel adopt through
their frenzies, but rather mannerisms, and smells. An animal feeder becomes feral, wary of all contact. They begin to
rely on instincts rather than reason, suffering penalties to Intelligence and Self-Control rolls, and to take on a distinct
animal musk, suffering similar penalties in social situations.
Moreover, when all is said and done, vampires are supposed to prey on their own kind. A vampire who has long
avoided human blood is apt to lose control altogether when the opportunity to take it presents itself. The scent of
human blood can be enough to send such a vampire into feeding frenzy, even if he is fully fed, burning the animal
blood from his body to make room for the sweet, sweet human blood.
Typically, a vampire who feed only from animals will have a +1 penalty to Social, Intelligence and Self-Control
rolls for every complete period of one month since their last taste of human blood. In addition, the vampire has a
similar penalty to all rolls – Self-Control or Instincts – to resist feeding frenzy when given the opportunity to take
human or vampire blood. Other effects of bestialisation should be a matter for roleplaying,

Blood-Bagging It
A vampire can also attempt to subsist purely on stored blood, but again it is difficult to live well in this way.
Assuming that the vampire can obtain a steady supply of stored, human blood, they suffer a similar increase in their
craving for the fresh product as animal feeders develop. If a vampire somehow warms the blood, then he simply gains a
+1 difficulty to hunger-related frenzy rolls each month. If, on the other hand, he regularly and exclusively feeds on
cold, bagged blood, then the penalties accrue at +1 difficulty per week.

Sex
(N.B. This essay restricts itself to fairly vanilla vampire sex. Whatever else individual vampires may do to get their
jollies is beyond the purview of this discussion).

Sex with Mortals

Most vampires have no enjoyment of the sexual act. A vampire who follows Humanity can go through the
motions if they expend 8-Humanity blood points to simulate bodily functions, and generate the necessary fluids and
other effects, but they derive no particular pleasure from the act – except for a certain enjoyment from the proximity of
a warm, blood-filled human body – and certainly not enough to be worth the expense. In particular, a vampire will
never achieve orgasm, and moreover even with the expenditure of a blood point, their genitalia will often be noticeably
cold. Consequently, for vampires the sexual act is uncomfortable, unpleasantly slimy, unsatisfying, and basically
something not to be desired or sought out.
Some vampires – known colloquially as Don Juans, Casanovas, Casanundas, Incubi, Succubi, Molly Blooms,
Moll Flanders, Adam Eves, and a dozen other names, descriptive, derogatory and/or obscene – use seduction and sex as
a method of hunting, often in order to tailor the taste of their blood. These vampires conceal the pleasure of the Kiss
behind a simulated sexual act, and some even use oral sex as a cover for the action of biting their partner. Even these
individuals still derive no real pleasure from sexual intercourse however – only from the feeding – and so many do not
go so far as to engage in actual sexual congress. Those who do tend to be more used to the act than most, and are able
to put on a better show of enjoyment. Lacking such experience, or accomplishment in the Ability
Performance/Subterfuge (Masquerade), the vampire’s partner may notice something amiss in their performance. While
they may not realise that their partner is either a vampire, or dysfunctional, this kind of slightly off feeling can lead to
dangerous suspicion, or even worse, relationship talk.
A very small number of vampires possess some ability to participate regularly in the sexual act, almost always
requiring some expenditure of blood, and a few of these – often young and thin-blooded vampires – both enjoy and
crave sex. These are known by the derogatory terms satyr, or nymphomaniac. Most vampires consider vampiric
satyriasis and nymphomania to be grotesque aberrations, or at least a form of serious sickness. Sabbat in particular
consider that kind of desire to be a retrograde holdover from humanity, and a sign that the vampire is in some form of
denial of their new state. Satyric and nymphomaniac vampires also present a danger to themselves and others. While
they will not always have sex with their prey, they will almost always feed on those they bed. When they do so, the two
desires have a tendency to amplify each other. Frenzy is not uncommon, and a vampire is not only far more likely than
usual to kill their victim in such a circumstance than in a normal feeding, but less likely to be cautious about how they
kill them. Many of a satyr’s victims will be unmistakably vampire victims, and in the worst case scenario the vampire
will not even think to close the wounds of a Kiss before it is too late.
 A few vampires may crave sex as a derangement. There is no reason why such individuals should have any
particular ability to perform the sexual act, and even if they do manage to simulate intercourse with a partner, the
unsatisfying conclusion frequently leaves them feeling cheated, and can lead them to violence.
One final way in which a vampire can pursue a sexual relationship with a mortal is if the mortal knows what the
vampire is, and is willing to remain in the relationship for the pleasure of the Kiss. This can be immensely satisfying
for both parties in the short term, but the vampire may come to desire a reciprocal Kiss, in which case a mortal lover
can no longer satisfy them. There is also the persistent risk of the lover’s death, and the possible desire to Embrace
them, hanging over the couple. On the plus side, the pulsing warmth of a mortal presence can be a powerful aphrodisiac
to a vampire.

Sex with Other Vampires

Feeding satiates the only desire which vampires know, and as such it is their nearest analogue to sex. While
feeding creates an ecstasy in their victim, the vampire also receives sensual gratification in the act. For a sensation
which comes close to the sheer release of orgasm however, a vampire must allow himself to be bitten. Unfortunately,
this requires that he find another vampire willing to drink his blood, and for the greatest sensation, on whom he is
willing to feed at the same time. As blood drinking leads to Blood Bonds, it is rare to find two vampires willing to trust
each other this much. In the Camarilla then, as well as the Anarchs and among most independent Clans, such
intercourse is rare, and by far the most common sexual pairing is that of dominant and submissive; Regnant and Thrall.
Only in the Sabbat, with the mutual reassurance of the Vaulderie, is sex a commonplace, and only here are vampires
likely to form relationships as equals or near equals.
It is the case of course, that with the best will in the world, any relationship involving the exchange of vampire
blood can become unbalanced. Even if the lovers share a Vaulderie, variations in the vinicula may lead to one
becoming dominant. This may never be considered a problem, but in some cases – particularly if a naturally dominant
partner finds the blood forcing them into a submissive position – it can lead to bitterness, and a souring of the
relationship. It is a sad fact of unlife that, for all their immense lifespans, very few vampires are able to find a
relationship that will remain forever.

Sexual Practices
Sex is as complicated for vampires as it is for mortals. Like sex, the basics of the Kiss are simple, but the details
of the foreplay and execution may vary greatly.
Most human erogenous zones do not function for a vampire, any more than they experience pleasure in the human
sexual act. It is however possible to tease and excite a vampire, usually by playing to their hunger. The scent or taste of
blood is of course the big, overt tease, but other forms of foreplay involve the stimulation of the mouth, gums and
fangs, usually through deep kissing. The closeness of a warm body, and the feeling of a pulse are also major turn-ons
for a vampire. Another technique involves the stimulation of former pulse points, usually beginning by drumming very
lightly on the skin with a finger, in the rhythm of a heartbeat. Any deep, pulsing rhythm, especially one which creates a
vibration in the vampire’s body and blood, has distinct aphrodisiac properties, hence the preference of many vampires
for music with a powerful bass. For a higher degree of stimulation, the vampire may draw the tips of his fangs across
the surface of his lover’s skin. This creates an intense, tingling sensation at the point of contact, and is most commonly
used around the erogenous zones or pulse points.
The Kiss itself can vary greatly. At its simplest, it may be quick and fierce, with the vampire latching on to a
victim’s artery and letting the blood pour into them. This is the basic ‘three blood points a turn’ deal, and one of the
least satisfying methods of feeding. It is rare to see a vampire use this kind of Kiss on a lover, rather than a victim. It
also can not be used on a vampire, as they have no arterial pressure.
Going more slowly – on a vampire partner, or feeding at a mortal’s vein – the transfer of blood is limited to a
maximum of one blood point per turn, but the experience is more rewarding all around. This is the most common kind
of sex between a vampire and a human lover, giving the human more time to experience the bliss of the vampire’s Kiss,
and in return granting some little trace of that euphoria to the vampire himself.
Between two – or more – vampires, the Kiss may be very slow indeed, to the extent that it may take minutes – or
even hours – to transfer a single blood point. Usually such intercourse is mutual, and so there is no net change in blood
levels between the partners, but in a dominant/submissive relationship, one partner (either) may gain overall. The
vampires involved may also shift bite point several times during such an encounter. This is the hottest, steamiest
(figuratively, the vampires involved rarely gain in temperature) version of the Kiss, and can catch a vampire – or other
supernatural – up in the full grip of the Kiss. By its nature, the act must be consensual, even if only one partner feeds.
With a mortal lover, the vampire runs a great risk of being carried away and killing his partner, so it rare to see this
done.
One final factor is the positioning of the point and method of contact for the Kiss. The most powerful responses
are always achieved by biting at the erogenous zones or pulse points. Biting elsewhere is less potent, but still fairly
exhilarating. Cutting with a claw is always slightly less arousing than the direct bite, and again is best at the erogenous
zones and pulse points. During the Kiss, shifting the fangs to excite the edges of the wound can heighten the sensations.
Finally, most vampires have a particular pulse point which they favour, their version of a g-spot.
While they do not experience orgasm, most vampire pairings do achieve a form of climax in their couplings, prior
to which the intensity of sensation increases, and after which they fall away. It is not certain what determines when this
moment occurs, but it tends to arrive simultaneously as infrequently as it does in human couples.

Vampire Sexuality
Many vampires – especially the young, but age is no sure escape – retain the sexual orientation which they
possessed in life. Vampires on Humanity almost always retain their sexuality, as it is an important part of their human
identity. For many, the gender of their prey is a matter of disinterest – especially those who do not feed sexually – but
that of a vampire lover would be material. A number of vampires, especially Sabbat, claim that sexuality is a human
trait to be discarded, but only a small number actually practice what they preach. It should be noted that even a vampire
who has discarded the concept of sexual orientation will not necessarily just go to bed with anyone who happens along.
Such individuals will still possess judgement and aesthetic sensibilities, after all. Moreover, they may discriminate on
other grounds; some might only bed other vampires, or favour those of a particular Clan.