V5 Clan Ravnos Discussion

[@theOriginalS.P.]

I am happy to see the Ravnos finally free of their controversial baggage and I always wonder why other clans with similar issues could redeem them self while the Ravnos couldn’t. I like how they turned out and Obfuscate and Presence is the combination I would have chosen too, while I understand why some people suggested Obfuscate and Dominate. Harder to understand is, why some suggested Animalism and Obfuscate, which makes little sense to me or Obfuscate and Fortitude, which might follow a line of thinking that fortitude might be used to somehow shape the perception altering effects of obfuscate. But I think both of this suggestions just tried to make something with the original set of disciplines, assuming that they wouldn’t change it. There is just one thing I think you might have overlooked. The fact that the Ravnos kind of making up a new history and origin for them self. You mentioned the connection to Trickster deities but to my understanding, there is more to it. After the week of nightmares, not only the elders are gone, but the younger vampires also barely remember what their clan was like. That means, that they have started to either falsely remember their origin or to frankly make one up if asked. The only constant seems to be, that they always trace their origin back to some kind of Trickster, be it Anansi, Loki, Coyote and so on. Which makes total sense, and it is an additional way to remove the racist undertone since now every Ravnos can claim any cultural background he likes, or he believes he is related to. I like this a lot because after the lost of the Ravnon I was dearly hoping that a new or already existing bloodline might rise to clan status and might further mix up the status of vampire society. I was excited which one that might be. My bet was Gargoyles and I would still argue that some domains, in which no Ravnos exist but a quantity of Gargoyles, might have given them the Clan or an Clan equal status. But I was never expecting to have the Ravnos to be this “bloodline”. They are struggling to be recognized as a clan, and they might mostly even don’t care, but while princes might rarely allow them to embrace new offspring, their nomadic nature makes it hard to make them accountable for embracing when ever and who ever they want. At the same time, no one knows what their culture actually is right now and which narrative about their origin might be the most accepted one in the end. You could use them in your city as a basically entirely new faction, with an entirely new background and you will still not violate the canon. I actually creating two branches of Ravnos for an upcoming game. The domain is huge and therefore allows for having many vampires in it. One part of the Ravnos are of the “I don’t know and I don’t care where we come from”-kind. The other one tries to get a position in the city and have started to reverse engineer their background out of actual facts, believes and what ever they can make up to proof that they where always a vital and important part in the history of the domain based on a local Trickster character, who is a Fox in this case. P.S.: Sidenote, I have once read an interview, can not remember with whom of White Wolf it was, where he mentioned that they didn’t killed the Ravnos progenitor to remove the clan but to make clear, that Gehenna is coming. And they actually where not sure if they like to kill “Ravnos” or “Malkav” until the very end.

[@mikkovaittinen3835]

I agree, Ravnos rose into my top three clans. Before it was my least favourite clan.

[@theOriginalS.P.]

@@mikkovaittinen3835 I always liked the Ravnos, but it was kind of a guilty plasure. Now I can just like them as they are.

[@mikkovaittinen3835]

@@theOriginalS.P. I liked concept, but their disciples were too passive and not so manipulative for charlatans. Now they are fully manipulative. Great work!

[@drakethesnek6429]

But their "controversial baggage" is what made the clan interesting 😅

[@Abyssal86]

Glad you got your audio working again.

[@VoivodeMekhet]

Me too!

[@scootinkermie]

The Thought of a Ankou Malkavian using Chimestry, it would be terrifying, I like when Oddballs like that pop up like a Hecata using the Obtenebration part of Oblivion,not saying it should be commonplace but I think its reasonable for things like that happen simply because individuals may resonate with a different path of a power thats innate to the entire Clan, I mean isn't it that a way a Bloodline may come into existence? Idk food for thought I just love when people make their own Oc small obscure bloodlines, so many ways to express Vampirism

[@lukecaruana8871]

My player wanted to play Ravnos and I need a way to digest them.

[@VoivodeMekhet]

Did you eat them?

[@tjmauldin5502]

I never wanted to play this clan as much as I do now.

[@VoivodeMekhet]

All I can say is Thank you.

[@LordWardenOfThePrivy]

My favourite clan only because of the Indian/Indus Valley clan-origin lore, and theres a LOT more to that stuff, potentially, when mixed with the stories of the Eastern Shen (Kindred of the East etc). Makes sense that official Chimerstry is no more in V5, as the creator of the power self-annihilated, but I can't be the only person who really HATES v5 "analgom" disciplines. It just feels very messy. Very interested in your Week of Nightmares video, I know you're limited on time, but please please look into the Yama King/Yomi connections of the battle.

[@VoivodeMekhet]

I'll be more than happy to.

[@imthestein]

You don’t necessarily need daunt or awe. When they say to need something like Presence 2, unless they specify a power, you just need Presence 2 which could mean 2 level 1 powers

[@VoivodeMekhet]

Absolutely.

[@shademoriq]

Mine actually has awe and eyes of the serpent, being unbondable he cannot take lingering kiss. It is an interesting surprise for those that do not expect it ;)

[@anvos658]

Personally instead of the sun laser still hunting them I would have considered the Bane penalty being waking with a random compulsion, let alone if would be easy to justify it was merely Zap's own kleptomania emanating to the clan why they were like that before. Let alone I find it stupid you'd just burn up if in torpor or staked, and if it was a compulsion rather than damage there would be room for an interesting story there of a clan truly grasping the influence power of the founders, rather than a magical sky laser hates all things with Zap's vitae. For me I'm okay with the amalgam, as it makes sense that its mental and works on the inverse of traditional obfuscate of the item exists until you can't ignore it isn't real.

[@VoivodeMekhet]

I think that along with the hunger system, the amalgams are my favorite part of v5. I like how all disciplines are a mixture of the core powers. Even if you don't run a game where the Cain Mythos is real it still gives evidence to the contrary.

[@jimstpierre]

So uh.. you *do* pronounce the 's'.

[@VoivodeMekhet]

Depends on who's saying it really. I've hears the old white-wolf team all say it differently. There's a video of them all saying Tzimisce, lol.

[@josephmoon6261]

I really wish they'd dropped animalism instead of fortitude.

[@gamrr_NERD]

I love the Ravnos! Definitely can see a punk rocker being a Ravnos.

[@thelast9021]

I like what they did with the compulsion I don't like their bane or the new chimerstry.

[@VoivodeMekhet]

To each their own. Personally I like the Bane. It forces the nomad life style and can make some interesting story hooks. As for Chimerstry, I love the way it's run now. I always felt that the older versions were too progressive. It was just a step ladder to the next level. Now they feel like they each have their own uses. That and I just love the amalgam system in general.

[@crankypest2617]

i mean I always took hacking as my form of crime. But this can easily be worked with too. Also as a player Chemistry being gone sucks. Still could you not also combine Dominate with Obfuscate and force a person to believe the illusion? I loved Ravnos and always looked at them as the lovable rogue and liked playing them with a robin hood syndrome.

[@VoivodeMekhet]

My first time playing myself (which was a fad that went around my gaming circles) was a Ravnos. I stole stuff from people's lawns and set fire to my old places of employment, lol. I love the Ravnos in their current iteration. They're so much more interesting for me. I love the new Bane and the Daredevil/Deathwish compulsion that they have. As for Chimerstry, as much as I loved the older version, it just always seemed like the discipline was stacked. Like you were just getting better at one skill and not branching out to other things. I like the v5 Amalgam Chimerstry better.

[@lordtimothymichel8677]

IMHO, This clan is basically extinct. A curiosity, no more.

[@VoivodeMekhet]

I can see that with how crazy the week of nightmares was. I also really like the changes that have happened with the clan and it's outlook in v5.