Nosferatu are among the strangest clans in Vampire The Masquerade. These beings differ from the other clans both physically and in terms of skills. It's these differences that make them so powerful and similarly hated.
Players interested in this mysterious faction will need to know a few things about them. It’s important to understand their limitations, strengths, and general nature to gain an appreciation for this undead clan. Here’s what the player needs to know about the horrifying and intellectual Nosferatu.
10 Their Ugliness Is Potentially Unlawful
Nosferatu are horribly disfigured, to the point that some members bear more in appearance with beasts than humans. Their appearance is so disturbing being seen by a human is enough to violate the Masquerade.
The Masquerade establishes that all vampires must keep the existence of vampires an absolute secret. Most other vampire clans merely need to keep their impulses and behavior a secret to accomplish this. But because Nosferatu are so disgusting to look at they must stay out of sight of humans at all times.
9 Ostracized By Other Vampires
You know a vampire is ugly when even other vampires are disgusted by their appearance. The Nosferatu disfigurement is so bad that other vampires don’t want to see or be around them. As a result, Nosferatu vampires have become something akin to pariahs amongst the other vampire clans.
This is especially true with the Toreador clan. These vampires obsessed with art and beauty find the Nosferatu to be an affront to nature. While this hasn’t led to an outright conflict it has resulted in harsh feelings between the two clans.
8 Live In The Sewers
Because of the need to forever stay out of the humans' view, Nosferatu frequently make homes for themselves in the large sewer systems of cities. It’s guaranteed to have few unwanted human visitors and also gives them access to the city.
Nosferatu can use the sewer tunnels to reach just about any building without ever being seen on the surface. It’s certainly not a glamorous place to live, but the Nosferatu have learned to adapt. Their choice in habitat has further ostracized them from other vampires who are hesitant to tread in such filthy places.
7 Hungry For Rats
For whatever reason Nosferatu have a greater hunger for the blood of rats than other vampires. It could be due to their shared environment making it an easy choice, or perhaps owed to the fact that they feed on humans less frequently than other vampires and have been forced to turn to alternative blood sources.
In any case they receive a greater benefit than other vampires when feeding on rats. A Nosferatu obviously prefers human blood whenever possible, but for them a rat isn’t a bad substitute. Some theorize this might even be partially responsible for their monstrous appearance.
6 Masters Of Stealth
Because of their need to remain out of sight, Nosferatu vampires have become masters of stealth. They can access and pass through areas with startling efficiency leaving behind no trace they were ever there.
As a result, Nosferatu make excellent assassins, spies, and hackers. The other vampire clans will frequently employ them to gain access to restricted areas, steal things, and gather information. It’s unclear if being a Nosferatu automatically grants access to these helpful skills. But it is likely they have developed some natural affinities over the years.
5 Control The ShreckNet
Due to their isolation, Nosferatu vampires have learned to create and maintain the SchreckNet. The SchreckNet is basically a parallel to the internet. It’s created by piggybacking off of established servers and networks.
The result is a private internet that Nosferatu use to communicate and share information with each other. This invention is arguably responsible for most of Nosferatu’s power and why they remain both a threat and benefit to the other clans.
4 Information Brokers
With the SchrekNet and their skill at stealth Nosferatu know everything about everyone. From humans to vampires Nosferatu can learn all of their secrets, grudges, and hidden agendas in both the real-world and the digital world.
This has made Nosferatu the go-to clan for gathering information. As information brokers they can obtain a fair amount of wealth, power, and leverage over others. This has served to make them an invaluable ally of any clan while also ostracizing themselves even further as they know everyone’s dirty secrets.
3 Hard Path
In the Masquerade games being a Nosferatu is commonly considered hard mode. Being a Nosferatu means the player can’t be seen by any human ever or they come under attack. As a result, the player must stick to the shadows and sewers waiting for the ideal moment to surface.
A Nosferatu character does have advantages over others, namely in stealth and hacking. The Obfuscate discipline certainly made them terrifying foes. But in the end the inability to access or utilize the human world makes the games difficult, no matter their chosen disciplines.
2 Two Types Of Embrace
In Nosferatu culture turning a human into a vampire can be seen as a blessing or a curse known as the standar Embrace or the Embrace of Cleopatras. This is largely because of their hideous appearance. A weak and frail homeless man could see the turning as a blessing. For him, he gains strength, powers, a clan, and access to the powerful SchrekNet.
For a gorgeous woman in the prime of her life becoming a Nosferatu would be a curse. For her, it’s an Embrace of Cleopatras as she becomes horribly disfigured and must live a life in the shadows.
1 At Least One Pointy Ear
An interesting quirk about Nosferatu vampires is that each and every one of them will have a pointed ear. Most will have two, but everyone has at least one. The in-game reasons for this are unclear other than a pointy ear is less attractive than a more human ear and is considered part of their disfigurement.
In reality their appearance is a reference to their namesake. Nosferatu was a famous vampire in the movie by the same name. He was a disfigured and monstrous vampire that served as a contrast to the more alluring Count Dracula.