The Blood Bond

[Tami]

The blood bond is a powerful thing. It is a weapon and a tool at the same time, and any vampire can use it. If a being drinks from a vampire three times on three separate nights, they create a full blood bond. The drinker feels an emotion akin to love for the vampire they drank from, and if they drink on yet other occasions, that emotion deepens. The person held in thrall cannot help but defend his Regnant - he will not be able to lift a hand against the one who bound him and will do whatever he can to help them. This can be one of the most hellish experiences of a vampire's life, to feel love and hate at the same time and to be unable to fight back. It is the supreme game of dominance and submission to the point that there is no contest. Once the third drink is taken, the will of the Thrall is no longer entirely his own.

Vampires may be bound to each other. Vamires can bind humans, Garou, mages and all manner of other beings in a love so false that it could only have originated with Caine's children. It may be drastic, but bonding can make people work for you who would not do so otherwise, or who woulr not work nearly as hard on your behalf. Some vampires will seal oaths with a sip of blood as a test of loyalty. The vampires of clan Tremere are all one step blood bound to their clan from the moment of the Embrace. Ghouls become blood bound by the very nature of their interaction with vampires - they have to drink blood at least once a month from their Regnant or go back to being fully mortal.

The web of bonding spreads wide and silently. Many new vampires have the bond forced on them by their sires and are not told the secret of their condition. They are cast adrift and left to wonder what it is that they are feeling. Meanwhile, they can be used by their sire for whatever end - even to the death. The tension of the blood bond can be a potent ingredient in the receipe for a great roleplaying experience.

The blood bond is one major reason that the Anarch Revolt took place and that the Sabbat managed to survive.

[Tami]

VtM Core Book

Blood Bond (p. 218-220)

One of the most wondrous and terrible properties of Kindred vitae is its ability to enslave nearly any being who drinks of it three times. Each sip of a particular Kindred's blood gives the Kindred in question a greater emotional hold over the drinker. If a being drinks three times, on three separate nights, from the same Kindred, she falls victim to a state known as the blood bond. A vampire who holds a blood bond over another being is said to be that victim's regnant, while the being subordinate to the bond is called the thrall.

Put simply, blood bond is one of the most potent emotional sensations known. A blood bound victim is absolutely devoted to her regnant and will do nearly anything for him. Even the most potent uses of Dominate cannot overcome the thrall's feelings for her regnant; only true love stands a chance against the bond, and even that is not a sure thing.

The blood bond is most commonly used to ensnare mortals and ghouls, but Kindred can bind each other as well. Such is the blood bond's power that a mighty elder can be bound to a lowly neonate; in this respect, the blood of a 13th-generation fledgling is (presumably) as strong as that of Caine himself. As such, the blood bond forms an essential strategy in the Jyhad; some Ancients are said to hold dozens of influential Kindred in secret thralldom.

First Drink:
The drinker begins to experience intermittent but strong feelings about the vampire. She may dream of him, or find herself "coincidentally" frequenting places where he might show up. There is no mechanical effect at this stage, but it should be role-played. All childer have this level of bond toward their sires, for the Embrace itself forces one drink upon the childer; they may love their "parents," hate them, or both, but are rarely indifferent toward them.

Second Drink:
The drinker's feelings grow strong enough to influence her behavior. Though she is by no means enslaved to the vampire, he is definitely an important figure in her life. She may act as she pleases, but might have to make a Willpower roll to take actions directly harmful to the vampire. The vampire's influence is such that he can persuade or command her with little effort (Social rolls against the thrall are at -1 difficulty).

Third Drink:
Full-scale blood bond. At this level, the drinker is more or less completely bound to the vampire. He is the most important person in her life; lovers, relatives and even children become tertiary to her all-consuming passion.

At this level, a regnant may use the Dominate Discipline on a thrall, even without the benefit of eye contact. Merely hearing the regent's voice is enough. Additionally, should the thrall try to resist the Dominate for some reason, the difficulty of such resistance is increased by two. Naturally, a higher-generation vampire still cannot use Dominate on a lower-generation thrall.
The blood bond is true love, albeit a twisted and perverse version of it. Ultimately, we can't reduce the vagaries of love down to a simple "yes/no" system. Some thralls (particularly people with Conformist or other dependent Natures or with Willpower 5 or less) will commit any act, including suicide or murder for their beloved; other characters have certain core principles that they will not violate.

A full blood bond, once formed, is nearly inviolate. Once bound, a thrall is under the sway of her regnant and her regnant only. She cannot be bound again by another vampire unless the first blood bond wears away "naturally." A vampire can experience lesser (one- and two-drink) bonds towards several individuals; indeed, many Kindred enjoy such bonds, as they create artificial passion in their dead hearts. Upon the formation of a full blood bond, though, all lesser sensations are wiped away. Vampire lovers occasionally enter into mutual blood bonds with each other; this is the closest thing the undead can feel to true love. Even this sensation can turn to disgust or hate over the centuries, though, and in any event, few Kindred are trusting enough to initiate it.

A blood bond is a mighty force, but it is at its most potent when perpetually reinforced with further drinks. Feeding a thrall often reinforces the bond, while depriving the thrall of vitae may cause the relationship to grow tepid over time. As well, like any other relationship, treatment and courtesy play a part in the dynamics of the bond. A thrall who is treated well and fed often will likely fall even more deeply in love, while a thrall who is degraded and humiliated may find resentment and anger eating away at the bond.

It is possible, though difficult, for a vampire to temporarily resist a blood bond. Doing so requires the player to make a Willpower roll (difficulty is typically 8, although this can be modified depending on the regnant's treatment and the thrall's Nature) and accumulate a number of successes equal to the number of times the thrall has partaken of the regnant's blood. The thrall must then spend a Willpower point. Upon doing so, the bond is negated for a variable amount of time: from one scene (if the thrall merely wishes to plot against the regnant, deliver confidential information to an enemy, etc.) to one turn (if the thrall wishes to attack the regnant physically). The thrall can continue to expend Willpower to extend the duration of "freedom," but once she ceases doing so, the blood bond resumes at full force.

A blood bond can be broken, although this requires the thrall to not only avoid the regnant entirely for an extended period of time, but also spend great amounts of Willpower to overcome the "addiction." As a general rule, a thrall who neither sees nor feeds from her regnant for a period of (12-Willpower) months finds her bond reduced by one level (so, a fully bound thrall with a Willpower of 5 has her blood bond reduced to the equivalent of two drinks if she goes seven straight months without any contact with the regnant). If the bond is reduced to zero in this fashion (a feat typically accompanied by the expenditure of a great deal of Willpower on the thrall's part, as she resists the gnawing urge to seek out her sire), it is nullified entirely.

Another, though somewhat less certain, way to be rid of the bond is to kill the regnant. Such a choice is extremely perilous on many levels, and makes no guarantees that everything will go smoothly. Those who have been released by such means claim the bond shatters like spun glass upon the moment of the regnant's Final Death. The thrall's Nature may play a large part in whether the control is completely ended, and such aftermath is best left in the hands of the Storyteller.

[Tami]

And a bit more on the subject...

Bonding is primarily an emotional power. A Thrall views the vampire to whom he is Bound as the central figure in his life and is invariably obsessed with her. Though he may despise his Regnant, he will do nearly anything to aid her. He will do nothing to harm his regnant and will even attempt to protect her from her enemies. It is very likely that the Thrall understands what is happening to him, intellectually at least, but he is unable to do anything about it.
The Blood Bond is like falling in love -- once it happens, a character is caught in its grip until somehow he breaks free. The character may know he is in love, and hate what it makes him do, but that does not stop him from being in love and it doesnt' prevent him from doing the stupid things people in love sometimes do. The Blood Bond is possibly the closest approximation of that vaunted emotion many vampires ever reach. When roleplaying Blood Bond, use this "love" metaphor to understand just how deeply and completely the character is obsessed with the Regnant. A Regnant with a highly Conscience rating may return this "love" to some degree.

One of the primary powers a Regnant has over her Thrall is the ability to Dominate the Thrall without eye contact. As long as the Thrall is able to hear the words of his Regnant, he can be Dominated. All difficulties are two higher whenever the Thrall makes a roll to resist the Domination of the Regnant.

Blood Bond sometimes (but not always) gives the Regnant insight into the moods and feelings of the Thrall, and she may even know where the Thrall is from moment to moment, if the Blood Bond has been held long enough.

If a character's Regnant asks a favor of him, he will perform the task if it is at all possible. However, if it requires him to risk his life, he does not have to do it. Even love is not that blind. Even so, if there is an emergency and the Regnant is being attacked, the Thrall's first instinct is to go to aid her. Self sacrifice is not unknown, especially if the Bond has been reinforced over the years. If the Thrall is treated well, the Bond is reinforced and it grows stronger -- if he is humiliated and degraded, the hate that develops will diminish the bonds influence on the Thrall.


At the Storyteller's discretion, Willpower may be expended to temporarily resist the power of the Blood Bond. First the character must accumulate a number of successes on a Willpower roll (difficulty 8) equal to the number of times he has drunk from his Regnant. Then, depending on the circumstances, a Willpower point will eliminate the effects of the Bond, for a single turn to an entire scene. If the character simply wishes to plot against his Regnant, one Willpower point will enable him to do so for an entire scene. However, if he wants to actively attack his Regnant, it will take at least one Willpower per turn, and the player will probably have to make an additional Willpower roll each turn just to get the nerve to spend that Willpower point.

It is possible to break a Blood Bond, but it is very difficult. It requires not only a massive expenditure of Willpower over a long period of time, but also necessitates that the character completely avoid his Regnant. If a Thrall does not see the Regnant for some time, and does not interact with the object of his attachment, the Bond will eventually die away. Some types of Natures, such as Child and Frantic, may never escape the Blood Bond, while others, such as Conniver or Loner, may do so very easily. The breaking of a character's Blood Bond cannot be achieved through experience points or successful rolls; it must be roleplayed.

It is whispered that the Sabbat knows of ways to break the Bond, but it is said one must pledge to the sect before the process will be imparted. Whatever the case, those who most resent their Bondage and retain the free will to act independently flee to the Sabbat -- fearing the Black Hand less than continued servitude to an elder.