Vampire The Masquerade Freebie Points Guide For Character Creation

Freebie points serve as a crucial resource in character creation for Vampire: The Masquerade, allowing players to customize their supernatural characters beyond the initial point allocation. These bonus points provide flexibility for refining attributes, abilities, disciplines, and other traits that define a vampire's capabilities in the World of Darkness. Understanding how freebie points function, how they are allocated, and their costs across different traits is essential for creating well-rounded vampire characters.

What Are Freebie Points?

Freebie points, also known as bonus points in some Storyteller system editions, represent additional resources granted during character creation that can be exchanged for dots in any trait category. Unlike the points specifically allocated to Attributes, Abilities, and Backgrounds during initial character generation, freebie points offer greater flexibility for fine-tuning a character concept. They serve as the primary method for purchasing Merits at character creation and allow players to enhance their characters in ways that the initial point distribution might not accommodate.

In the standard character creation process of Vampire: The Masquerade, players receive a predetermined number of freebie points based on their character type. These points can be spent on various traits at fixed costs, regardless of the trait's current rating. This means that the fifth dot in an Attribute costs the same number of freebies as the third dot, unlike experience points which become progressively more expensive at higher ratings.

Freebie Point Allocation by Character Type

The number of freebie points awarded during character creation varies depending on the character type being created. The source material provides clear distinctions between different supernatural beings and mortals:

• Changelings, Vampires, and Werewolves begin with 15 freebie points
• Metahumans and mundane humans receive 21 freebie points
• Normal player character vampires with Age(1) receive an additional 12 freebie points
• Vampires with Age(2) receive 35 freebie points
• All characters who provide a detailed biography (2-6 paragraphs) receive an additional 12 freebie points

Elder vampires follow a different allocation system, receiving 15 points specifically for Backgrounds. All elders must take at least one dot in Age unless they are Pretenders. For character generation purposes, elder vampires begin at 10th Generation rather than the standard 13th, with the lowest possible buy-down being 8th Generation.

Ghouls and humans share the same freebie point total of 21 points, though they have different cost structures for certain supernatural traits. Any freebie points not used during vampire character creation are forfeited unless the character is reworked at a later time.

Freebie Point Costs for Vampire Traits

The costs associated with purchasing trait dots using freebie points follow standardized values across different editions of Vampire: The Masquerade. The following table outlines the typical costs for various traits:

These costs remain consistent regardless of the current rating of the trait being purchased. For example, whether adding a first dot to an Attribute or a fifth dot, the cost remains 5 freebie points per dot.

Special rules apply to certain character types and editions. In the standard Vampire: The Masquerade Revised edition, the costs for Humanity and Virtues differ slightly, with Humanity costing 5 freebies per dot and Virtues costing 4 freebies per dot. The 20th Anniversary Edition returns to the standard costs listed above.

Ghouls and humans have a modified cost structure for certain traits. While most costs align with the vampire table, Disciplines cost 10 freebie points per dot for ghouls, and Paths of Enlightenment cost 3 freebie points in addition to the standard costs for other traits.

Using Flaws to Gain Additional Freebie Points

Players can gain additional freebie points by selecting Flaws for their characters. The source material indicates that most games allow players to purchase Flaws to earn extra freebie points, though Storytellers typically place a limit on how many can be acquired. The standard limit appears to be 7 additional freebie points from Flaws.

Additional Flaws may be taken beyond the 7-point limit for flavor purposes only, with no further freebie points awarded. Merits and Flaws not listed in the official directory are generally not available for play unless specifically approved by Storytellers. Restricted Merits and Flaws require pre-approval before being applied to a character sheet, while Banned Merits and Flaws will not be approved and must be removed.

Special Requirements for Bloodlines and Paths

Characters wishing to follow a Path of Enlightenment or join a Bloodline face additional requirements and costs. According to the source material, both options require custom merits specific to certain chronicles or gaming groups. The standard costs for these options are:

• Path of Enlightenment: 3 freebie points
• Bloodline: 5 freebie points

These costs are in addition to the standard point costs for the relevant traits and must be considered when allocating freebie points during character creation.

Freebie Points versus Experience Points

While freebie points are used exclusively during character creation, experience points serve as the in-game currency for character advancement. The costs for purchasing trait dots with experience points differ significantly from freebie point costs and generally increase as a trait's rating grows.

The following table outlines experience point costs for various traits in Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Edition:

Caitiff characters, who lack Clan-based Disciplines, face different costs for advancing their Disciplines. For Caitiff, the cost of raising all Disciplines is the current rating multiplied by 6, representing both the curse and blessing of being Clanless.

Increasing a Virtue through experience points does not automatically increase Traits based on that Virtue, including Humanity, Path ratings, or Willpower.

Experience Point Acquisition

Vampires gain experience points at a rate of 1 point for every active year (not spent in torpor) as a Vampire, with a maximum accumulation of 100 points to prevent characters from becoming overly powerful. Ghouls similarly gain 1 experience point for every consecutive year of being a ghoul.

Blood Pool Considerations

While not directly related to freebie points, the blood pool represents a fundamental aspect of vampire mechanics. The maximum number of blood points a vampire may ingest is determined by their Generation, as is the number of blood points they may spend in a single turn. A vampire with zero blood points is described as ravenously hungry and likely in the throes of frenzy.

For character creation, players roll a 10-sided die to determine their starting blood pool, with the result indicating how many blood points the character begins with.

Conclusion

Freebie points represent a vital resource in Vampire: The Masquerade character creation, offering players the flexibility to customize their supernatural characters beyond initial allocations. Understanding how many points your character type receives, how to allocate them effectively across various traits, and how they differ from experience points is essential for creating compelling and mechanically sound vampire characters.

Whether you're creating a neonate vampire with 15 freebie points, an elder with additional points for Age, or a ghoul with 21 points to spend, strategic allocation of these resources can significantly impact your character's capabilities and role in chronicles. Remember to consider the costs of Disciplines, Backgrounds, and special options like Paths of Enlightenment when planning your character concept.

The balance between freebie points and experience points creates a system where character creation focuses on establishing a foundation, with in-game advancement following different cost structures. This distinction helps maintain game balance while allowing for meaningful character development over time.

Sources

1. Caerlon Freebie/XP Charts
2. Lian Anarchy Character Creation
3. Elder Character Creation
4. RPG Stack Exchange Free Points
5. White Wolf Freebie Point
6. Creating a Kindred Character