NWoD vs oWoD
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On the surface, at least as far as the Kine are concerned, there is no real difference between the old World of Darkness and the new, but scratch the dark exterior and you'll find that things have changed quite a bit. In the old World of Darkness, the various supernatural denizens had more of a shared, global purpose or expectation. It involved constant, worldwide warfare between the different factions and the herald of the end of the world. And although it took twelve years for that end to come, it finally did with the end of the original World of Darkness (oWoD) series and the introduction of WoD 2.0 (nWoD).
Previously, every domain seemed to have at least one or two U.S. spanning organizations, and this model repeated over all countries even when it wasn't necessarily logical or consistent. In the new World of Darkness, the world is simply an exaggerated version of the worst, most base parts of our real society. It is a nastier and darker place, something out of a Stephen King or Ray Bradbury novel. Justice is elusive and criminals regularly walk free; government at all levels is riddled with corruption. The focus of the new World of Darkness (nWoD) is no longer an end of the world scenario, nor is there a complex metaplot about warring global organizations. Instead, the World of Darkness has returned to its roots as a game of personal horror.
Vampire
The first and perhaps most easy to understand change regarding the Kindred is the new Clan structure. Instead of the traditional thirteen Clans, there are now only five; however, there are innumerable bloodlines. These bloodlines are essentially sub-Clans of the great parent Clans, each with an additional Clan disciplines and weaknesses. The basic idea of the embrace remains - a Sire still generally chooses a Childe who fits the Clan archetype and the Childe still inherits the properties of blood from the Sire.
Covenants
The most significant change to Vampire is the addition of Covenants. In nWoD, the Camarilla is a thing of the past. What vague history of it is known indicates that it existed into late Roman times but then, much like the Roman Empire, collapsed. During Roman times, much of Europe and the known world was united under Roman leadership - after the fall of the Roman Empire, however, many new nations developed (such as the French, the British, the Prussians, the Austrian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Polish, etc.), each with their own agenda, at times forming alliances, at other times warring with each other. The five Covenants developed similarly from the Camarilla.
In some ways one could argue that the Camarilla and the Sabbat were but two Covenants, albeit large ones, entrenched in an eternal global struggle. Each of these factions had their own hierarchy and their own goals and agendas, much like today's Covenants. Since there is no longer an all-encompassing war, the kindreds' focus is now on local, personal politics and intrigues. Thus, different nWoD Covenants may live in peace with each other in one city while their counterparts in another domain engage in outright warfare.
There are some cities that only have one Covenant. There are also cities in which two Covenants have a presence, and then there are those in which all five are represented. How they relate to one another depends solely on the local situation and kindred.
It is important to keep in mind that while the Clan signifies a Kindred's heritage (similar to being French, German, Irish, British, etc. - except that the Kindred blood actually bestows certain qualities upon the vampire), the Covenant represents a chosen affiliation relating to the individual vampire's social, political, and/or religious beliefs. Politically minded Kindred will usually be found in either Invictus (old feudal structure) or the Carthian Movement (modern political or corporate structure); religious minded vampires in the Lancea Sanctum (Christian or Catholic Church) or Circle of the Crone (Pagans); and the scientific minded (or pseudo-scientific, as the case may be) in the Ordo Dracul.
Clan vs. Covenant
So, how do Clan and Covenant relate? I think of it this way - it is thoroughly possible for a person to be a proud American and a Democrat, while another person is also a proud American but a Republican. Both persons may find commonalities in their heritage (they are both proud to be Americans), but based on their political affiliation they may or may not get along and/or have wholly different world views and agendas.
Similar examples could be made with people of same race but different religion, or two persons of same nationality but where one believes clone-technology is the future and will solve all of mankind's problems, while the other - a devout Catholic - considers this blasphemy and a heresy to God.
It is similar with vampires, Clans and Covenants. They may come from a similar heritage, but with different political views. Take for example two Germans, both live in New York. They are in the same city, they share a common nationality and they may come together at a local German Club meeting, but that does not mean they like each other - in fact, they might not be able to stand each other because of different religious or political believes or affiliations. It is how they relate to each other based on these competing loyalties that makes for compelling stories.
Covenant Politics
As noted above, the new political and social structure of Vampire is far more complex than it used to be. Before, a vampire had a Clan and possibly a faction (Camarilla, Sabbath, or Independents) and the set up was always the same - the Camarilla and the Sabbath did not get along and there were no Camarilla/Sabbath joint ventures. This was the same in New York, London, Paris and Berlin. The only thing a little bit more flexible was the position of the Independents. So, in essence, oWoD corebooks defined how factions related to each other, leaving open only individual Clan politics.
nWoD is different. The Invictus may get along fine with the Lancea Sanctum in one city, they may even be tight allies in another and yet fierce enemies in the next town. The two most common questions associated with it are, (a) if the Covenants are so diverse, what are the ties that bind them? And, (b) how do Clans factor into this? With the focus on Covenants and their potentially intense politics, what significance does Clan status have? Is the position of Primogen (head of a Clan) now nigh useless?
It sounds complex. It is and it is supposed to be. Fortunately, nWoD is flexible enough to provide the option of concepts that can largely stay out of politics. Take the Ordo Dracul for example, that consists of three parts: the Sworn of the Axe (the Order’s standing army), the Sworn of the Dying Light (the Order’s researchers) and the Sworn of the Mysteries (the Order’s politicians). Similar examples could be made about most other Covenants. Priests and Inquisitors of the Lancea Sanctum, for example, rarely dabble directly in politics. They much rather prefer taking care of the religious matters within a city.
However, those who wish to actively engage in Vampire politics will find a much more fierce, complex and diverse arena than it used to be. Generally spoken, the city is the glue that holds everything together. If Vampires were the only supernaturals in existence, odds are they would inevitably turn on each other. However, they are not. They must be strong and stand at least somewhat united to survive – for if they do not, their territories will inevitably be overrun by Werewolves and Mages, and they will be hunted down by Inquisition and other hunters or exterminated by enemies such as VII or Belial’s Brood.
Ties that bind
Common threads might not keep Kindred from arguing or playing games of one up-man ship, but it can force them to co-exist relatively peacefully in the same city and prevent violent conflicts that would potentially weaken everyone and make the Kindred vulnerable to outside threats. Personal power is an important factor as well, and making friends and allies outside one’s own Covenant can not only be beneficial but an actual matter of survival since vampires tend to make enemies during their journeys over the centuries. Furthermore, should a young and upcoming member of the own Covenant threaten a vampire’s position, the vampire may not get much assistance from his/her own Covenant, but can turn to outside allies for instance. This is also where the Clan often come into play.
Argumentatively, the Ventrue – as a Clan - likely prefer a Ventrue as archbishop of the Lancea Sanctum. Should a Mekhet start threatening the position of the Ventrue archbishop, (s)he always could turn to his/her Clanmates for assistance. Similarly, the Primogen of Clan Mekhet - who is member of the Invictus - could demand for his/her Clanmate to stop moving against the Ventrue archbishop to prevent a fallout between Mekhet and Ventrue within the Invictus.
The emphasis of nWoD’s Vampire politics is that there is no single position - not even that of the Prince - that guarantees ultimate power within a city with no risk of being toppled. Taking abode’s example again, the Primogen of Clan Mekhet - an Invictus - orders his Clanmate, a Mekhet who is member of the Lancea Sanctum, to stop moving against the current archbishop. This is well within his power as Primogen. However, the aspiring Sanctified Mekhet may not be happy with this decision and now use his influence within the Lancea Sanctum to compromise the Primogen, other Mekhet of other Covenants may grow concerned about this direct intervention in Covenant politics of their Primogen. The Primogen better have strong allies of his own now to weather the storm.
The other option is to stay out of politics as much as possible. Say, the Gangrel Primogen greatly dislikes the city politics. She is, however, a kindred of great physical power or provides over some rare talent and declared her loyalty to the Prince. The Prince knows she is probably among the best legbreakers in the city and values that he can count on her, thus in return of her loyalty awards her a domain at the outskirts of the city. The Gangrel still visit’s the occasional events of the city, but thanks to her own power, her position as Primogen of a Clan, support of the Prince and lack of too many enemies by staying out of political machinations, she has little to fear and knows few kindred will dare meddle with her or drag her into politics against her will, for her retribution would be swift and violent and worse yet - sanctioned by the cities ruler.
Clans
There are now only five Clans (but innumerable Bloodlines) and some of them are new - like the Mekhet - while others share commonalities with their oWoD counterparts, albeit with some significant differences:
Daeva - the Daeva are somewhat reminiscent of oWoD’s Toreador except they gravitate more towards physical perfection and desire and, as sensualists, suffer a great deal from the emotional death that the embrace brings. Their Clan specific weakness is that they lose willpower for not indulging their vice.
Gangrel - Gangrel are relatively similar to their oWoD counterpart in the aspect that they are still savage and primal creatures, but really are more like a combination of oWoD‘s Gangrel and Brujah. Their focus has moved, however, from being largely rural to simply understanding and embracing their bestial nature. Their Clan specific weakness is that they do not re-roll 10s and subtract natural ones from successes on mental dice rolls based on their stronger connection to the beast.
Mekhet - the Mekhet do not have a direct counterpart in oWoD - although, some do argue they are vaguely reminiscent of the Assamites. Mekhet are not necessarily assassins, though, although they can be. They are masters of shadows and subterfuge, omnipresent and unseen. Their Clan specific weakness is that they suffer one additional point of aggravated damage from fire and sunlight.
Nosferatu - Clan Nosferatu, like its oWoD counterparts, is made up of social outcasts who often find it hard to blend into mortal society. They no longer are necessarily ugly but their weakness is based on the Clan wielding fear like a blade and thus unnerving others - Kindred and Kine alike. They are kings of fear and terror by blood and this inhuman air can cause them to have horrible disfigurements, terrible scents, a disturbing voice, or simply a menacing aura. Their Clan specific weakness is that they do not re-roll 10s and subtract 1s from successes on social rolls.
Ventrue - the Ventrue have changed the least and are still very similar to their oWoD counterpart. They remain sophisticated lords and masters of the night. The primary difference now is that they no longer suffer a food restriction as automatic weakness. Their new weakness is related to their unquenchable thirst for power, which slowly corrodes their moral bearings. Thus, they are more prone to gaining derangements when they suffer a loss of Humanity.
* See also Vampire:_The_Requiem/owod.
