Predator: Bagger


Well, here's a Predator-type that appears to be in confusion about the fact that they're a predator. The Bagger is a vampire whose primary means of feeding is to take their blood from already collected sources such as blood bags (hence the name). This takes a lot of the visceral reality away from the act of hunting and feeding, and Storytellers should be mindful of this when running scenes for their Bagger PCs.
The characters that chooses to feed from bagged blood could tell the story of a person who is at odds with their Beast. Perhaps a person had a particularly violent frenzy in the past that forced them to confront the true amount of damage they are capable of, and they've chose to turn away from it. Perhaps a vampire that views blood drinking like addiction, struggling every day to keep the Beast chained up inside them. The Bagger could be a vampire that is having trouble accepting who and what they are.
Reading the Enemy Flaw that is given, this Predator-type also lends itself well to a character that may not PREFER to be drinking from bags but is forced to do so for some other reason. Perhaps the Bagger is a secret embrace, who must be careful not to feed in public lest they attract the attention of other Kindred (thereby bringing down the Prince's rule on them and/or their sire). Maybe the vampire is a spy in a foreign domain, not wanting to draw attention to themselves by feeding from the same supply as their quarry.
The Bagger is most likely a person accustomed to having to steal or pay for their meal, represented by their Specialty in Larceny or Streetwise. Furthermore, they will gain a level of Obfuscate, indicating the need for them to sneak around. Of course, a Tremere may instead take a level of Blood Sorcery, showing their focus on the study of the blood in general. Personally, I would let most players take that dot in Blood Sorcery instead. Or at least, I would let the Banu Haqim, and anyone else with a backstory that talks about magic, have the option of taking it.

Character Concepts:
The Parent/Teacher, who sees their child's face in the face of every victim, therefore choosing not to feed from people if at all possible; The Pacifist, who never took to violence and sees no reason to do so now; The Forced Embrace, who doesn't want to put others through what they went through in being fed from; The Clean Freak, who is put off by the potential "messiness" of traditional feeding; The Addict, who knows that if they give the Beast an inch, it will take a mile.

Some Roleplaying Tips:
Playing on the Addict archetype, consider what happens when you "fall of the wagon," and feed upon a living, breathing human for the first time in however long. This reminds me, in a sense, of the binge/purge cycle that some people will fall into. With a vampire, that binge is going to look a lot more... messy.
As a Storyteller, be prepared to really drive home those feelings of depravity, degradation, shame, fear, self-loathing, etc that may come up when a Bagger is looking for their meal. Remember that horror is a central aspect of the game, and just because a person isn't actively feeding from humans doesn't mean that there's no horror in their action.


If you have any interesting takes on the Bagger Predator-type, please share with us!