While the dark appeal of vampire fiction has technically drawn in gothic horror fans for centuries,Vampire: The Masqueradehas successfully translated the concept into the tabletop RPGs format. With more bloodsucking creatures of the night finding prominent roles in media during recent years, the only other franchise of a similar status currently is the ever-growingCastlevania. Both series are giants in their respective mediums despite their vast differences, but their overlapping themes and lore would make a crossover withVampire: The Masqueradeonly natural.
As an action-heavy video game series versus a narrative-driven TTRPG, these IPs contrast each other as two pillars of long-running vampire media. A resurgence in recent years throughNetflix’sCastlevaniaseriesand several guest appearances in games have seen the Konami property grow in profile, whileVTMhas kept up consistent releases which could support a new sourcebook based on a different take from an expanded mythos.
Castlevania’s Recent Slew of Tie-Ins Shouldn’t Miss Out on Vampire: The Masquerade
Uniting Two Enduring Gothic Legacies
Delivering atmospheric tales of the Belmont clan’s struggle against Dracula since the 1980s,Castlevaniahas maintained a role as a hallmark of an entire genre. After having characters featured inDead by Daylight’sCastlevaniachapterand an entire major content pack forVampire Survivors, it’s safe to say that this franchise has kept up relevance in the modern age through adapting to new developments. Between a wide backlog of games across console generations and a Netflix show that’s still running,Castlevaniacontinues to keep vampires in the spotlight.
Of all the different approaches to lore in all interpretations,VTMhas potentially maintained the richest and most comprehensive version of a backstory for vampires. With ancient origins from Caine and many clans who have since been derived from that starting point, the franchise has combined elements of everything fromBram Stoker’s Draculato Anne Rice’s novels. If yet another take on vampire storytelling gets folded into the World of Darkness, it could provide a welcome boost to its mainstream appeal.
A Castlevania-Inspired Sourcebook for Vampire: The Masquerade Has Two Obvious Routes to Take
Netflix’s Ongoing Castlevania: Nocturne Lore Provides Recognizable Inspiration
As the successful sequel to the original run of the series,Castlevania: Nocturne’s 1792 settingoffers a wealth of reference points forVTMto interpret. Political turmoil in 18th century Europe is rife with the kind of drama which is meant to driveMasquerade’s intrigue, and cast members like Richter, Annette, or Alucard could be reimagined as NPCs in the context of RPG mechanics. ExistingVTMsupplements likeIn Memoriamhave already explored the depth of historical flashbacks in past mortal eras, so the prospect of a period piece is nothing new to the IP. The internal struggle of a centuries-old Alucard alone, for example, is a conflict ripe for the typical drama that Kindred tend to encounter. Depending on how the timeline is leveraged, there is even a chance for compelling interplay between past and present through immortalCastlevaniacharacters who make it into current day.
The Broader History of Castlevania is a Deep Well of Source Material
The franchise’s documented eras span from the medieval adventures ofSimon Belmont to the future of Soma Cruz inCastlevania, leaving plenty of timeframes to explore even outside the basis of the Netflix adaptation. The varying takes on Dracula’s influence in these different scenarios provide enough angles for several new vampire clans that could explain the crossover, or even new hunter archetypes based on the Belmonts. Alternatively, if a narrative closer to Dracula’s backstory itself ends up being depicted, the Brotherhood of Light could be an option.
