Independent clan

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In Vampire: The Masquerade, the Independent Clans are those major clans that claim descent from Caine but are not part of either the Camarilla or Sabbat. The clans were introduced in the first edition Vampire Player's Guide and have been expanded since. The four clans are the Giovanni, Followers of Set, Assamite and Ravnos clans. As of the Revised Edition, the Gangrel are independent as well, its elders having formally severed the clan's ties with the Camarilla.

Each clan's reason for independence varies: in the case of the Assamites and Giovanni, there are specific deals with the Camarilla that guarantee autonomy. The Followers of Set just weren't interested, and the Ravnos never participated in any party they couldn't crash first. Each clan also has certain eccentricities that seperate them from the mainstream of Cainite culture - the Followers of Set, Ravnos and Assamites all view Cainite vampires with a certain degree of disdain, and the Ravnos and Assamites are effectively tips of an iceberg. There are far more Ravnos and Assamite vampires in their home territory and their structure is more complex there, not least because of a relative lack of Cainite competition in the area. As for the Giovanni, their goals are largely orthogonal to Cainite society and they are just as happy to be left alone.

In first edition VtM, each clan had a novel clan discipline (the first actual clan disciplines); later editions added clan specific Paths of Enlightenment as well.