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Renegade Game Studios is about up the ante in the eternal struggle of the undead with Courts of the Damned, a new sourcebook for Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition. The supplement focuses on the complex web of Kindred politics, offering players and Storyteller new tools to help navigate the shadowy world of shifting alliances and blood-soaked betrayals.
The book is currently slated for release in August 2026, but you can pre-order a copy now from your local game store, the Renegade website and DriveThruRPG. Below, we sink our fangs into all the details.
What is Vampire: The Masquerade “Courts of the Damned”?
Courts of the Damned is a new supplement with an emphasis on political intrigue within the various vampire factions that inhabit White Wolf’s World of Darkness. The sourcebook includes:
- Player & Storyteller Guidance: Deep dives into how to build characters and settings specifically tailored for high-stakes political chronicles.
- The Hierarchy of the Night: Detailed advice for portraying powerful leaders like Princes, Primogen, Barons and Hierophants.
- Expanded Social Combat: New rules and options for social maneuvering and navigating faction hierarchies.
- Sect Dynamics: An overview of the internal and external feuds within the Anarch Movement, the Camarilla and various independent factions.
- Navigating Domains: Strategies for neonates and ancillae to eke out their own territory and autonomy in a world dominated by ancient elders.
How much is “Courts of the Damned”?
The hardcover edition is priced at $55.00 USD (plus shipping and handling). If you pre-order directly from Renegade Game Studios, you’ll also receive a free PDF copy of the book as soon as it launches. The PDF will also be available around that time via DriveThruRPG (although a price has not yet been confirmed).
When is “Courts of the Damned” coming out?
The book is currently schedule for release in August 2026. At that point it will be fully available online and a local game stores. (We’ll update this page with an exact date once it’s been confirmed).
Why we’re excited about “Courts of the Damned”
- Focus on Agency: Moving from being a “pawn” to a “player” is the most rewarding part of a long-term Vampire campaign. This book seems specifically designed to help players make that jump.
- Social Combat Upgrades: V5 already has a solid social conflict system, but the book suggests that we’ll see more tactical depth for non-combat characters.
- Global Perspectives: The book promises to look at how these political struggles repeat across the globe, which is great for groups playing in cities outside of the standard North American settings.
- Political campaigns: Running a politically-focused Chronicle can be extremely challenging for Storytellers, so the inclusion of new tools and advice feels like a welcome addition.
Final thoughts
Kindred society is built on a foundation of secrets and social leverage, and it has been explored in past books (most notably in 1996’s The Prince’s Primer, which remains arguably the definitive book on Kindred politics). It’s a subject, however, that we haven’t seen much of in Vampire: The Masquerade 5th edition, so this new release feels timely.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this book in the months ahead and will be provide a full review once we get our hands on it. In the meantime, you can pre-order Courts of the Damned now from your local game store, the Renegade website and DriveThruRPG.