In the vampire legends of Greece, the monsters would most often feast upon the blood of men (and children) as they slept. This was an effective way to feed, for it was possible that the vampire's victims may never even know that anything had happened to them. And if a victim may grow sick and die from the loss of blood, the real murderer may never be found. Kindred continue this practice in modern nights, referred to most commonly as Sandmen.
There's something about the practice of feeding from prey while they're at their weakest that is vile and insidious. They take advantage of a victim while they are at their most vulnerable, letting them lower their defenses before moving in. If they should happen to be conscious when the Sandman is ready to feed... well, there are ways to MAKE them fall asleep. We see this represented in the rules by the vampire being able to take a specialization in Medicine (Anesthetics). The other specialty option is Stealth (Break-ins), though I would amend that to be Larceny instead. This really shows the likelihood of the vampire having to invade their victim's place of residence to feed. Something of a humorous addition is the inclusion of a dot of Resources. I think the designers were intending to suggest that the vampire steal valuables from the homes of those upon which they feed.
Gain one dot of Auspex or Obfuscate. That makes sense too. A Sandman with Auspex might be able to perceive the conscious state of their potential victims before making the decision to enter a house or room. With Obfuscate the vampire can (obviously) more easily enter and move around in their potential victim's home. More than some other Predator types, these options are perfectly in line with the practices of a Sandman.
Character Concepts:
The Boogeyman, who feeds from children and maintains a few that he returns to often; The Plague, who keeps their very existence a secret from mortals, hoping the results of their feeding are mistaken for illness; The Self-Conscious Neonate, who lacks the confidence to seduce or manipulate conscious victims so they feed from the sleeping instead; The Hypnotist, who uses vampiric powers to put their victims to sleep before feeding from them; The Nightmare Bringer, who uses disciplines or whispers to encourage fear in their sleeping victim before feeding, the better to convince them that it was all a bad dream.
Roleplaying Tips:
The Sandman may see this as the most humane way to feed from their victims, sparing them the fear and pain of being fed upon while conscious. Think about how this shapes the vampire's morality.
Sometimes its not anesthesia but fists that put people to sleep.
Building on that, what if the vampire claims blood from their unconscious victim as a show of dominance over a fallen foe?
Perhaps a vampire may become attached to their victims, watching over them to protect them from the dangers that they may never know about?
Have you played a Sandman that you'd like to tell us about? Send us a message or comment below!