Shovelheads can be almost any age.
During times of open war with other Vampire groups, the Sabbat will grab pretty much anyone off the street and mass-convert them to Vampires. These brand-new recruits are disposable cannon fodder, not given the respect due to a true Brother or Sister of the Sabbat. There is no honoriffic to address them by, they are merely called "Hey you" or "Shovelhead". They are known as Shovelheads because they are often tested by being whacked on the head with a shovel and knocked unconscious soon after being embraced, then buried in a shallow grave. Those who are strong enough to claw their way to the surface, half-mad with blood frenzy, are considered good enough to be used as foot soldiers against the enemies of the Sabbat. Those who don't make it are merely fertillizer.
In the rare case that a Shovelhead survives their first few fights, they may end up joining the Sabbat as a full Brother or Sister and begin their climb up the ranks. But many of them end up defecting to the Anarchs instead.
Behind the Scenes[]
The term comes from the White Wolf game "Vampire: The Masquerade".