Rules Entries
These Rules are also viewable in House Rules, but this page is a collection of everything in one single place.
Rules Changes and Clarifications
The following topics are areas where we've needed to depart from the books or clarify our stands on them. The most updated version of each will be available on game by using "+rules" for a listing, or "+rules <insert name of topic>".
General
Mortal+
Mummy
Alphabetical List with Text
Ability Aptitude
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Merits that directly reduce the difficulty of an ability roll (such as Ability Aptitude) do not apply to supernatural powers using that ability roll, unless the merit specifically says that it does. Merely being classified as a 'supernatural merit' or similar is insufficient.
f* A changeling doesn't need a power to create a chimerical item, nor does a wraith need a power to soulforge an item in the Shadowlands, so those are unaffected. |
Abyss Mysticism
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Restricted to: Lasombra with Road of the Abyss, Road of Night, or a descendant of one of those Roads, or Path of Evil Revelations if the infernal entity's ultimate goal is to plunge the world into Abyssal darkness Not a separate discipline, but an extension of Obtenebration.
References: |
Ahku
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Restricted to: Followers of Set Treated as "out of clan" for purposes of chargen (requires freebies) and XP costs, unless targeted by Additional Discipline merit. Secondary paths have no restrictions beyond XP cost. Anyone who has wraith sight active, and successfully detects Ahku via Awareness, will detect that a soul is being tortured. This may lead to risk escalation.
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Alternate Arcanoi
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Alternate arcanoi arts:
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Alternate Identity
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This rule covers alternate/fake identities that are backed up by physical ID cards and/or paper/electronic records and/or NPCs who already believe you (as opposed to just lying on the spot and rolling Subterfuge). If you just switched mortal identities as part of your backstory, then you can just handwave that it succeeded. (Example: A vampire periodically creates a new identity, then fakes the death of the old one.) If it ever becomes relevant, staff will work with you to establish details. The Alternate Identity merit (3 dots, Guide to the Camarilla 76) is for presenting an alternate identity to a supernatural faction and thus passing as a member of that faction.
The Alternate Identity background (1 to 5 dots, The Bitter Road 113) is for presenting an alternate identity to mortal society. Mundane research into the supporting paperwork requires Intelligence + Investigation vs (3 + background level) to identify it as fake. If you just have a physical fake ID created by a PC with Forgery, then a +note is sufficient. Any fake ID not supported on +sheet is assumed to be of this type. Mundane examination of the physical ID requires Perception + Investigation (resisted by the original Forgery creation roll) to identify it as fake. NPCs will only investigate these things if they're prodded by a PC or have some other specific reason to do so. (Example: if you get a speeding ticket, then the officer will run your driver's license through some routine processing, whether it's real or fake.) |
Animal Ghoul Retainers
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All Ghoul notes require approval. |
Apocalyptic Form
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Appearing Human
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One of the more low-key down sides of being a vampire is falling into the Uncanny Valley. You still look and move pretty much like a human, but slightly /wrong/, and mortals may notice (even if only subconsciously). The lower your Humanity, the worse this gets. It's possible to socialize with mortals and still maintain the Masquerade (obviously), but it requires some effort. VtM 134: "Vampires with low Humanity acquire unnatural and disturbing features like sunken eyes, perpetual snarls and bestial countenances." VtM 138-139: "...display certain corpselike features; for instance, their skin is unnaturally cold and ashen, and they do not breathe." Appearing more human for a scene costs (8 minus Humanity) blood points; vampires with Humanity 8+ can do it for free, while vampires on a Path of Enlightenment can't do it at all. (+request if you think a specific Path should be an exception to the latter.) VtM 286: "...a Path follower is treated as though he has a Humanity score of 3 when using the rules for interacting with mortals." VtM 136: "Humanity 3-2 ... Vampires at this stage may be physically /mistaken/ for human, but don't count on it."
PCs attempting to notice this about a vampire should roll Perception + Alertness, resisted by the vampire's Manipulation + Empathy (or Masquerade at -1 diff).
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Arcane
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The Arcane background makes you harder for others to notice/track. As this affects such a basic aspect of existence, and has led to a great deal of confusion in practice, there are extensive house rules. It is vitally important that you be familiar with these rules before taking Arcane, or dealing with someone else who has taken it. Due to length, these house rules are split up into sections:
References: |
Arcane Clarifications
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Does not affect other PCs unless you OOCly inform them of your Arcane during the scene in question.
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Arcane Concepts
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Concepts:
"Tend to" means sometimes, not always, not never. |
Arcane Game Mechanics
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Game mechanics:
Example: A shifter targets you with Sense of the Prey gift, but you have Arcane.
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Arcane Races
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Arcane may be taken by mages, mummies, sorcerers/psychics, bygones, and mortals, but no other race/subrace.
Arcane affects all others, regardless of their race or subrace.
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Arcanoi
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Arcanoi: (Some of these are based on Buried Secrets pages 22-24.)
See also: Alternate Arcanoi |
Arete
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Normally, a Seeking is required for a mage to increase their Arete. Instead, we limit the rate at which mages can raise Arete above 3, per +rules minimum time. Additionally, buying up Arete has the following costs:
A mage who studies a Grimoire/Principia can raise Arete sooner, see +rules grimoire for details. As Awakening can take you straight to Arete 2 or 3 (MtA 124), we only time-limit raising Arete above 3. If you retire a mage with Arete 4+, then you may raise a new mage's Arete faster, effectively one or two levels lower on the usual +rules minimum time chart:
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Autonomy
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We don't allow PCs to reduce permanent Autonomy below 4. Temporary Autonomy can drop to 0. If it would drop below 0, then 1 permanent Autonomy is converted to 10 temporary Autonomy to make up the difference. If permanent Autonomy drops below Willpower, then Willpower is dropped to match. Kami do not have Autonomy. For the purpose of die rolls involving Autonomy (e.g. Spirit Kinship, Fading, Urges), we treat kami as if they have Autonomy of 6 permanent / 0 temporary. * They cannot raise Autonomy with XP, nor lower it to gain powers or remove taints. * Anything else that affects Autonomy also affects these effective values, e.g. a Kami with Consecrated 2 would have effective Autonomy of 5 permanent / 5 temporary. |
Avatar Storm
Same as +rules maelstrom
Awareness
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Awareness may not be available to all races and anything non-standard will have to have staff approval. These rules apply to rolling Awareness to detect the use of a supernatural power.
See Also: Sniping |
Awareness Demons
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This partly overrides DtF 172.
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Awareness Difficulties
"Level" is the level of the power being used: If you have Auspex 5 but you're only using Spirit's Touch (Auspex 3), that's level 3.
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Awareness Results
Understanding the nature of powers requires the appropriate Lore at 3.
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Awareness Timing
Countermagic (active on-the-fly counter-effects, e.g. mages and some sorcerers) In combat:
Extended actions (usually out of combat):
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Awareness Triggers
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Awareness vs Kenning
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Kenning may be substituted for Awareness, but at +2 difficulty unless the effect being detected is a cantrip, or fae-adjacent (e.g. Chimerstry, Mytherceria). Awareness may not be substituted for any of the other things that Kenning does. |
Banality
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Perceiving Banality:
Temporary Banality:
Things that increase temporary Banality: (+gain temp banality) (CtD 152-153)
Things that decrease temporary Banality: (+lose temp banality) (CtD 153)
Miscellaneous:
See also: |
Banality by Race
See Also:
The Mists |
Birthrights
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Blood Bond
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Blood bonding a PC requires the vampire to directly provide the blood to a specific victim. There are no mass or accidental blood bonds. The Vampire must be physically present to blood bond a victim.
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Blood Bond Immunity By Race
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Shifters (Werewolf Storyteller's Handbook 197, G:FA 23) - Roll the shifter's Gnosis vs 3. On a success, they're allergic to vitae, violently vomiting it back up before it takes effect, and must roll for frenzy. On a failure or botch, they have a tolerance for vitae and are thus subject to being bonded. Either way, they should set a +note and ask staff to approve it, and this result will be reused for any future attempts. Demons/Thralls - Blood bonds are emotional in nature, and do not compel the bound person to any direct, specific action. Thus, per +rules mind control, demon-style immunity to mind control does not block blood bonds. This takes precedence over Demon Storytellers Companion 67. Possessed - The spirit part of a possessed is immune to blood bonding. The lower their Autonomy, the more influential the spirit part is. Mummies (MtR 146) - Mummies may be blood bound, but if ordered to do something that violates Ma'at, they may still resist per Strength of Conviction (MtR 141-142); success breaks the blood bond and prevents that vampire from bonding that mummy ever again. Hunters (The Nocturnal 96) - Hunters are immune. |
Blood Bond Levels
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A level 1 bond inspires friendliness. The victim will look upon you favorably and hear what you have to say. They might want to hang out in the future but they're not going to go out of their way for you. If you act creepy, a level 1 bond is not going to compel someone to get into your car. A level 2 bond inspires strong positive feelings. The victim would want to date you if it were an option. Like an ally, they're willing to occasionally accept a moderate inconvenience for your benefit. They still have their own life and responsibilities and they won't drop everything for you. They think of you often and look forward to seeing you. A level 3 bond inspires obsession. The victim has great difficulty not thinking about you. They will take risks with their responsibilities to make you happy. If shunned, they will likely have an extreme reaction ranging from despondency to violence. Long-standing level 3 bonds in a negative relationship have resulted in the suicide of the victim and/or the final death of the vampire.
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Blood Bond Removal
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A blood bond (even level 3) fades by 1 level if the victim neither sees nor feeds from the vampire for (12 - victim's Willpower) months. This includes ghouls. (VtM 221, G:FA 30) Blood bonds on PCs (documented in an approved +note) are assumed to be maintained at their current level until/unless one PC dies, retires, or notifies staff of a change in the situation. If the vampire is OOC offline for at least a month and the victim submits a request about it, it's assumed that their last IC contact was the vampire's last OOC login.
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Blood Magic
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All blood magic is restricted, unless explicitly stated otherwise. (+rules buying disciplines)
See also:
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Buying Disciplines
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<< Common Disciplines >>
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Bygone Misc
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This is just a few high points. For more info on powers, see Bygone Powers Wiki Page
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Changeling Damage
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Because Changeling does not have a revised edition, staff has made a house ruling for soaking chimerical and normal damage. This puts Fae at parity with other races. Normal Soaking: Changelings can soak Bashing and Lethal damage. They can not soak Aggravated damage. Chimerical Soaking: Changelings can soak Bashing and Lethal chimerical damage. They can not soak Aggravated chimerical damage. |
Changeling Misc
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Chantry
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A group of PCs may establish themselves as a named group. This is set on +sheet as Home Base Name, and comes with +hbchat which works much like the standard channel system (OOC by default).
See also: +help +homebase (or +help +chantry) and Home Base. |
Chargen
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Clarifications and House Rules for character creation. General
Changeling
Demon
Mage
Mortal+
Shifter
Vampire
Wraith
Bygone
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Chimerical Items
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These house rules extend and clarify the canon rules from CtD 219 and Dreams and Nightmares 119-122. Chimerical items with special effects:
Chimerical armor or melee weapons with no special effects:
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Combat
See Also: +help +equip |
Combination Disciplines
Individual clarifications:
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Dailies
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Often, a PC will want to declare ICly doing something once a day (or night for vampires). This may involve spending and/or rolling something. It may only be relevant once in a while (e.g. Deflection of Wooden Doom when someone tries to stake a vampire). The typical approach is to set a +note, get it approved by staff, then whenever it's relevant, do any required rolls/etc. after the fact.
If canon says that a specific thing happens when it botches (e.g. activating a vampire-created fetish), not just the general 'ST may get creative', then you must either (a) have a dice pool at least as high as the difficulty, or (b) spend a Willpower for an auto-success (limit 1 per day as noted below). If it requires spending a pool stat, then it must not exceed the rate at which you can regain that stat via routine effort. Also, you should deduct your dailies when determining how much you have available to spend during a specific scene, unless you declared at the start of the scene that you skipped some or all of them that day.
If the goal is to stockpile something (e.g. blood stored using Principal Focus of Vitae Infusion), then you may handwave that each roll gets the average number of successes. If something happens that would prevent you from doing your dailies (being torpored, locked up without needed tools, etc.), then it does prevent you from doing them. |
Degeneration
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Vampires, ghouls, and mortals have a Humanity rating (Path Rating on +sheet). If they do Bad Things, they risk losing Humanity. For convenience, here's a summary of how this works.
The ST should warn you that an action risks Humanity loss, and give you a chance to change your mind. (If there's no ST, go with player consensus.) If you still take the action: (VtM 221)
For Paths of Enlightenment, the Paths page on the wiki shows where to find your chart. |
Demon Lores
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This rule mostly covers how demon powers interact with people who are neither demons nor pure mortals. For anything using one game mechanic for demons and another for mortals, treat all non-demons as mortals, unless an exception is listed below. For anything referring to demon-style immunity to mind control, see +rules mind control.
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Demon Misc
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Difficulty
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Domitors
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The Domitor house rules do not exactly match the canon concept or game mechanics from G:FA 71. They're intentionally altered to put ghouls with PC/NPC domitors and revenants all on an equal footing. All ghouls must have Domitor set on their sheet. This may be set to NPC.
Raising disciplines above 1 requires "Domitor (background)".
(These caps were derived by replacing the Generation ratings from G:FA 82 with the corresponding caps from G:FA 71, using the more generous option for Subrace:Ghoul.) See also: Multiclass |
Drive
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Having a dot in an ability means that you have a skill, talent, or knowledge that not everyone has. In the U.S., just about everyone can drive a car, so we don't require a dot in Drive to be able to drive. This goes for both automatic and manual transmission vehicles and anything that doesn't require a special license, including rentable moving trucks. Some things that will require Drive:
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Dross
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Staff has implemented a new background for Changelings called: Dross. This background is a measure of a PC's chimerical wealth. This stat will be equivalent to the same level of: Resources, but for buying minor chimerical goods. A player can spend xp to buy Dross as per +rules XP Costs. This Dross can be destroyed to release its Glamour, provided that the Glamour is immediately used in a cantrip (CtD 216). Up to 1 point of Glamour per dot per month can be released this way. Mages can use Dross as Tass with a heavy dynamic / anti-restrictive resonance. This does not cover chimerical weapons, armor, or items with magic effects:
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Dur-an-ki
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Restricted to: Assamite sorcerers (must declare during chargen, set Type = Sorcerer) and Shango Secondary paths must be lower than your primary path until you reach Dur-An-Ki 5. Path powers:
Rituals:
Paths overlapping with Thaumaturgy:
Assamite sorcerers may learn other blood magic with a teacher, but:
References: |
Faith
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Demon Faith, not True Faith. The following start with Faith:3:
See Also:
Demon Misc |
Fera
'See also: +rules fera breeds |
Fera Breeds
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Ananasi
Bastet
Corax
Gurahl
Kitsune
Nuwisha
Ratkin
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Frenzy
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Vampires, see +rules vampire frenzy Shifters: (WtA 190-191) |
Generation
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On City of Hope staff feel that vampires should have a chance to lower their generation via xp. It is up to the individual player to decide on how to rp out this change. Keep in mind that it's a significant faux pas for any vampire to disclose their generation. This is still Diablerie and you still have all the downsides that that entails
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Ghoul Retainers
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Standard Ghouls (From WW2300/276): Trusted Valet - Balanced
Ghoul Bodyguard - Protection
Custom Ghouls Ghoul Stats can be customized by reallocating Attributes or Abilities. Like those above, no Attributes or Abilities should be above 4. Custom ghouls should be oriented toward serving a distinct role other than the two above: Balanced and Protection. Stat reallocations should clearly support that. NPC servants created by a PC using magic (e.g. Ushabti, Bakemono Rite) count as magic items (+rules magical items) instead of Retainers. Other Races Other types of retainers will generally be allowed if they make IC sense for the PC. Each NPC gets two power slots. Each of the following occupies one slot:
See also: |
Ghouls
See Also:
Cgen |
Grimoire
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A Grimoire/Principia (Forged by Dragon's Fire pages 65-71) may help a mage raise Arete and/or spheres.
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Holdings
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Holdings background:
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Home Base
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A group of PCs may establish themselves as a named group. This is set on +sheet as Home Base Name, and comes with +hbchat which works much like the standard channel system (OOC by default).
See also: +help +homebase (or +help +chantry) and Home Base. |
Horizon Realms
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A chantry can acquire a Horizon Realm by investing in the Chantry background and using it to support the Sanctum. They can create a new one or find an existing gateway (see below). An individual can acquire a personal Horizon Realm by buying the Sanctum background directly, but only if they create a new one. The level of Sanctum determines the size of the realm. All magic cast there is coincidental or vulgar according to the realm's local rules (provided it doesn't reach outside the realm during casting). The Sanctum must be anchored by one or more nodes (communal and/or personal) whose total level equals or exceeds the Sanctum level; this ties up half their Quintessence and Tass production, rounded up (+rules nodes). Creating or increasing the size of a Realm works like creating or increasing the power of a node, except it requires Spirit 5 Matter 4 Prime 4. Finding a gateway to a Realm just requires buying the background, subject to same restrictions as finding a node. Traveling to or from a Realm requires an ongoing Spirit 4 Correspondence 4 effect, or alternatively each traveler can cast Spirit 3 each time (but can't bring anyone else with them). For the purpose of these rules, Dimensional Science can be substituted for Spirit.
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Hunter Misc
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Second Sight (HtR 132) is limited by +rules sniping as usual. If sniping is justified, then it identifies a target as a 'monster' (neither mortal nor hunter), though not what type, including bypassing supernatural illusions (e.g. Obfuscate) and seeing wraiths. Reactive Conviction (HtR 133) requires succeeding at a passive Awareness check per +rules awareness. Exposure' (HtR 122) doesn't overlap with Lores (+rules lores). It can justify the 'At Lore 0' clause, and also provide details on more unusual creatures (e.g. Urban Legends 91-102). Conviction/virtues/edges can be raised with XP, replacing trading extra Conviction for virtues (HPG 86). Gaining your first edge at a new level is limited per +rules minimum time. Judgment 3 (Balance) (HtR 161) also affects the target's magic items for the duration, even if they give one to someone else afterward. True Faith is allowed (HPG 97-99). Other supernatural merits are generally disallowed. |
Hunters versus Others
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Hunters vs vampires:
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Implicit Game Mechanics
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Game mechanics, in canon as well as these house rules, are not exhaustive. They're not intended to be. Exhaustive rules would be long and unreadable. Non-exhaustive rules allow gaps to be filled in if/when needed. How to deal with a gray area in the rules:
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In Public
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Prospect is a city of millions and all those people have to be somewhere. Everywhere you go, there will be citizens doing their things. What follows are guidelines to determine whether or not there are people at your location:
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Increasing Lores
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Lores are counted as primary Knowledges and can be purchased with XP if ICly justified. If the lore would have been free in chargen XP spends (even above the free level) do not require IC justification. If you choose to start with a lower value (including 0), or your race or sub-race changes after chargen or you buy a relevant merit (e.g. Lore Vampire after someone ghouls you):
If you choose to chargen with a higher value, your first 1-3 dots can come out of baseline (doesn't require freebies unless your baseline runs out) and free dots are added afterward.
This applies to all lores for which you get zero free dots, including taking it in chargen (indicating that you increased it in backstory). Non-exhaustive list of how to justify learning other lores:
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Infernalist
AKA Nephandi
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Book of Madness covers Nephandi (whose goal is to destroy the world) in chapter 1 and Infernalists (whose goal is to gain power over the world) in chapter 3, but chapter 1 also uses the term 'Infernalist' inconsistently. Chapter 1 breaks Nephandi down into these sub-groups:
Chapter 3:
We interpret 'Infernal Malfeans' as b), 'Infernal Nephandi' as a), other uses of 'Infernal' as either a) or d) based on context. All of these PCs can get Investments:
For a) and d), the 'demon' may in fact be a DtF demon, in which case it's a Ravener NPC or PC (or a badly misinformed PC of another faction). We do not use Qlippothic spheres. See also: |
Influence
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Influence uses the categories from Laws of the Night 96-104, documented using +notes:
PCs can +request to use Influence for the types of actions listed, based on a monthly cap. Example: A PC with Influence (Bureaucracy) 2 could pull strings to acquire one fake driver's license per month, or trace two utility bills per month. Some actions may have broad long-term effects, e.g. a PC with Influence (Political) 4 gets the city council to alter the laws against vandalism. Staff will maintain a central list of such effects and take them into account when relevant. Each PC may have a total of up to 5 dots in Influence, allocated to as many or few categories as desired (e.g. Underworld 5, or Underworld 3 + Media 2, but not Underworld 5 + Media 5; for that, you need two PCs working together).
PCs can also allocate some of their Influence to various types of endeavors and modifiers, based on Dark Epics 64-69. See 'Influence' on wiki for details. |
Instruction
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Players with the secondary talent Instruction may teach abilities to other players for an XP discount:
References:
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Jack of All Trades
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We use the 3-dot version of this merit from Players Guide to Garou 163: "You have a little knowledge about a lot of things. If making a roll on a Skill you do not possess, you do not suffer the usual +1 penalty to the roll's difficulty. You may attempt a roll on a Knowledge that you do not possess, although the difficulty on the roll is raised by 2. Only homid or metis characters may take this Merit."
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Kinain
We do not use the rules from Changeling: the Enchanted.
Characters that wish to be kinain in addition to something else must take this merit: Although your character is not a changeling, they've got their heritage running through their veins - literally. This merit allows the character to walk in the Dreaming as if they were Fae themselves. While doing so exposes the character to chimerical attack, it also opens them to a new and wondrous world. Their Banality is also quite low (typically two to five) and their presence is often welcome in the courts of the Fae. Naturally, this sort of gift carries an obligation to play Faerie politics. Nevertheless, it can be a wondrous game. This merit also allows the character immunity to the effects of the mists. (pg. 296 MtA Revised)
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Kinfolk
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Koldunic Sorcery
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Restricted to: Old Clan Tzimisce (must declare during chargen, set Clan = Old-Clan-Tzimisce) Secondary paths have no restrictions beyond XP cost.
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Kryptonite
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The term "kryptonite" is used here as shorthand for "race-specific weakness that causes aggravated damage or significant disablement for a character because of their race/subrace". Examples include:
See Also: |
Kuei-jin
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Kuei-jin Retainers
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Passive Joss (Dhampyr 54):
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Linguistics
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Clarifications on Languages:
See also: +liststats langs and Languages |
Lores
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Lores (Knowledges; for demon powers, see +rules demon lores) At Lore 0, your character can believe, but your knowledge is inaccurate and mostly derived from popular culture. Free Lores
See also: |
Lost Creeds
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Hermit (HPG 17-19)
Wayward (HPG 21-23)
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Maelstrom
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The Sixth Great Maelstrom, aka the Week of Nightmares, was a major canon event that forever changed the world. It marked the entrance of Demons to the world, but it also screwed up the Umbra something fierce (something about the Technocracy using spirit nukes). We like having Demons loose in the world, it lets us have them as playable characters here. We do not like the Avatar Storm, it excessively limits certain mages. Thus, we've chosen a compromise: it happened, but most of the Umbral problems ended years ago. Short version:
For more details, see +rules maelstrom2. |
Maelstrom2
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In mid-July 1999, after a week of psychic backlash that drove most Ravnos insane, the Ravnos Antediluvian rose and began wreaking havoc in India. It was finally put down in Bangladesh by the combined might of (a) three high-Dharma Kuei-Jin and (b) the Technocracy's 'Do Not Open until the Apocalypse' toybox. The spirit nukes in said toybox cracked the Abyssal prison that the Fallen were trapped in, as well as causing the Sixth Great Maelstrom to sweep through the Underworld. A side effect was the Avatar Storm, a poisoning of the Gauntlet that would flay the Avatar of any Mage trying to cross it. It also wreaked havoc on the Horizon, making trips into the Deep Umbra even more difficult and dangerous than they already were, and trips back nearly impossible, cutting off Earth from contact with most of the high-Arete Mages, who had long since retreated Outside to escape the crushing weight of Paradox. Another effect was the death of nearly all of Clan Ravnos. By the end of the Week of Nightmares, there were less than 100 left, mostly Ancillae and Neonates. Clan Ravnos is now effectively a Bloodline. By 2012, things had settled down somewhat:
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Mage Backgrounds
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Mage Merits/Flaws
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Mage Misc
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Mage Rituals
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This refers to mage effects cast using extended rolls.
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Magical Items
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Magical items are items that capture some sort of magical ability. The purpose of these rules is to place reasonable across-the-board limits on who can create and use which items, and how many of them. (This is in addition to any limits specified in canon, not instead of.) Due to length, this is split up into sections:
For details on how to create a specific type of magical item, see Creating Magical Items |
Magical Items Carrying and Use
How many can you use?
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Characters are limited by how many multiple-use items they can use in a scene.
Usage limits by race:
Receiving a magical item made by another player does not require buying a background with XP.
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Magical Items Creation
What can you create?
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The effect of a magical item must be spelled out in canon (like a Fetish), or emulate a specific power (e.g. Obfuscate 3) and use the same game mechanics (including any spends/rolls normally required by that power). Some items will require replacing one magical energy pool with another.
The level of a permanent item is the level from canon (for a Fetish etc.), or the sum of the levels of power emulated.
See Also: Creating Magical Items |
Magical Items Genre
When can you cross genres?
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Items are categorized by genre (which game line they came from: Vampire, Werewolf, etc.) To create an item that emulates a power from a different genre, the creator must have the appropriate lore (or Hypertech if relevant) at 3.
To use an out-of-genre magical item:
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Magical Items Limiting Stats
Occult, mostly.
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The number of magical items you can create and use is typically limited based on Occult. However, it may be interchanged with:
To qualify to use an out-of-genre item, Occult may be interchanged with:
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Magical Items Rate of Creation
How many can you create?
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The rate at which permanent items can be created is limited by the notion of "tokens":
Shelf-life items are limited by the number that currently exist, regardless of levels.
Single-use items are not limited (except per canon) and do not cost tokens, but if you're creating more than 100 per month, then you're probably wasting everyone's time. Items whose sole effect is to ICly justify an XP spend (e.g. Acute Vision merit) don't cost anything beyond that XP spend. Some items are not important enough to be worth tracking. Staff is not worried about every single tool in your toolshed, making your grandmother's favorite vase unbreakable, etc. If in doubt, ask. |
Magical Items Types
Permanent, single-use, shelf-life.
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Permanent items are items that can be used multiple times and have no fixed expiration date, such as Fetishes, Treasures, Wonders, Devices, Demon Relics, Wraith Artifacts, Sorcerer-Psychic Enchantments, and items enchanted through vampiric magic. Single-use items are items that expire after a single use, such as Talens and products of Alchemy. Shelf-life items are items that have a fixed expiration date, but can be used multiple times during that time.
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Medium
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Medium (2 point Merit) Wraith: (Wraith20 page 406) Medium is a catchall term for humans who can see wraiths. Some are born with the ability, some acquire it in life, and some have it pushed on them by magical ritual or scientific experiment. The end result, however, is the same: a human who is aware (and occasionally can't get away from) the Restless Dead. Vampire: (VtM page 300) You possess the natural ability to sense and hear spirits, ghosts, and shades. ... you can sense them, speak to them and, through pleading or cajoling, draw them to your presence. You may call on them for aid or advice, but there will always be a price. Mage: (MtA page 295) Your mage is a natural conduit to the Underworld. Although this Merit does not reduce the difficulty of working Spirit magic, ... they do tend to hang out, talk, bug the character and ask him to do things. This talent can be helpful in some cases; wraiths are eager to talk to those who can hear them. However, they often make demands, and they can be difficult to banish if the mage doesn't have enough power with Spirit.
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Mind Control
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Demons are innately immune to mind control and fear. Our interpretation of this is that demons are immune to any power that compels them to direct, specific action (e.g. Dominate). Powers can affect a demon's mood, perceptions, and mental effectiveness, but the user of the power cannot direct the demon to take a specific action. Also, no power may compel a demon to act against their Nature. A Caregiver can't be made to abandon their charge, a Judge can't be made to look the other way, a Thrill-Seeker can't be made to take it easy. Demons have this immunity at all times, as long as they have at least 1 temp Faith. (DtF 159, 171) Thralls may be granted this immunity as part of their pact. Each time it's relevant, they must roll Willpower vs base diff 7 to see if it's effective. (DtF 253) Otherwise, lores blocked by this immunity work on non-demons, but are resisted by other mental defenses (e.g. mage/psychic mind shields) as usual, typically canceling successes on a 1:1 basis:
This immunity does not block blood bonds. Blood bonds are emotional in nature and do not compel the bound person to any direct, specific action. |
Minimum Time
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For certain important power stats, we impose a minimum amount of time at the current level in addition to any other requirements:
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Missing Stats
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If a game mechanic attempts to reference a stat that a character doesn't have at all, treat it as if it was zero. When rolling a dice pool (mundane or magic) that includes an ability that you don't have:
Exceptions:
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Multiclass
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These rules are for PCs with supernatural powers from more than one source.
See also: +policy multifaction |
Mummy Misc
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Necromancy
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Restricted to: Giovanni, Samedi, and wangateurs Cannot learn Bone Path or Ash Path until you reach Necromancy 3. Cannot learn both of those paths until you reach Necromancy 5.
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Nightmare Dice
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Nightmare Dice: (CtD 206-207)
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No Free Lunch
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This rule covers using a supernatural effect to permanently alter a stat that normally costs XP (including removing/decreasing a flaw, Torment, etc.).
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Nodes
Quintessence gained via meditation does count against this limit. (MtA 122) Quintessence cannot be stockpiled, except by transferring it into an object (creating Tass) or mage or periapt. Tass may be stockpiled up to three months. Creating or increasing the power of a node requires Prime 5, in addition to buying the background. Finding a node just requires buying the background, but it won't be right next door to your existing building. (Erecting a new building around it is fine.) For a building previously owned by another PC, you can buy the background from 0 to its previous level as quickly or slowly as you want. Until then, the rest is assumed to not benefit you because the resonance isn't quite right. If they didn't have a Node there, then you can handwave an undiscovered one if you request it promptly after acquiring the building. Large nodes (4+) are subject to staff discretion. A mage's Node background may correspond to two or more smaller nodes, but they won't be right next door to each other; consider how much territory you can reliably defend. |
NPC Willpower
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From WtA page 192
See also: +help +npcwillpower |
Numina
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Nunnehi
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Paradox
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Mages gain Paradox:
Staff ruling for what is considered 'sleeper witnesses' are plain, simple, vanilla, everyday mortals/animals with no supernatural powers at all, and not already accepting of vulgar magic (so your acolyte is OK even if they don't have any powers of their own yet). However, hunters do count as sleeper witnesses. Staff ruling for what is considered 'vulgar' is anything that a sleeper witness would perceive via mundane senses (or actually does perceive by any means, including e.g. Awareness or hunter powers) as obviously unnatural.
If your Paradox + Quintessence ever exceeds 20, then you lose Quintessence to bring the total down to 20. (MtA 128) Backlash timing:
Backlash damage:
Backlash burnoff:
Dissipation: If your Paradox is 10 or less, and remains constant for a week, then 1 point dissipates. (MtA 128) Permanent Paradox (e.g. Enhancement background, raising an attribute above 5 for long enough) can only be lost by removing the cause (removing the Enhancement, lowering your attribute to 5 or less, etc.). |
Pattern Bleeding
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If a mage increases a physical or mental attribute and leaves it that way for more than a day, then the target takes 1 level of lethal damage per full day per attribute.
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Phobia
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This is a 2 point flaw in some game lines, a 1 or 3 point flaw in others, and the game mechanics vary as well. For simplicity, we recommend the following common interpretation. (As usual, players can handwave details by mutual agreement.)
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Possessed
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We use Possessed (WW3810) as a primary resource and Freak Legion (WW3066) as a secondary resource. See also: |
Prestation
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Realms
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The canon rules for Realms are kithain-centric, and do not explicitly account for kinain (part-fae), nor for cases like a Nunnehi casting a cantrip on a regular kithain. Here's how we've chosen to clarify these issues.
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Renown
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In the books spirits witness your deeds when no one else is around, Galliards sing your praises, and you gain Renown as a direct result of your bravery, and general awesomeness. In tabletop, the Storyteller manages this. On a MU it's generally left to one's peers and those peers don't always give credit where credit is due. Renown requests can be submitted with +renownreq. See Also: +help +renownreq |
Revelation
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There seems to be some misunderstanding of who/what is exactly immune to various forms of supernatural innate powers. The following is a list of what's what for the races that have such: Revelation - Each time a demon uses her Faith, mortal observers can make a Perception + Awareness roll to sense the demon's true nature. The difficulty of the roll is 10 minus the total number of Faith points the character spent (or lost) in the scene. If the difficulty reaches 0, all mortals automatically perceive their true nature. Demons can also allow mortals to perceive their true nature without spending Faith, whenever they wish. Finally, if a character invokes her apocalyptic form (see Chapter Seven for details), mortal witnesses automatically suffer the effects of Revelation. (DtF 253-254)
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Revenants
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Revenants follow all the same game mechanics as ghouls, unless house rules explicitly state otherwise. As in canon, revenants produce their own vitae and don't need a domitor. They do need Blood Donor background to raise disciplines above 1 (same game mechanics as "Domitor (background)" does for ghouls); see +rules domitors for details. Western dhampirs also count as revenants (Time of Thin Blood 81). Asian dhampyrs are covered under the Kuei-jin rules. |
Road Auras
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Certain Roads (and Paths descended from them) make certain things easier at high levels, harder at low levels. What gets modified:
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Rotschreck
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If a vampire is threatened by sunlight or fire, their inner Beast may take over and send them into Rotschreck ("the Red Fear"). For convenience, here's a summary of how this works.
When one of these things happens: (VtM 229-230)
While in Rotschreck:
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Sabbat Thaumaturgy
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Sabbat Tremere are allowed.
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Sadhana
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Restricted to: Ravnos priests (must declare during chargen, set Type = Priest) Treated as "out of clan" for purposes of chargen (requires freebies) and XP costs, unless targeted by Additional Discipline merit. Secondary paths have no restrictions beyond XP cost.
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Shadowlands
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"...few Garou dare the Dark Umbra. ... The restless dead that haunt the living - and us - are just the tip of the iceberg. Ghosts are like cockroaches. For every one you see, there's at least a dozen more you don't. That many ghosts don't get together without someone trying to be in charge. So you get entire kingdoms of dead people. Kingdoms with armies. Don't think just because you're some big bad Garou you can walk in and start throwing your weight around. They'll dog pile your ass and beat you down." (Silent Striders 51-52) "Most mages never venture into the Low Umbra, and few of those who do return to tell about it." (Beyond the Barriers: The Book of Worlds 12) "Finding one's way through anything but the Low Penumbra is nigh impossible at best. In the unlikely event a living mage finds herself in the Afterworlds, it is best remembered that those who journey down among the dead in the time after the Reckoning are almost always fated to remain there." (The Infinite Tapestry 26) In short, a non-wraith entering the Shadowlands is a Big Deal. Surviving it is possible, but anyone claiming it's easy is simply wrong. |
Shifter Frenzy Rolls
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Difficulty of the Rage roll depends on the moon phase, see +moon.
Any Rage roll may trigger Frenzy, including activating a gift. You roll your permanent Rage, not temporary. +roll Rage accounts for this.
See also: |
Shifter Frenzy Triggers
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Here are some things that may trigger a Frenzy roll, at ST discretion. In the absence of a ST, this depends on player consensus.
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Shifter Frenzy Types
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Berserk Frenzy:
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Shifter Gifts
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Camp gifts cannot be learned outside that camp. (Ditto for house, lodge, etc.) This includes swiping.
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Shifter Misc
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Your Rage is screaming at the world that you're a dangerous alpha predator animal. You will not be mistaken for a dog, cat, or other domestic animal of any sort. (WtA 32: "When in <Lupus> form, he is quite obviously a wolf. A werewolf trying to pass himself off as a 'wild dog' is either demented, a disgrace or a buffoon.")
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Shifter Offspring
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If a shifter and a kinfolk of the same breed and tribe have a baby, the baby is a shifter 10 + (5 * KPB) percent of the time, where KPB is the kinfolk parent's Pure Breed. (Shifter parent's Pure Breed doesn't affect it.) The rest of the time, it's kinfolk.
If two kinfolk of the same breed and tribe have a baby, the baby has a 1 + (sum of KPB) percent chance to be a shifter, a 50 percent chance to be a kinfolk, and a 49 - (sum of KPB) percent chance to be neither. If both parents are the same tribe, the baby's Pure Breed is at least as high as the higher rating among the parents. Otherwise, it's lower. For less common cases, see House Rules For a single baby, this can be handwaved (but you're still encouraged to roll a couple dice). For multiple babies, or if you've had one before, please submit a +request and then roll to that job. |
Shifter Rank
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For a shifter to advance in rank, we impose +rules minimum time in addition to the renown requirement. Falling in rank due to renown loss:
Falling in rank due to a situation that is not just a renown loss (e.g. Satire Rite, Rite of Renunciation): Minimum time to regain rank previously held and then lost may be reduced by up to 75 percent at staff discretion. 'Walking the Spiral post-chargen: All previous rank/renown is ignored. The new BSD gets rank 1 for surviving, but starts at zero renown and must earn their way to rank 2 from there. |
Shifter Rites
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Rites can be learned from a PC teacher who knows the rite, using rolls over time rather than costing XP. See XP Chart for full rules. Tribe rites cannot be learned by a shifter not belonging to that tribe. For the additional-assistants bonus (-1 diff per 5) (WtA 155):
Tribal variation of Rite of Renunciation (WtA 157) removes the performer's Pure Breed if any. Completing a respectable renunciation (WtA 185) restores it. |
Shifter Thralls
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Shifter thralls (WW8201/70-71) This is probably very bad for the life expectancy of both the shifter and the demon. Do not pursue this unless you're prepared to lose your character quickly. Example: Alice is a demon, Bob is a shifter thralled to Alice, Charlie is a non-thrall shifter.
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Sniping
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Here we define 'sniping' to be the use of special abilities or items to discern information about another character. Specific examples include (but are not limited to):
Using these abilities requires at a minimum concentration, if not overt actions such as staring, making hand gestures, or licking the subject. Sometimes sniping is okay. But not always. While we may only have a few hundred PCs, Prospect has a NPC population of millions. As such, sniping every single person you meet in public would be exhausting work; you'd get nothing else done. Sniping therefore requires a clear and specific reason to be used on a character, PC or otherwise. A PC must have done something significant to warrant being sniped:
For example, Willy the Werewolf sees Bob back away from a silver blade nervously. Willy the Werewolf suspects Bob is a BSD. Willy has Lore Garou at 3 and is justified in using Sense Wyrm. Turns out Willy senses no obvious Wyrm signs in the area. To figure out what's up, he uses Scent of the True Form on Bob. Bob happens to be a Mage. Willy sees that Bob isn't a Werewolf at all, he's something else. However, because he doesn't have any dots in Lore Mage, he doesn't know what he's looking at. If Bob doesn't think he's been presented with sufficient justification for being sniped, he may refuse, though Willy may appeal to staff as usual. See Also: |
Sorcerer Aspects
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Only applies to sorcery, not psychic powers.
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Sorcerer Merits and Flaws
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Sorcerer Rituals
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Sorcerer/Psychic
See also: |
Specialties
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For each attribute and ability with 4 or more dots, you may select one specialty.
References: See also: +help +specialties |
Spirit Sight
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Spirit Sight (4 point Merit, The Spirit Ways page 105)
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Spirit Slaves
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Usually involves knowing about and threatening one of the ghost's fetters, or knowing about and aiding or impeding its goals.
Unlike PCs, a Spirit Slave with e.g. Dominate 4 doesn't automatically have Dominate 1-3 as well.
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Stacking
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These rules cover multiple modifiers to the same thing.
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Stat Caps
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If a power increases a stat, then it may increase that stat above its normal maximum, unless something (possibly the power itself) says that it may not. Exception: Pool stats ('Pools' section of +sheet) generally have a temporary/current value and a permanent/maximum value. A power that increases the former does not also increase the latter, unless something (possibly the power itself) says that it does.
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Status Stats
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Certain stats (usually backgrounds) are intended to represent a character's standing in their own society. These stats include but are not limited to: Status (Vampire), Pure Breed (Werewolf), Title (Changeling), and Eminence (Demon). These stats work well in table top where a storyteller is omniscient and can manage the implications. MUs are not such an environment.
See Also: +policy pc leadership |
Targeting Wraiths
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Technocratic Equipment
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These rules pertain to the Device, Enhancement, and Requisitions backgrounds. Each item has a level value (L) and a "Background Cost" value (B).
N dots in the Device background gives N items, costed using L.
N dots in the Requisitions background gives 5*N items, costed using B.
N dots in the Enhancement background gives one of the following:
Additional restrictions on Enhancement:
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Technology
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IC mundane technology resembles RL mundane technology of the present day, which has moved on since the canon books were written. Some amount of hand waving in this area is reasonable/expected. In particular, if a rule gives different game mechanics for 'computers' and 'phones', then consider whether it most likely meant 'feature phones' (i.e. limited-feature phones). Smartphones are more like low-end desktop/laptop computers. |
Thaumaturgy
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Restricted to: Tremere
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The Curse
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There seems to be some misunderstanding of who/what is exactly immune to various forms of supernatural innate powers. The following is a list of what's what for the races that have such:
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The Delirium
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There seems to be some misunderstanding of who/what is exactly immune to various forms of supernatural innate powers. The following is a list of what's what for the races that have such:
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The Fog
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There seems to be some misunderstanding of who/what is exactly immune to various forms of supernatural innate powers. The following is a list of what's what for the races that have such:
- All Supernaturals (Race is neither Mortal nor Mortal+) - All Ghouls - Sorcerers with at least lvl 3 in any numina. - Psychics with at least lvl 3 in any numina. - All Possessed - All Kinfolk - All Kinain - Those with the merit: Medium or Spirit Sight
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The Mists
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There seems to be some misunderstanding of who/what is exactly immune to various forms of supernatural innate powers. The following is a list of what's what for the races that have such:
- All players with An-da-shealladh (CtE 74, house-ruled as a merit)
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Thralls
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Only the following can be thralled by a demon:
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Time
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These terms are from VtM 190 and similar in other rulebooks. Abilities usable e.g. "once per story" should follow these guidelines (on the honor system as usual).
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Title
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Title background:
See Also: Holdings |
Totem
AKA Jamak, Nushi, Orisha Bond
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The Totem background is used by the following PCs, either in packs or individually:
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Totem Caps
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Background dots are limited to 5 per PC during chargen, 10 (total) per PC afterward.
Allowing more than 5 PCs per pack is limited at staff discretion. PCs may join a pack without buying the background. |
Totem Fera
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Fera may contribute to a pack totem. (WW3807/163)
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Totem Individual
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A PC may buy an individual Totem.
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Totem Kinfolk
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Kinfolk with Gnosis may contribute to a pack totem.
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Totem Powers
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Totem powers come from any combination of the following:
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Trod
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Holdings background:
Trod background:
See Also: |
True Faith
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Prerequisites:
For the purpose of these house rules, an 'unnatural creature' is any supernatural or mortal+ character that you consider hostile.
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Vampire Disciplines
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* Character Generation: Only Common type disciplines may be purchased with Freebies during character generation. Disciplines
See also: Buying Disciplines |
Vampire Frenzy
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If a vampire is sufficiently angered, their inner Beast may take over and send them into frenzy. For convenience, here's a summary of how this works.
When one of these things happens: (VtM 228)
While in frenzy:
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Vampire Merits and Flaws
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Wanga
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Restricted to: Serpents of the Light (Sabbat bloodline of Followers of Set), Samedi, and Tremere
Primary path: Various Treated as "out of clan" for purposes of chargen (requires freebies) and XP costs, unless targeted by Additional Discipline merit. Secondary paths have no restrictions beyond XP cost.
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Weapons
See Also: +help +equip |
Willpower
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Willpower, like many other pools, can OOCly be regained using +gain. Players are on the honor system to do this only when their characters would have ICly regained it. See '+book/stat Willpower' for an index of canon references.
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Wraith Misc
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Deathsight (Wraith20 126) can detect that someone isn't aging (e.g. Unaging merit, demon with non-empty Faith pool), but doesn't tell the wraith why. Lifesight (Wraith20 126) uses same result chart as Auspex 2 (Aura Perception, VtM 150), but base diff 5 instead of 8. PCs can choose to spend Shadow XP on their Shadow (Wraith20 302-303). This will be tracked in +notes. |
Wyrm Taint
See also: +rules wyrm taint references |
Wyrm Taint References
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Werewolf Storytellers Handbook page 85, "The Customary 'Of the Wyrm' Warning":
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XP Costs
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All XP Costs are as stated in the books in use except for:
For full details, see XP Chart (may include other obscure exceptions not covered above) See Also: |
Yava
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"Yava: A tribal secret, hidden from all outsiders, that supposedly grants another being power over you if learned. The most tightly guarded of all Bastet lore, these are exposed only under the most extreme circumstances, if even then." (Bastet 27) Yava are not common knowledge. High levels of Lore Fera may include the knowledge that such secrets exist, but not what they are. Bastet are normally taught their own tribe's secrets via Passing the Yava (level 2 rite, Bastet 119). The Bubasti don't even do this until the student is rank 2 (Bastet 52). If your character has somehow learned any specific Yava of a tribe without belonging to it, they must have a staff-approved +note explaining how and why they learned it. This includes the Yava of the Ceilican (known to "certain faerie folk and witch-hunting groups", Bastet 55) and Ajaba ("known to the Simba", Bastet 146); even those secrets are not known to all members of those groups. |
