Backgrounds

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Reference Lists
Archetypes	Attributes	Abilities	Backgrounds
Flaws	Merits	Misc	Powers

This page contains Backgrounds available for PCs. Some spheres have additional pages to click through to for more information. This page should mostly provide quick book references, and names. This is currently being reviewed by staff and updated (March 2022). Please direct any questions to staff in a +request.

General Alternate ID NPCs	Bygone	Changeling	Demon
Mage Sorcerer Technocracy	Shifter Kinfolk Possessed Fera	Vampire     Ghoul Kuei-jin	Wraith

General

• Home Base: See 'Chantry' in the Mage section

Resources
	$500/month - $1,000 if liquidated - small savings - tiny apartment, cheap vehicle
	$1,200/month - $8,000 if liquidated - middle class - apartment or condo, sturdy vehicle
	$3,000/month - $50,000 if liquidated - large savings - small house, mid-sized vehicle
	$9,000/month - $500,000 if liquidated - well off - large house, luxury vehicle
	$30,000/month - $5,000,000 if liquidated - rich - mansion, limousine

• A +note is required when taking Resources at 4 or above.
• If your Income is from a Trust Fund, Rich Parent/Spouse (NPCs), then you will need additional stats (Merit: Independent Income, Background: Allies) to support this.

Fame Subculture City State National Global A +note is required when taking this background. Describe how you are famous.

Influence City State Regional National Global Influence dots can be allocated to multiple areas via +note (e.g. 3 total = 2 media + 1 criminal) A +note is required listing the type of influence. See Influence for much more detail on how to use this background

Alternate Identity

"Alternate Identity (background)" Fake driver's license One supporting document Reasonable set of supporting documents Established identity Fully supported identity with history, government documentation, alibis and witnesses

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. Note: If you are a supernatural (i.e. a Vampire/Immortal) that changes identities every 20 years or so, you are not required to purchase this background. This background IS required for EVERY PC that is trying to support more than one mortal identity at the same time. To take this on your sheet in chargen, you must use this syntax: +selfstat Alternate Identity (background)=# Otherwise you will get on your sheet what is below. The Alternate Identity merit (3 dots, Guide to the Camarilla 76) is for presenting an alternate identity to a supernatural faction. (House rule: 2 dots to pass as a different clan/etc. within your actual faction, 1 dot if passing as something low-status like Caitiff/Pander.) This is NOT GUARANTEED to hold up under the scrutiny of other PCs, and if it doesn't then you will not receive a refund of any sort. Some factions, including but not necessarily limited to the Camarilla and Gaian Garou, pro-actively investigate every single new PC as a matter of course. To take the merit on your sheet in chargen, you must use this syntax: +selfstat Alternate Identity=3 You may not need either of these. See Alternate Identity house rules for full details.

NPCs

If you are taking a stat that names/uses an NPC, they should /not/ be a character from one of the books. That could be even a Vampire's Sire, a Garou's near lineage (within 2 generations), Mentor, Allie, Retainer, Kinfolk, etc. It is at staff discretion, with RP logs to back up, if a PC can end up with a canon NPC in one of those roles. We have found that players inadvertently may change canon especially when coming in from chargen with these, and it will not be allowed without significant RP.

• Allies: One NPC per dot, or fewer but more powerful NPCs. Allies can have influence, besides jobs/hobbies/nefarious things that they can do. You should list them with following in a +note:

1) Who are they?

2) What do they do for a living?

3) What do they do that is specifically of interest to you? List any specific things they do that is something your PC is drawn to (i.e.: fake documents, knitting, barrel riding horses, cliff diving).

4) How did they become your Ally?

5) How do you keep them as one? (i.e.: Do you pay them by the job? Do you have leverage? Were they your sister's brother's cousin's ex-roommate? Were you on the same t-ball team for 3 years? Did you save them from drowning once?)

6) Do they have a specific influence and what level?

**DO NOT MAKE HUGE PARAGRAPHS TO NOTE YOUR ALLIES. Just the bullet points with relevant details is enough.**

• Sample Allies +note for PC - Jared: Mick Bushman, aka Dr. Draino, who supplements his income as a plumber by swiping small items that won't be missed right away, and may be dismissed as merely misplaced even when they are. Jewelry, mostly. Jared met him at a bar, and they struck up an partnership wherein Jared deals with the pawn shops in exchange for a cut of the profits. Mick has influence in the local plumbers union (Industry 2).
• Bullet points is acceptable as stated above, or just writing a paragraph. But we do not need significant details that takes up a whole screen. If staff needs more information in the future, staff will ask for it.

Important Allies Reminders

• Only one Ally can be called upon per month. Allies cannot be set for watch actions.
• When you wish to engage one of your Allies to do something, please list in the +request which Ally, and how you will approach them/pay them/make the ask to do what you need done. Depending on that, staff will decide whether a +roll will be needed.
• Unlike Retainers, Allies can just refuse to do something, and can be lost. Use of their actions can also be caught by others, if engaging in some sort of influence back and forth. This also means that your Allies should not be dependent upon your PC for something, nor should they be running your businesses. That is a Retainer.
• What happens when using an Ally is subjective to the situation and is all up to Staff Discretion.

• Contacts: One major NPC per dot, plus some minor NPCs. You should list them with following in a +note:

1) Who is it?

2) What information can this major NPC get for you?

3) What do you need to do in return for this?

4) What sort of minor NPCs come with it?

5) How are those minor NPCs connected with the major NPC?

**DO NOT MAKE HUGE PARAGRAPHS TO NOTE YOUR CONTACTS. Just the bullet points with relevant details.**

• Mentor: The more dots, the more powerful they are. Please set a +note for your Mentor with the following:

1) Who is it?

2) What do they mentor you about?

3) How did you find them/get them as your mentor?

4) Where are they generally located/found?

Mentor
	Knows little of import
	Noteworthy information
	Significant secrets
	Extraordinary knowledge
	If they don't know it, probably no one does

• Retainers: One NPC per dot (Not Available to Wraiths) See +rules retainers or Retainers Wiki for all the details for writing them up in a +note.
  • Followers is not used in favor of Retainers for Demon PCs.

For race-specific types of NPC, see Background NPCs.

Bygone

• Years (Bygone Bestiary p. 106)

Changeling

• As we are updating to C20, the following list will be updated more soon. Some backgrounds will go, some will change names. For the best details, keep tabs on the following link: Changeling/Backgrounds

• Chimera (WW92041 Changeling: the Dreaming (20th Anniversary) pg.#169)
• Companion (WW92041 Changeling: the Dreaming (20th Anniversary) pg.#169)
• Dreamers (WW92041 Changeling: the Dreaming (20th Anniversary) pg.#169)
• Dross (+rules Dross)
• Fae Steed (WW7306 Kingdom of Willows p. 171)
• Holdings (WW92041 Changeling: the Dreaming (20th Anniversary) pg.#169)
• Remembrance (WW92041 Changeling: the Dreaming (20th Anniversary) pg.#170)
• Retinue (WW92041 Changeling: the Dreaming (20th Anniversary) pg.#170)
• Title (WW92041 Changeling: the Dreaming (20th Anniversary) pg.#171)
• Treasure (WW92041 Changeling: the Dreaming (20th Anniversary) pg.#171)
• Trod (Book of Lost Dreams p. 45)

Shadow Court

• Prestige (Shadow Court p. 76)

Boggans

• Warren (Kithbook: Boggans p. 76)

Eshu

• Orisha Bond (Kithbook: Eshu p. 84)
• Royal Lineage (Kithbook: Eshu p. 84)

Inanimae

• Husk (Inanimae: The Secret Way p. 67)
• Regard (Inanimae: The Secret Way p. 67)

Demon

• Eminence (Demon: the Fallen Core, p. 153)
• Legacy ((Demon: the Fallen Core, p. 156)
• Pacts (Demon: the Fallen Core, p. 156)
• Paragon (Demon: the Fallen Core, p. 157)

Mage

Details: Mage/Backgrounds and House_Rules/Mage#Backgrounds

• Arcane/Cloaking (Mage: The Ascension, Revised Ed. p. 118)
• Avatar/Genius (Mage: The Ascension, Revised Ed. p. 118)
• Blessing (Guide to the Traditions 212)
• Chantry (Guide to the Traditions p. 215)
  • Construct: Use 'Home Base' instead.
• Cray
• Cult (Guide to the Traditions p. 214)
• Demesne (Guide to the Traditions p. 216)
• Destiny (Mage: The Ascension, Revised Ed. p. 119)
• Dream/Hypercram (Mage: The Ascension, Revised Ed. p. 120)
• Familiar Companion/Companion (Forged by Dragon's Fire)
• Legend (Guide to the Traditions p. 219)
• Library (Mage: The Ascension, Revised Ed. p. 121)
• Node (Mage: The Ascension, Revised Ed. p. 122)
• Past Lives (mage) (Guide to the Traditions p. 220)
• Sanctum/Laboratory (Guide to the Traditions p. 220)
• Spirit Ally (Tradition book: Dreamspeakers, Revised p. 61)
• Wonder/Device (Mage: The Ascension, Revised Ed. p. 123)

Sorcerer

Details: Sorcerer Backgrounds

• Chole (Sorcerer, Revised Ed. p. 51)
• Guide (Sorcerer, Revised Ed. p. 52)
• Mana (Sorcerer, Revised Ed. p. 53)
• Sanctuary (World of Darkness: Sorcerer. p. 65)

Technocracy

• Backup (Guide to the Technocracy p. 179)
• Enhancement (Guide to the Technocracy p. 180)
• Patron (Guide to the Technocracy p. 182)
• Requisitions (Guide to the Technocracy p. 182)
• Secret Weapons (Guide to the Technocracy p. 183)
• Spies (Guide to the Technocracy p. 184)

Progenitors

• Cephalomorph (Progenitors Revised p. 76)
• Cetaceomorph (Progenitors Revised p. 78)
• Dracomorph (Progenitors Revised p. 79)
• Sauromorph (Progenitors Revised p. 80)

Shifter

Details: Shifter Backgrounds

• Ancestors (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Revised Ed. p. 120)
• Familiar Spirit (Werewolf Players Guide, 2nd Ed. p. 34)
• Fate (Player's Guide to the Garou p. 169)
• Fetish (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Revised Ed. p. 121)
• Kinfolk (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Revised Ed. p. 121)
• Numen (Player's Guide to the Garou p. 170)
• Pure Breed (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Revised Ed. p. 121)
• Rites (background) (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Revised Ed. p. 123), Note: Only available in character generation. Must also have Rituals (Primary Knowledge) at level of highest Rite. See the character generation cheat sheet for additional details.
• Spirit Heritage (Player's Guide to the Garou p. 169)
• Spirit Network (Book Of Auspices p. 58)
• Totem (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Revised Ed. p. 123), see also house rules
• Touched (Player's Guide to the Garou p. 171)

Kinfolk

• Equipment (Kinfolk: Unsung Heroes p. 49)
• Renown (Kinfolk: Unsung Heroes p. 51) - chargen only, requires +note describing IC circumstances

Kinfolk can also take most shifter backgrounds. Exceptions:

• Fetish (must buy Fetish merit instead or have a PC give you one)
• Rites (only shifters have this level of connection to the spirits)

Possessed

Details: Possessed Backgrounds

• Consecrated (Possessed: a Player's Guide p. 102)
• Cult (Possessed: a Player's Guide p. 103)
• Symbiosis (Possessed: a Player's Guide p. 105)

Fera

Bastet

• Den Realm (Player's Guide to the Changing Breeds p. 160) - requires Shifter Rank 3+
• Jamak (Breedbook: Bastet p. 84)
• Trinket (Breedbook: Bastet p. 85)

Corax

• Other People's Secrets
• Umbral Maps

Gurahl

• Umbral Glade (Breedbook: Gurahl p. 88)

Kitsune

• Batsu (Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East p. 161)
• Go-en (Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East p. 161)
• Sempai (Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East p. 162)

Mokole

• Mnesis (Player's Guide to the Changing Breeds p. 162)
• Wallow (Breedbook: Mokolé p. 54)

Ratkin

• Colony (Breedbook: Ratkin p. 64)
• Freak Factor (Breedbook: Ratkin p. 65)

Rokea

• Remora (Breedbook: Rokea p. 63)

Vampire

• Black Hand Membership (Guide to the Sabbat p. 93)
• Clan Prestige (Vampire: The Masquerade First Edition Players Guide, p. 58)
• Generation (Vampire: The Masquerade, Revised Ed. p. 131)
• Herd (Vampire: The Masquerade, Revised Ed. p. 131)
• Information Network (Clanbook: Nosferatu, Revised Ed. p. 69)
• Occult Library (background) (Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy p. 89)
• Rituals (background) (Guide to the Sabbat p. 94)
• Spirit Slave (Clanbook: Giovanni, Revised Ed. p. 67)

No longer used:

• Status (Vampire: The Masquerade, Revised Ed. p. 133)

Ghoul

• Domitor (background) (Ghouls: Fatal Addiction p. 82)

Kuei-jin

• Artifact
• Horoscope (Kindred of the East p. 86)
• Jade Talisman (Kindred of the East p. 86)
• Nushi (Kindred of the East p. 87)
• Rites (Kindred of the East p. 87)

Wraith

• Artifact (Wraith: The Oblivion, 2nd Ed. p. 128)
  • Can be bought any number of times (total goes on +sheet, XP cost is per item currently being acquired, '+rules magical items' caps apply as usual)
• Eidolon (Wraith: The Oblivion, 2nd Ed. p. 129)
• Haunt (Wraith: The Oblivion, 2nd Ed. p. 129)
• Legacy (Wraith: The Oblivion, 2nd Ed. p. 130)
• Living Family (Dark Kingdom of Jade p. 126)
• Magisterial Office (Dark Kingdom of Jade p. 127)
• Memoriam (Wraith: The Oblivion, 2nd Ed. p. 131)
• Notoriety (Wraith: The Oblivion, 2nd Ed. p. 131)
• Old Soul (Wraith Players Guide p. 39)
• Relic (Wraith: The Oblivion, 2nd Ed. p. 132)
• Remembrance
• Wraith Family (Dark Kingdom of Jade p. 127)