Back to the Book

[Rule Hound]

We are moving back to the books. What follows is clarification on most things. If there is something that we missed or if a clarification is needed please message us and we will look at it.

This change back is in direct requests concerning this.

We will attempt to have the character sheets updated and printed for everyone for the coming game.

[Rule Hound]

Downtimes
All actions must be described in one sentence.

Personal
Each Character gets 3 personal Downtime actions.

Influences-Elite and Underworld reinstated (will be converted on your character sheets).
Each dot gives one influence action of the specified type (Elite or Underworld).

You can spend one influence action to accomplish something of equivalent difficulty to the Elite Actions or Underworld Actions charts on page 510-515

Retainers
** Retainers lvl 3+ will still receive a personal downtime (performed by them with their skills and test pools).
Only retainers provided through purchase of the Retainer background will receive this downtime. Mystical, merit or other psuedo retainers from other backgrounds have their own benefits as listed in the book.

(Haven: Guards. Your guards only work in your Haven and cannot travel with you. If you want underlings who can leave your Haven, consider the Retainer background. p.102)
They can do nothing but guard your haven. However, they may be granted a discipline if you wish to supply them with blood.

Focuses
No where in the book does it say that a focus grants five dots in a skill, only that it adds a +5 to their test pool when using that skill. BUT, since it is possible for a retainer to have the capacity to use disciplines where the results depend upon a skill level, some clarification needs to be made.

A retainer will always get their +5 to their test pool, however the skill level will be treated in the same manner as a Discipline focus.

Discipline Specializations
Vampires, ghouls, and other supernaturals can specialize in a discipline. This allows the NPC to possess a number of dots of that discipline equal to her NPC rating. For example, if our 3-point bartender NPC was a ghoul, she could place one of her specializations into Potence. Doing so gives her access to the first 3 dots of the Potence discipline (Prowess, Might, and Vigor). p. 489

If there is a skill (generally Occult) that is associated with it and that focus is also taken, that skill will be considered to be equal to the level of the retainer (just like with disciplines).

Ghouled Retainers: This costs you 1 blood at the start of game (after feeding) per ghoul (a Haven guard that has a discipline will cost a blood)


Herd
As per book. p.103

Feeding
As per book. p.308

Note: This will be your base pool. We will still do a test. A botch may make it worse and a outright win may make it better. Blood availability and ease of feeding is modified by events happening in the world around. You can always just kidnap some people and drain them but this has the chance of alerting hunters or drawing attention.

Rituals and Powers
If you have a ritual or power that costs blood and is active for game 1 blood will be deducted from your blood pool total for game start.

Blood Traits
Feeding from lesser blood. p. 295
A vampire must consume 2 points of animal blood in order to equal 1 Blood point taken from a living human.

This means that if you drink 2 points of animal blood it takes up 2 spots in your blood pool. And that you have to spend two points of it in order to power a discipline that requires 1 normal point of blood.

ie. You would have to spend 2 animal blood traits to activate Celerity.

Also, first in first out. The order in which you consume some blood is the order in which you spend it.

[Rule Hound]

Alternate Identity
Can be used to purchase you (or a retainer) a mortal identity of station with all the perks there in or to fake a clan and background and rank there in

1) Non Noble (Basic Merchant)
2) Noble (Notable Merchant, family head...)
3) Baron (Merchant on Council)
4) Count
5) Duke

[Rule Hound]

Undead

Zombies p.175
No skill aptitude in any mental or social area. A zombie cannot perform downtime actions  or act independently, although it can perform simple tasks  while unsupervised, such as sweeping the floor or attacking  anyone who enters a room (with very  little sentience and absolutely no creativity)

2pt stock NPC - Test Pool 4. Specializations Potence or Fortitude (lvl 2) & Brawl (TP 9) or Melee (TP 9)
3pt stock NPC - Test Pool 6. Specializations Potence and Fortitude (lvl 2) & Brawl (TP 11) or Melee (TP 11)


Wraiths
They cannot perform downtime actions, but they can act with relative independence. Unlike Zombies they can follow complex instructions. 10 pathos, 3/rnd, regenerate 1 / 10 minutes. Health is equal to the number of pathos they spend to manifest (max 5, 1 hr). Can use pathos to heal or power disciplines. Can only use Dementation 1 & 2 across the shroud. Normal Movement. p.500

2pt stock NPC - Test Pool 4. Specializations Dementation (lvl 2)
&
Empathy, Intimidation, Investigation Leadership, Occult, Brawl, Dodge, Melee, Dementation, Dominate, Potence, Presence, Obfuscate, Obtenebration, or Thaumaturgy: Movement of the Mind. (pick 2. as per stock NPC Rules only one Discipline may be chosen from this list. THey will still have access to the first 2 levels of Demontation)

3pt stock NPC - Test Pool 6. Specializations Dementation (lvl 2)
&
Empathy, Intimidation, Investigation Leadership, Occult, Brawl, Dodge, Melee, Demontation, Dominate, Potence, Presence, Obfuscate, Obtenebration, or Thaumaturgy: Movement of the Mind. (pick 3. as per stock NPC Rules only one Discipline may be chosen from this list. THey will still have access to the first 2 levels of Demontation)




Strength of Rotting Flesh - as per book p.186
When this ritual is cast on a necromancer’s zombie, that zombie becomes more intelligent, stronger, and more durable. The zombie gains two skill focuses of your choice, and its health levels double. The effects of this ritual last for one month.

[Rule Hound]

Crafts and Traits

Craft Categories include but are not limited to
Painting, Sculpting, Bower/Fletcher (Allows creation of specialty high trait bows), Alchemy, Drawing, Carpenter, Mason,Blacksmith, Weaponsmith, Armorer (these three have distinct skills independent of each other even though they are related)...


Weapons and Armor
Master Weapon Smiths and Armorers (Crafts Weaponsmith x 5, Grandmaster is x 6)

All Crafts require a test to succeed.

Artisan - Crafts Lvl 4 allows addition of second Trait to your specialty.
Masterwork - Crafts Lvl 5 a potential third trait
Epic - Crafts Lvl 6 well if someone gets there we will see. But probably a special trait.

These 3 do not cost a slot but can only be got with a high quality weapon (determined by ST)
Artisan. Pretty, 3x normal value (2 trait weapon). A Craft lvl 4 weapon.
Masterwork. 5 x normal value. (3 trait weapon). Craft lvl 5 weapon.
Epicwork. 10 x normal value. Rarely seen. (4 trait weapon). Craft lvl 6 weapon. This level of weapon may have an enchantment on it. (determined by ST)

[Rule Hound]

LORE and Linguistics
As per book max 5 dots.