Please pardon the spelling and grammatical errors. I talked a friend of
mine into copying all these pages for me. These are taken from the Book of
Shadows, published by WW 199?.
Psychological
These Merits and Flaws deal with the psychological
makeup of your character, and may describe ideals, motivations
or pathologies. Some psychological Flaws can be
temporarily ignored by spending a Willpower point, and
are so noted. If you possess such a Flaw and do not roleplay
it when the Storyteller thinks you should, then she may tell
you that you have spent a point of Willpower for the effort.
Flaws cannot be conveniently ignored.
Code of Honor: (I pt Merit)
You have a personal code of ethics to which you strictly
adhere. You can automatically resist most temptations that
would bring you in conflict with your code. When battling
supernatural persuasion (Mind magick or vampiric
Domination)that would make you violate your code, either you
gain three extra dice to resist or your opponent's difficulties
are increased by two (Storyteller's choice). You must con-
struct own personal code of honor in as much detail as
you can, outlining the general rules of conduct by which
you abide.
Higher Purpose: (I pt Merit)
All mages have some vision of their Path, but you have a
special commitment to it. Your chosen goal drives and directs
you in everything. You do not concern yourself with petty
matters and casual concerns, because your higher purpose is
everything. Though you may sometimes be driven by this
purpose and find yourself forced to behave in ways contrary to
the needs of personal survival, it can also grant you great
personal strength. You gain two extra dice on any roll that has
something to do with this higher purpose. You need to decide
what your higher purpose is. Make sure you talk it over with
the Storyteller first. (if you have the Flaw: Driving Goal,
listed below, you cannot take this Merit.)
Curiosity: (2 pt Flaw)
You are a naturally curious person and find mysteries of
_
any sort irresistible. In most circumstances, you find that
your curiosity easily overrides your common sense. To resist
the temptation, make a Wits roll verses difficulty 5 for
simple things like "I wonder what is in that cabinet?"
Increase the difficulty up to 9 for things like "I'll just peek
into the Progenitor lab- no one will know. What could
possibly go wrong?"
Addiction: (1-3 pt Flaw)
You are addicted to any one of a variety of things. A
one point Flaw would be a mild addiction to a easily
attained substance, such as caffeine, nicotine or alcohol. A
two point Flaw would be either a severe addiction to any
easily-obtained substance or any "mild" drug, such as pain
killers, sleeping pills or marijuana. A three point Addiction
involves the heavy street drugs or hard-to-find drugs. The
need for these drugs varies from once a day for some drugs
to two to three times a day for others, depending on the
strength of the drug and the addiction. If, for whatever
reason, you are denied access to the drug, you lose the
number of dice equal to the level of your addiction (one,
two or three) until you receive your "fix." If you are
deprived of the drugs for an extended length of time, you
will be forced to make a Willpower check (difficulty of4 for
the first day, + 1 for each additional day). If you fail, you
will forgo everything and forcibly go seeking the drug. This
would be an easy way for you to be either controlled or
forced to do favors for your supplier, especially if the drug
is hard to obtain due to its rarity or price.
Compulsion: (I pt Flaw)
You have a psychological compulsion of some sort,
which can cause you a number of different problems. Your
compulsion may be for cleanliness, perfection, bragging,
stealing, gaming, exaggeration or just talking. A compulsion
can be temporarily avoided at the cost of a Willpower point but
is in effect at all other times.
Dark Secret: (I pt Flaw)
You have some sort of secret that, if uncovered, would
be of immense embarrassment to you and would make you
a pariah among your peers. This can be anything from
having murdered a Master to having once fallen to a
Nephandi's temptations. While this secret weighs on your
mind at all times, it will only suffice in occasional stories.
Otherwise, it will begin to lose its impact.
Intolerance: (I pt Flaw)
You have an unreasoning dislike of a certain thing.
This may be an animal, a class of person, a color, a situation
or just about anything else. The difficulties of all dice rolls
involving the subject are increased by two. Note that some
dislikes may be too trivial to be reflected here- a dislike of
White Wolf Magazine or tissue paper, for instance, will have
little effect on play in most chronicles. The Storyteller is
the final arbiter on what you can pick to dislike.
Nightmares: (I pt Flaw)
You experience horrendous nightmares every time you
sleep, and memories of them haunt you during your waking
hours. Sometimes the nightmares are so bad they cause you
to lose one die on all your actions for the next day
(Storyteller's discretion). Some of the nightmares may be
so intense that you mistake them for reality. A crafty
Storyteller will be quick to take advantage of this. Conflict
with your Avatar, Paradox, bad episodes of Quiet or even
difficult Seekings may lie at the roots of these night terrors.
Phobia (Mild): (I pt Flaw)
You have an overpowering fear of something. You
instinctively and illogically retreat from and avoid the
object of your fear. Common objects of phobias include
certain animals, insects, crowds, open spaces, confined
spaces and heights. You must make a Willpower roll when-
ever you encounter the object of your fear. The difficulty of
this roll is determined by the Storyteller. If you fail the
roll, you must retreat from the object.
Overconfident: (I pt Flaw)
You have an exaggerated and unshakable opinion of
'your own worth and capabilities- you never hesitate to
trust your abilities, even in situations where you risk defeat.
Because your abilities may not be enough, such overconfidence-
can be very dangerous. When you do fail, you quickly
find someone or something else to blame. If you are con-
vincing enough, you can infect others with your
overconfidence.
Shy: (I pt Flaw)
You are distinctly ill at ease when dealing with people
try to avoid social situations whenever possible. The
difficulties of all rolls concerned with social dealings are
increased by one; the difficulties of any rolls made while
ire the center of attention are increased by two. Don't
expect your character to make a public speech.
Speech Impediment: (I pt Flaw)
You have a stammer or some other speech impediment
hampers verbal communication. The difficulties of
relevant rolls are increased by two. Do not feel obliged
lay this impediment all the time, but in times of
duress, or when dealing with outsiders, you should attempt
to simulate it.
Sadism/Masochism: (2 pt Flaw)
You are excited either by causing pain or receiving it.
In many situations, you will seek either to be hurt or hurt
someone for your pleasure. For a masochist (someone who
enjoys pain), your soak roll for actual physical damage is
increased by one because you really want to feel the pain.
A sadist (someone who likes to hurt others) must make a
Willpower roll verses a 5 to stop combat (modified
depending on how much you are into the attack and how much you
are enjoying hurting the other person). If you fail, you are
so caught up in the event that you are unaware of anything
else happening around you.
Obsession: (2 point Flaw)
There is something you like, love or are fascinated by
to the point where you often disregard common sense to
cater to this drive. You react positively to anything related
to your obsession, even if it's not in your best interests. For
example, if you are obsessed with supernatural creatures,
you will go out of your way to talk to and befriend vampires,
werewolves and stranger things, and find out as much as you
can about them, disregarding all warnings. If you are
obsessed with Elvis, you have your house decorated with
velvet paintings and annoy your friends with your constant
talk about the King. You don't necessarily believe that Elvis
is still alive, but you buy every supermarket tabloid that
carries an article about him anyway. There are many other
obsessions, including British Royalty, guns, knives, foot-
ball, roleplaying games... you know the type.
Vengeance: (2 pt Flaw)
You have a score to settle- a cabal was wiped out, a
friend was corrupted, a mentor was slain... whatever. You
are obsessed with wreaking vengeance on the guilty party.
Revenge is your first priority in all situations. The need for
vengeance can only be overcome by spending Willpower
points, and even then, it only temporarily subsides. Some-
day you may have your revenge, but the Storyteller won't
make it easy.
Flashbacks: (3 pt Flaw)
You are prone to flashbacks if you are in either high-
pressure situations or circumstances that are similar to the
event that caused the flashback itself. The flashback does not
have to be combat-oriented. Either positive or negative
stimulation could result in a flashback episode. The repeated
use of drugs has been proven to cause a wide range of
hallucinations, and in the right circumstances, the mind could
flashback to
any one of them. Emotional anxiety and stress are the usual
catalysts for the flashbacks to begin. Flashing back to a good
and happy vision can be just as dangerous or distracting as
suddenly flashing to being surrounded by demons. The flash-
backs can be caused by almost any trauma- torture, extended
combat or repeated drug experimentation. During the flash
back, you are not aware of what is really around you Even
people speaking to you will be viewed as people or objects from
the vision. You can mistake men for women, people for
animals and even inanimate objects for people. To you,
reality has shifted, and you are back there again.
Driving Goal: (3 pt Flaw)
You have a personal goal, which sometimes compels and
directs you in startling ways. The goal is always limitless in
depth, and you can never truly achieve it. It could be to
eradicate the Technocracy or achieve total enlightenment.
Because you must work toward your goal throughout the
chronicle (though you can avoid it for short periods by
spending Willpower), it will get you into trouble and may
jeopardize other actions. Choose your driving goal carefully, as
it will direct and focus everything your character does.
Hatred: (3 pt Flaw)
You have an unreasoning hatred of a certain thing.
This hate is total and largely uncontrollable. You may hate
a species of animal, a class of person, a color, a situation or
just about anything else, and you constantly pursue
opportunities to harm the hated object or to gain power over
it.
Lifesaver: (3 Pt Flaw)
You believe that human life is a sacred gift and will not
take a person's life except in the most extreme of
circumstances. You may not ever willingly endanger the lives of
innocents or in any way participate in a killing. You have
no problems with killing animals (for the right reasons),
and will kill evil and inhuman creatures to protect others
if necessary. (Be very careful, however, with your definition
of "evil"....) Senseless death in all forms repulses you, and
you feel that those who perform murder should be punished
and stopped.
Phobia (Severe): (3 pt Flaw)
You have an overpowering fear of something. Common objects of
fear include certain animals, insects, crowds,
open spaces, confined spaces, heights and so on. You must
make a Willpower roll not to freak out when faced with the
object of your fear. The difficulty depends on the
circumstances. If you fail the roll, you must retreat in terror
from the object of fear. If you score less than three
successes, you
will not approach it. The Storyteller has final say over
which phobias are allowed in a chronicle.
Mental
These Merits and Flaws deal with the mind: its strengths,
weaknesses and special capacities. The mind of a mage is a
powerful weapon; quirks should be considered carefully.
Common Sense: (1 pt Merit)
You have a significant amount of practical, everyday
wisdom. Whenever you are about to do something contrary
to common sense, the Storyteller should alert you to how
your potential action might violate practicality. This is an
ideal Merit if you are a novice player because it allows you
to receive advice from the Storyteller concerning what you
can and cannot do, and (even more importantly) what you
should and should not do.
Concentration: (I pt Merit)
You have the ability to focus your mind and shut out
any distractions or annoyances, above and beyond normal
magely discipline. Any penalty to a difficulty or Dice Pool
_
arising from a distraction or other inauspicious circum-
stance is limited to two dice, though no extra benefits are
gained if only one penalty die is imposed.
Lightning Calculator: (I Pt Merit)
You have a natural affinity with numbers and a talent
for mental arithmetic, making you a natural when working
with computers or betting at the racetracks. The difficulties
of all relevant rolls are decreased by two. Another possible
use for this ability, assuming you have numbers on which to
base your conclusions, is the ability to calculate the diffi-
culty of certain tasks. In appropriate situations, you may ask
the Storyteller to estimate the difficulty rating of a task you
are about to perform. This Merit is common among the
scientists of Iteration X and Virtual Adept hackers.
Eidetic Memory: (2 pt Merit)
You can remember things seen and heard with perfect
detail. By gaining at least one success on an Intelligence +
Alertness roll, you can recall any sight or sound accurately,
even if you heard it or glanced at it only once (although the
difficulty of such a feat would be high). Five successes
enable you to recall an event perfectly: the Storyteller
relates to you exactly what was seen or heard.
Prodigy: (2 pt Merit)
You were Awakened very early in your life and have
not been subject to the problems of unlearning the cultural
reality. Perhaps one or both of your parents were Awak-
ened and sheltered you from the reality created by the
Technomancers. As a result of this protection, you have an
easier time grasping the most abstract Spheres of magick.
You receive one extra die on rolls that relate to abstract
ideas or magickal comprehension. Though you were Awak-
ened at an early age, your actual training in magick probably
began much later. (See the Flaw: Age)
Iron Will: (3 pt Merit)
When you are determined and your mind is set, noth-
ing can divert you from your goals. You cannot be
Dominated, nor can your mind be affected in any way by
Thamaturgical rituals. Mages using mental attacks against
U gain an additional + 3 to their difficulties if you are
aware of them and resisting. However, the additional
mental defense costs you one Willpower per turn. Even if
U are unaware of them, mages seeking to magickally
influence you add + 1 to their difficulties.
self-confident: (5 pt Merit)
When you spend a point of Willpower to gain an
automatic success, your self-confidence may allow you to
gain the benefit of that expenditure without actually losing
Willpower point. When you declare that you are using a point
of Willpower and roll for successes, you do not lose
point of Willpower unless you fail. This will also
prevent you from botching, hut only if you declare that you
spending the Willpower point before you roll. This
may only be used when you need confidence in your
5 in order to succeed. You can use it only when the
diff of your roll is six or higher. You may spend
willpower at other times; however, if the difficulty is five
the Merit: Self-Confidence will not help you.
Amnesia: (2 p1 Flaw)
U are unable to remember anything about your past,
yourself your family. Your life is a blank slate. However,
it may someday come back to haunt you. (You can, if you
wish, take up to five points of other Flaws without
specifying what they are. The Storyteller can supply the
details Over the course of the chronicle, you and your
character will slowly discover them.)
Confused: (2 p1 Flaw)
You are often confused, and the world seems to be a
very distorted and twisted place. Sometimes you are simply
unable to make sense of things. You need to roleplay this
behavior all the time to a small degree, but your confusion
_
becomes especially strong whenever stimuli surround you
(such as when a number of different people talk all at once,
or you enter a nightclub with loud pounding music). You
may spend Willpower to override the effects of your confu-
sion, but only temporarily.
Absent-Minded: (3 p1 Flaw)
This Flaw may not be taken with the Merit: Concen-
tration~ Though you do not forget such things as Knowledges
or Skills, you do forget such things as names, addresses and
the last time you meditated. In order to remember anything
more than your own name and the location ofyour Chantry,
you need to make a Wits roll or, as a last resort, spend a
Willpower point.
Awareness
These Merits and Flaws involve perception (or the
lack thereof). Life magick may be used to repair some of
these Flaws; characters doing so must buy off the Flaw with
new points.
Acute Senses: (I pt. Merit)
You have exceptionally sharp hearing, smell, vision or
taste. The difficulties of all dice rolls that relate to the sense
in question (e.g. Perception + Awareness to hear a faint
noise, taste poison in food or see an oncoming attacker) are
decreased by two. Combined with sensory Effects (first
rank Effects), this Merit allows the mage to add an addi-
tional success to her die roll.
Color Blindness: (I pt Flaw)
You can only see in black and white. Color means
nothing to you, although you are sensitive to color density,
which you perceive as shades of gray. Life 3 cannot fix this
problem, as you can't truly conceive the true nature of
color! Note: color blindness actually indicates an inability
to distinguish between two colors, but we fudged a bit for
the sake of playability.
Hard of Hearing: (I pt Flaw)
Your hearing is defective. The difficulties of all dice
rolls related to hearing are increased by two. You may not
take Acute Hearing if you take this Flaw.
Bad Sight: (2 pt Flaw)
Your sight is defective. The difficulties of all dice rolls
related to vision are increased by two. This Flaw is neither
near sightedness nor farsightedness- it is a minor form of
blindness. The impairment is not correctable. Life 3 may
correct this for a short time, but repairing the blindness
permanently requires buying off the Flaw or tying the effect
to a focus (goggles, a visor, etc.). You may not take Acute
Vision if you take this Flaw.
Deaf: (4 pt Flaw)
You cannot hear sound, and automatically fail any
rolls that require hearing.
Blind: (6 pt Flaw)
You automatically fail all dice rolls involving vision.
You cannot see - the world of color and light is lost to you.
Aptitude
These Merits and Flaws establish special capacities
and abilities for your character, or modify the effects and
powers of your character's other Traits.
Animal Magnetism: (I pt Merit)
You are especially attractive to others. You receive a -
2 to your difficulty on Seduction or Subterfuge rolls.
However, this will aggravate others of your gender.
Ambidextrous: (I pt Merit)
You have a high degree of off-hand dexterity and can
perform tasks with the 'wrong" hand at no penalty. The normal penalty for using both hands at one to perform different tasks (e.g., fighting with a weapon in each hand) is at a +1 difficulty for the "right" hand and a +3 difficulty for the other
hand.
Computer Aptitude: (1 pt Merit)
You have a natural affinity with computers, so the difficulties of all rolls to repair, construct or operate them are deduced by two. This is especially handy for Virtual Adepts and servants of Iteration X.
Crack Driver: (1 pt Merit)
You have a natural affinity with driving motorized wheeled vehicles, such as cars, 18-wheelers and even tractors. The difficulties of all rolls requiring risky or especially difficult driving maneuvers are reduced by two.
Mechanical Aptitude: (1 pt Merit)
You are naturally adept with all kinds of mechanical devices (note that this aptitude does not extend to electronic devices, such as computers). The difficulties of all dice rolls to understand, repair or operate any kind of mechanical device are reduce
d by two. However, this Merit doesn't help you drive any sort of vehicle.
Poison Resistance: (1 pt Merit)
You have, for some reason or another, become resistant to poisons. It could be that you are somehow naturally resistant or that you have spent years building up your resistance against all known types of poisons. Any time you need to make a soak roll a
gainst the effects of a poison or toxin, reduce your difficulty by 3.
Natural Linguist: (2 pt Merit)
You have a flair for languages. This Merit does not allow you to learn more languages than the number permitted by you Linguistics score, but you may add three dice to any Dice Pool involving languages (both written and spoken). This Merit is common am
ong Order of Hermes mages and Gypsies.
Daredevil (3 pt Merit)
You are good at taking risks, and are even better at surviving them. All difficulties are one less whenever you try something particularly dangerous, and you can ignore one botch result when you roll "ones" on such actions (you can cancel a single "ones
" on such actions (you can cancel a single "one" that is rolled, as if you have an extra success).
Fast Learner: (3 pt Merit)
You learn very quickly, and pick up on new things faster than most do. You gain one extra experience point at the conclusion of each story (not each game session).
Perfect Balance: (3 pt Merit)
Your sense of balance has achieved great heights by constant training of inherited traits. It is very unlikely that you will ever fall during your life. You may trip, but you will always catch yourself before you fully lose your footing or handhold.
This Merit functions for such actions as tightrope walking, crossing ice and climbing mountain sides. All difficulties involving such feats are reduced by 3. It would take a lot to push or shove a character off his feet if he has this Merit. This is v
ery appropriate for Akashic Brothers or Masters of Life magick.
Jack-Of-All-Trades: (5 pt Merit)
You have a large pool of miscellaneous skills and knowledge obtained through your extensive travels, the jobs you've held, or just all-around know-how. You automatically have one dot in all Skill and Knowledge Dice Pools. This is an illusory level, use
d only to simulate a wide range of abilities. If the character trains or spends experience in the Skill or Knowledge, he must pay the point cost for the first level a "second time" before raising the Skill or Knowledge to two dots.
Age: (1 pt Flaw)
You began your training in magick either very early in your life or very late. Maybe you were not discovered by anyone until you had already passed the usual age of students, but the Master, for whatever reason, chose to teach you anyway. Or perhaps so
mething about you intrigued your masters so much that they began your studies very early (see the Prodigy Merit). This age difference will cause people to react to you differently. If you are older than the norm, they may either think that you are more
skilled than you actually are (which could get you in over your head quickly) or think that you're a joke. If you're young, the older students may resent you or not take you seriously. ("You've got to be kidding. He's just a kid!") Increase the diffic
ulty of your Social rolls by 1 to 3 depending on the circumstances of you situation or the individual you are confronting.
Supernatural
These Merits and Flaws are different kinds of super natural benefits or detriments. Though rare, they are far more common among mages—who alter reality by their very presence—than among other beings. Because of the potential of these particular Traits,
the Storyteller may not allow you to choose from this category—ask before you choose one. Further more, you should not select such Traits unless they firmly fit your character concept, and you can explain why your character posses them. In general, we
do not recommend that anyone have more than one or two supernatural Merits or Flaws—they should be strictly controlled by the Storyteller.
Past Life: (1-5 pt Merit)
The mage can remember one or more of her previous
incarnations. This can be as simple as constant deja vu in
places known to her past lives, or as complex as conscious,
waking memories of being another person. In practical
terms, this means that the mage, and therefore the player,
knows slightly more about whatever situations the dead
memories contain. The mage might know her way around
the past life's hometown, or back away from her murderer
without knowing why. This is a good Background for
beginning players; the Storyteller can tell them that some-
thing they are about to do is stupid, dangerous, or both,
because even if the character wouldn't logically know that,
one of her past lives might. However, this Background
cannot be used to 'remember' Abilities; the character still
needs the Dream Background to do that.
The Storyteller can, and likely should, take the oppor-
tunity to flesh out one or more of these past selves with the
player. Unless the memory is very detailed, the character,
and probably the player, isn't likely to know everything
about that past. In fact, this half-and-half recollection is a
rich source of story ideas, particularly if any of the past lives
were Awakened themselves. This is fairly common for
those with "old souls" and powerful Avatars.
One point-Deja vu memories of one life
e Two points- Dreamy, vague memories of one life,
with deja vu from several lives
Three points- Vague memories of several lives and
one or two well-remembered impressions from one life
Four points- Several well-remembered impres-
sions from many lives
Five points- A clear but broken thread of memories
back to the Mythic Age and beyond...
True Love: (I pt Merit)
You have discovered, and possibly lost (at least tempo-
rarily) a true love. Nonetheless, this love provides joy in a
torrid existence usually devoid of such enlightened emo-
tions. Whenever you are suffering, in danger, or dejected,
the thought of your true love is enough to give you the
strength to persevere. In game terms, this love allows you
to succeed automatically on any Willpower roll, but only
when you are actively striving to protect or come closer to
your true love. Also, the power ofyour love may be powerful
enough to protect you from other supernatural forces
(Storyteller's discretion). However, your true love may also
be a hindrance and require aid (or even rescue) from time
to time. Be forewarned: this is a most exacting Merit to play
over the course of a chronicle.
Medium: (2 pt Merit)
You possess an affinity to sense and hear
spirits, ghosts and shades. Though you cannot see them
you feel their presence and are able to speak with them
when they are in the vicinity. It is even possible for you to
summon them (through pleading and cajoling) to your
presence. Spirits will not simply aid you or give you advice
for free- they will always want something in return. Mages
with both this Merit and the Spirit Sphere reduce the
difficulties of Spirit magick by two. Combining the Me-
dium Merit with the Spirit Magnet Merit will make your
life exceedingly interesting and problematic.
Danger Sense (2 pt Merit)
You have a sixth sense that warns you of danger. When
you are in danger, the Storyteller should make a secret roll
against your Perception + Alertness; the difficulty depends
on the remoteness of the danger. If the roll succeeds, the
Storyteller tells you that you have a sense of foreboding.
Multiple successes may refine the feeling and give an
indication of direction, distance or nature. This Merit is
more reliable and specific than rank one sensing effects; the
two can be combined to create an even more potent
warning system.
Faerie Affinity: (2 pt Merit)
Your presence does not frighten faeries; indeed,
it attracts them, and you are naturally attuned to their ~
You may even share some small amount of faerie blood.
Friendly fey might allow you to meditate at their circle once
in a while (though gods only know what effect this
have in the long run...).
Spirit Mentor: (3 pt Merit)
You have a ghostly companion and guide. This spirit is
able to employ a number of minor powers when it really
struggles to exert itself (see Haunted, below), but for the
most part, its benefit to you is through the advice it can
give This ghost is the incorporeal spirit of someone who
was once living, perhaps even someone particularly famous
or wise. The Storyteller will create the ghost character, but
will not reveal to you its full powers and potencies. Mentors
of this sort are not true Mentors of magick, but might give
special insights into aspects of Sleeper life that mages have
missed or forgotten. (Further ideas for this Merit can be
obtained from Wraith.)
WerewoIf/Vampire Companion
(3 pt Merit)
You have a friend and ally who just happens to be a
werewolf or vampire. Though you may call upon this being
in time of need, she also has the right to call upon you (after
all, you are friends). Neither your kind nor hers appreciate
such a relationship; while mages deal with the other Awak-
ened often, all sides share a healthy distrust of each other.
Your friend will not become a walking Quintessence bat-
tery for greedy mages. Such relationships often end badly....
The Storyteller will create the character in question, and
will not reveal its full powers and potencies.
Luck: (3 pt Merit)
You were born lucky: your Avatar guides your steps, or
maybe the Devil looks after his own. Either way, you can
repeat three failed non-magickal rolls per story. Only one
repeat attempt may be made on any single roll.
Twin Souls: (4 point Merit)
Your Avatar has been fragmented and has a "soulmate"
equal in power to your own Avatar and similar in Essence,
nature and Demeanor. This fragment may be possessed by
your physical twin (brother or sister, identical or other-
wise.),a look-alike, another mage, or a complete stranger-
possibly even a Sleeper. When in physical contact with
your soulmate (or spiritual contact, for actions in the
Umbra), the two may share Quintessence and use magick
as one (if both are mages), taking the highest ratings in
Arete and Spheres while gaining an additional measure of
quintessence equal to the strength of either individual.
The parts are greater than the whole. This joint pool must
replenished through meditation in a Node, like a regular
pool of Quintessence. Paradox points gained from joint
are not split, however, and each twin gains the same
amount of Paradox.
With only one level of Correspondence, you will
know where your soulmate is; with one dot in Life,
you will know his state of health; with one rank in Mind, you
may share thoughts. If one soulmate dies, the other must
make a willpower roll, difficulty 8, to avoid following you
due to psychic shock. She must wait also until her soulmate's
reincarnation before the power may again be shared.
Soulmates are not just walking Merits and must be pre-
presented and run as different characters, preferably by different players
in a group Also note that you do not have to get along with
Twin souls are distinct and separate individuals not
tag-team powerhouses, and Storytellers should feel free to
take over one half of a pair being played as one mind with
two bodies.
Unbondable (4 pt Merit)
You are immune to being Blood Bound. No matter
how much vampire blood you drink, you will never be
bound to one. This is exceedingly rare among mortals, and
the merit should be carefully considered by Storytellers
before it is allowed in the game.
Spark of life (5 point Merit)
The vitality of life flows within you with preternatural strength.
This lifeforce is so strong, in fact that all non-aggravated wounds
heal as though they were one wound level less; if you are injured you
will heal in three days what others heal in a week.
If in perfect health yourself, you may share your vitality
with others through the power of your touch. Anyone you
assist recovers at your accelerated rate, but if the person is
badly mauled or crippled, she will require months of con-
stant bedside nursing. If the possessor of this gift is proficient
in the Sphere of Life, he may heal aggravated wounds as if
they were non-aggravated. All difficulties with Life magic
for the purpose of healing, creation, growth or positive
change (repairing congenital defects, for example) are at -
2 when the touch is used. The mage's supernatural vitality
aids the effect. Verbena consider this merit to be the mark
of a born healer, while the Sons of Ether think it is a
recessive, albeit desirable, mutation.
On the downside, your blood is particularly tasty to
vampires, being twice as potent as most mortals, and you
regenerate on top of it. Vampires have names for people
like you - "Cornucopia," "Big Gulp," or simply "Mine!"
Sphere Natural: (5 pt. Merit)
You are able to utilize one of the Spheres of magick
with a greater degree of ease than other mages. In a previous
incarnation, you were extremely proficient in one of the
Spheres - so much so that your Avatar has managed to
draw a small portion of that knowledge through into this
lifetime.
Select a Sphere; when spending experience points to
gain levels in that Sphere, you pay three-quarter of the
normal cost. This Sphere must be declared during charac-
ter conception. Ofcourse, this Merit may only be purchased
once.
Guardian Angel: (6 pt. Merit)
Someone or something watches over you and protects
you from harm. You have no idea who or what it is, but you
have an idea that someone is looking out for you. In times
of great need, you may be supernaturally protected. How-
ever, one can never count upon a guardian angel . The
Storyteller must decide why you are being watched and
what is watching you (not necessarily an angel, despite the
name).
Avitar Companion: (7 pt. Merit)
You are in a cycle of reincarnation. However, every
time your corporeal form is reestablished, your Avatar has
to start its path back several paces. The world is a new place
once again, and even the Awakening can not bring back
the Knowledges the Avatar stored within a previous
incarnation. The strange thing about your passages through
the birth-death-rebirth cycle comes from the fact that your
Avatar has another lesser Avatar connected to it. This
fragment also enters the reincarnation cycle, follows your
Avatar through each incarnation, and often retains memo-
ries of its previous incarnation.
This companion will fight by the side of your Avatar
until death. For many companions, there is no real reason
to do this; the Avatar companion knows, however, that her
place in the way of things is to follow alongside your Avatar
and do just that.
The Storyteller creates and controls this other being in
whatever form it may take. Like other companion Merits,
this is a background benefit, not an opportunity to get two
characters for the price of one.
True Faith: (7 pt. Merit)
You have a deep-seated faith in and love for Cod, or
whatever name you choose to call the Almighty. You begin
the game with one point of Faith (a Trait with a range of 1 -
10). This Faith provides you with an inner strength and
comfort that continues to support you when all else betrays
you. This Merit is most common among members of the
Celestial Chorus. Although other factions may possess
Faith, Technomancers of any kind may not (and Faith in
Kibo does not count!).
Faith adds to Willpower rolls, giving + 1 to the Dice
Pool for each point in Faith. It does not affect magick use in any way, but may allow for some other form of outside intervention
(see, for example, Guardian Angel or Luck). Certain types of
mage may, at the Storyteller's discretion, reduce any Paradox
gained around Sleepers if those Sleepers share the mage's faith
(in effect, performing miracles before the faithful). The exact
supernatural effects of Faith, if any, are completely up to the
Storyteller, although it will typically repel vampires. (Basi
cally, the mage must make a Faith toll against a difficulty of the
vampire's Willpower to repel him. For more rules, see vam
pire Players Guide, pg. 30, or Hunters Hunted, pp.64-66
It will certainly vary from person to person, and will almost
never be obvious some of the most saintly people have
never performed a miracle greater than managing to ease the
suffering an injured soul. The nature of any miracles you do
perform will usually be tied to your own Nature, and you may
never realize that you have been aided by a force beyond
yourself.
An additional benefit of True Faith is innate
countermagick. This effect will not work for mages(theo
ries about the reason for this vary), but can add a dangerous
wrinkle to fanatical witch-hunters or enemy Acolytes
Each point of True Faith grants one die of
countermagick. A mage, therefore, facing a hunter with 5
points of True Faith stands a slim chance of sending
powerful effects against him.
True Faith is a rare attribute in this day and age. No one
may start the game with more than one Faith Point.
Additional points are only awarded at the Storytellers
discretion, based on appropriate behavior and deeds.
Spirit Magnet: (3-7 pt Merit or 2-6 pt Flaw)
Spirits congregate at location in the Umbra that par
allels your position in the Realm. You do not know of their
presence unless you possess the first Rank of the Spirit
Sphere or have been alerted by others that do. Spirits are
there because they like being around the Quintessence that
forms your physical body's Pattern or your Avatar. These
spirits often fight amongst themselves for various reasons-
the spirits are enemies, they all want to be around the
character's heart or brain, they want to protect the charac-
ter they want to kill the character, etc.
Some of these spirits might remain within the Spirit
Realms in areas that correlate with the physical space that
makes up a mage's Pattern in the physical world. (Some
areas in the Spirit Realms correlate to physical locations.)
These spirits affect the behavior and appearance of the
character. If there are evil spirits within the character's
spirit form, the character will slowly be twisted into doing
evil acts unless the proper procedures are taken to remove
these blights from the character's Avatar. If good spirits
possess the "spirit" form, they will be likely to help the
character out in appropriate situations. Also note that
there is a distinction between spirits and wraiths.
-If the Spirit Magnet is a Merit, benign spirits will
flock about the Umbra in area (of the Penumbra) that
corresponds to the character's physical location. They will do
what they can to alert the character to dangers within the Umbra
If the character is about to unknowingly perform an act that
is "evil," the spirits will do their best to alert the character
of that fact. If these spirits are destroyed, others will soon
arrive to take their place.
~ Spiritual Magnet is a Flaw, malignant spirits
the same location. They seek to taint the character with
evil thoughts and pollute the Umbra about the location.
Evil spirits will often taunt characters and try to annoy
mage at the worst of times. Other mages will notice this
and no amount of magicks will keep these spirits away for
long.
The number of freebie points spent or gained affects
the level of spirit involvement with the character and other
spirits within the Umbra. For more information on the
Umbra, see book Three of the BOS, Umbra: The Velvet
Shadow, and Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Second Edition.
Strangeness (I pt. Flaw)
Reality stranger for you. Once per game
session the storyteller will choose one of your Spheres,
at random and roll for a bizarre coincidental
effect, if the roll succeeds something unusual involving the
Sphere will happen for no apparent reason. For instance,
Mind 3 could result in a mage getting a visit from a
telepathic dog, picking up Mexican radio stations in his
head or hearing thoughts from a passing serial killer.
If the roll fails, the strangeness passes. If the roll botches,
Paradox descends on the mage, pushing him a little closer
towards Quiet. This Flaw can alter the tone of a campaign;
therefore, allowing a character to take it should require the
approval of not only the Storyteller, but also the other
players in the group.
Throwback: (1-5 pt Flaw)
One or more of your past lives still affects you... badly.
Their fears come back to haunt you in your dreams, and you
have flashbacks of their worst memories (such as their
death, or, even worse, a personality that encroaches on
your own). For bad dreams or flashbacks, take one to two
points depending on the severity of the condition and how
much it will affect your studies or performance in dangerous
situations. For a "roommate in your head," take three
points (whether you know he exists or not). For the
package deal and a truly miserable existence, take 5 points,
but expect the Storyteller to take every opportunity to use
these against you. This Flaw can be "worked off" during the
course of play, but only with difficulty.
Echoes: (1-5 pt. Flaw)
The beliefs of the unawakened affect you more strongly
than they do most mages. Depending on where you are at
any given time, the superstitious beliefs of the Sleepers
around you can actually become your reality. The severity
of the Echoes differs from mage to mage- for some, there
is only minor inconvenience, but for others, the situation
can be deadly. In some cases, the beliefs of the Sleepers can
be beneficial, but they are most often harmful in some way.
_ Very minor: While you are not truly affected by the
Echoes, you have an affect on the nature of reality in the
area. For example, milk may sour in your presence, or bread
does not rise while you are in a kitchen. (1 pt)
_ Mild: Echoes of this level can be an inconvenience,
sometimes physically and sometimes mentally. For ex-
ample, dogs have a tendency to growl when you are around;
you could be physically incapable of entering a person 5
home without permission (anyone at all can invite you in,
it need not be the owner of the property); horses break into
a hard sweat when you are nearby. (2 pts.)
_ Noticeable: The flaws are easily noticed by those
with a trained eye. You are easily distracted by religious
symbols of any nature; you develop a sudden allergy to salt;
your hair moves opposite the breeze. (3 pts.)
_ Distracting: You have trouble concentrating when
people act a certain way around you, and people of a
superstitious nature will not trust you without the aid of
magick. You may be affected by the "evil eye"; anyone
casting this gesture in your direction is unaffected by your
powers; certain herbs and home remedies have the same
affect on you; you cast no shadow, or your shadow moves of
its own volition. (4 pts.)
_ Powerful: You are still able to alter reality, but you
are now susceptible to the whims of the collective uncon-
scious. Also, you now affect reality without trying. The
beliefs of the area where you are currently located can grant
you extra powers and cause you physical changes. You
might not sink in water, you float; physically touching the
ground can cause you pain; those who are "psychically
aware" are thrown into convulsions in your presence and
often speak in tongues. (5 pts)
Cursed: (1-5 pt Flaw)
You have been cursed by someone or something with
supernatural or magical powers. This curse is specific and
detailed. It cannot be dispelled without extreme effort, and
it can be life-threatening. Some examples follow:
_ If you pass on a secret that was told to you, your
betrayal will later harm you in some way. (I pt.)
_ You stutter uncontrollably when you try to describe
what you have seen or heard. (2 pt.)
_ Tools often break or malfunction when you attempt
to use them. (3 pts.)
_ You are doomed to make enemies of those to whom
you become most attached (so whatever you do, don't get
too close to the other characters!). (4 pts.)
_ Every one of your accomplishments or achievements
will eventually, inevitably, become soiled and fail in some
way. (5 pts.)
Magickal Prohibition or Imperative: (2-7 point Flaw)
There is something you must or must not do, and your
life, your luck, your magic and perhaps your very soul
depends on it. It may be something that has always been
upon you, a geas prophesied by druids at your birth, a sacred
oath or vow you swore, or a promise or bargain you made,
and Someone (with a capital S) witnessed it and is going to
hold you to it. If you disobey, the consequences are dire, if
not deadly.
For example, Dominic De Woolfe is forbidden to ever
harm a wolf, the totem shape chosen by his Avatar. A
crazed Nephandi discovers this and pulls a rabid wolf out of
his hat. Dominic then has the choice of violating his geas
or getting bitten by a rabid wolf. He chooses to shoot both
the wolf and the Nephandi, and, as a result, his Avatar
deserts him, leaving him a mortal without the ability to do
magic.
Characters may have several magical prohibitions or
imperatives, and these may come into conflict. In Celtic
myth, Cuchulainn had the geasa to "Never refuse hospital-
ity" and "Never eat dog meat." Three hags once offered him
roast dog for dinner, and Cuchulainn died soon after.
Consequently, most mages keep their magical prohibitions
and imperatives secret, lest they be used against them by
enemy mages. Perversely, geasa curses and sacred oaths are
also marks of great status among certain Traditions, espe
40 The Book of Shadows: The Mage Players Guide
cially the Verbena and Dreamspeakers, who accord status
to mages with such Flaws as if each were extra points of
Destiny. Simply put, unimportant people don't have geasa
or family curses.
Storytellers should examine each prohibition or im-
perative and assign a point value to it, as well as to the
punishment for violating it. Easily avoided circumstances,
such as "Never break bread with a red-haired man," are
worth 1 point, while more common, or difficult, things,
such as "Stop and pet every cat you see," are worth 2 points,
and particularly drastic or dangerous circumstances, such as
"Never back down from a fight," are worth 3 (or more)
points. Consequences are worth points as well. Automati-
cally botching the next major spell you do is worth 1 point,
having bad luck for the rest of your life is worth 2, losing all
your friends and worldly possessions is worth 3, dying is
worth 4, and being deserted by your Avatar is worth 5.
Characters and Storytellers may come up with variants of
these.
Traditionally, there is very little that may be done
about geasa, which are simply facets of one's Destiny, and
curses are devilishly hard to lift (and the Flaw must be
bought off if they are). Characters who accidentally violate
them may attempt to atone for their crime, fixing whatever
they did wrong. A witch who has vowed to never eat any
red meat, and then suddenly finds ham in her pea soup,
might be able to atone for the trespass by fasting and
sending checks to PETA. However, if a mage violates an
oath willingly and with full knowledge - and survives -
he becomes an oathbreaker, one of the foulest epithets
among the Traditions. Oathbreakers are psychically marked.
It is virtually impossible for them to find a tutor or any sort
of aid. Some Traditions, notably the Order of Hermes and
the Verbena, kill them on sight, numbering them among
the Nephandi, whose dark paths of power are the only ones
left open to them.
Characters who wish to begin as oathbreakers should,
take Dark Fate or some Curse, as well as the Flaw:'
Oathbreaker, worth 4 points.
The Bards Tongue: (I point F1~w)
You speak the truth, uncannily so. Things you say tend
to come true. This is not a facility for blessing or cursing, or
an Effect that can be ruled by any conscious control (use
Time 3 instead). However, at least once per story, an
uncomfortable truth regarding any current situation will'
appear in your head and come out your lips. To avoid
speaking prophecy, the owner of this 'gift' must expend
Willpower point and take a wound level from the strain
resisting (especially if he bites a hole in his tongue).
Primal marks: (2 point F1aw)
You have an Avatar of the Primordial essence-some
totem or god of legend. If the totem spirit is an animal, you
strongly resemble what one would look like in human form
so much that people who don't even know you call you
"Bear", "Moose" or "Raven." If the Avatar is some well
known god or hero, you look just like people would expect
him to, including any particular deformities (though you
do get extra points for those). You look the part so much
that anyone can guess your nature at a glance, and there is
some danger in that, especially if your Avatar has legendary
enemies (and most do). Your Avatar will also require you
~ protect its species if it is an animal, or finish up its
unfinished agenda if it is some god or hero.
Haunted: (3 pt Flaw)
You are haunted by a ghost that only you (and Medi-
ums) can see and hear. It actively dislikes you and enjoys
making your life miserable by insulting, berating and dis-
tracting you, especially when you need to keep your cool.
It also has a number of minor powers it can use against you
(once per story for each power): hiding small objects;
bringing "chill" over others, making them very ill at ease
with you; causing a loud buzzing in your ear or the ears of
others; moving a small object such as a knife or pen;
breaking a fragile item such as a bottle or mirror; tripping
tripping you, or making eerie noises, such as chains rattling. Yelling
at the ghost can sometimes drive it away, but it will confuse
those who are around you. The Storyteller will likely
personify the ghost in order to make things all the more
interesting for you. (More ideas for this Flaw can be obtained
from Wraith.)
Sphere Inept: (5 p1. Flaw)
You are unable to utilize the magicks of one of the
Spheres. This is not due to the fact that you have not yet
been trained in the particular Sphere of magick. You are
denied access to this Sphere because your Avatar has been
'crippled' in some way. No matter how much time you
spend trying to correct the problem, you are unable to
remedy it. You will be forever disconnected from the mystic
Sphere selected. Discovering the cause of this 'injury'
might become a character's long-term goal. Perhaps some
sort of 'penance' could be found to eventually buy this Flaw
off. This effect could have been generated by the mage
being put through a lesser Gilgul in a previous incarnation.
The Sphere of Ineptitude must be declared during charac-
ter conception.
Psychic Vampire: (5 point Flaw)
The spark of Life is dying within you and must be
continually fed from outside forces. You are a psychic
vampire. Plants and insect life wither or die in your pres-
ence as you feed on their energies, and any person you
touch for more than an hour will suffer one non-aggravated
Health Level as you siphon away his life. Those already
injured (including those whose Bruised Health Level has
been sucked away) will not heal while in your presence.
You can still be in the same building without harming
someone, but sharing a bed is not possible unless you want
the other person to slowly die. If you do not feed the
emptiness within yourself at least once a day, you will begin
to die. The rate at which you take wounds follows the
progression for natural healing in reverse: you take a Health
Level after one day, a second in three days, a third in a week,
a fourth in a month, and, finally, one wound every three
months.
Mages with this Flaw who possess the Sphere of Life
have a -2 on all difficulties with Effects designed to damage,
stunt, destroy or corrupt a living thing when the healing
touch is used. For each Health Level done in this matter,
however, a Health Level caused to the mage as the result of
life-energy starvation may be healed, or, if the mage has not
gone without, the dying flame may be sated for an addi-
tional hour per Level done. While a psychic vampire is
bloated with Life energies, he will not automatically cause
death and injury to those around him. The Verbena and the
Celestial Chorus both find this Flaw to be a mark of
extreme evil, best dealt with by the extermination of the
one possessing it, while the Nephandi actively recruit those
with this dark blessing. On the plus side, vampires find your
blood completely lacking in sustenance.
Dark Fate: (5 pt Flaw)
You are doomed to experience a most horrible demise
or, worse, suffer eternal agony. No matter what you do,
someday you will be put out of the picture. In the end, all your
efforts, your struggles and your dreams will come to naught.
Your fate is certain, and there is nothing you can do about
it. Even more ghastly, you have partial knowledge of this,
for you occasionally have visions ofyour fate- and they are
most disturbing. The malaise these visions inspire in you
can only be overcome through the use of Willpower, and
the malaise will return after each vision. At some point in
the chronicle, you will indeed face your fate, but when and
how is completely up to the Storyteller. Though you can't
do anything about your fate, you can still attempt to reach
some goal before it occurs, or at least try to make sure that
your friends are not destroyed as well. This is a difficult Flaw
to roleplay; though it may seem as if it takes away all free
will, we have found that, ironically, it grants freedom.
Combining this Flaw with the Destiny Background is very
appropriate- Elric and Vanyel are classic literary ex-
amples.
Mage Ties
These Merits and Flaws deal with the place, position
and status of a character within mage society. These need
not only apply to Tradition mages; the Technocracy and
Nephandi (and perhaps even the Marauders) have internal
politics with which they must contend.
Boon: (1-3 pt Merit)
One point would indicate a relatively minor boon, while
three points would indicate that the Master probably owes
you his life.
Prestigious Mentor: (I pt Merit)
Your Mentor had or has great Status among your
Tradition, and this has accorded you a peculiar honor.
Most treat you respectfully as a result, while some have only
contempt for you, believing you to be nothing compared to
them. This prestige could greatly aid you when dealing with
elders acquainted with your Mentor. Indeed, your Mentor 5
contacts may actually approach you at some point offering
aid. Although your Mentor might no longer have contact
with you, the simple fact of your apprenticeship has marked
you forever.
Reputation: (2 pt Merit)
You have a good reputation among the mages of your
Tradition. This may be your own reputation, or it may be
derived from your Mentor. Add three dice to any Dice
Pools involving social dealings with others of your Chantry
or Tradition. A character with this Merit may not take the
Flaw: Notoriety.
Enemy: (1-5 pt Flaw)
You have an enemy, or perhaps a group of enemies.
Someone wants to harm you. The value of the Flaw deter-
mines these enemies are. The most powerful
enemies (Masters or elder vampires) would be five point
Flaws, while someone nearer to your own power would be
worth only one point. You must decide who your enemy is
and how you earned such enmity in the first place.
Infamous Mentor: (I pt Flaw)
Your Mentor was, and perhaps still is, distrusted and
disliked by many of your fellow mages. As a result, you are
distrusted and disliked as well. This is a heavy load, and one
not easily shed.
Insane Mentor: (I pt Flaw)
Your Mentor has completely lost his grip on consen-
sual reality, and has become lost in Quiet or dangerously
insane. Any wrong committed by your Mentor may affect
your reputation, and some of your Mentor's dangerous
schemes may somehow involve you. This Flaw does not
apply to Marauders.
Mentor's Resentment: (I pt Flaw)
Your Mentor dislikes you and wishes you ill. Given the
smallest opportunity, your Mentor will seek to do you
harm, and may even attack you if provoked. Your Mentors
friends will also work against you. Good luck!
Twisted Apprenticeship: (I pt Flaw)
Your Mentor was quite malevolent and taught you all
the wrong things about mage society. Your concepts of
Chantry politics are all wrong, and your faulty beliefs are
likely to get you into a great deal of trouble. Over time, after
many hard lessons, you can overcome this bad start (the
Storyteller will tell you when). But until then, you will
continue to believe what you were first told, no matter how
others try to "trick" you into thinking otherwise.
Diabolic Mentor: (2 pt Flaw)
Your Mentor is engaged in acts that could cause a
tremendous uproar. She could be wantonly ignoring Proto-
cols, causing havoc with vulgar magick and Paradox, dealing
with Nephandi or torturing captured Technomancers.
Plenty of folks are after your Mentor's hide, and your skin
may be tarred with the same brush.
Notoriety: (3 pt Flaw)
You have a bad reputation among your peers; perhaps
you violated the Protocols once too often, or belong to an
unpopular Chantry. There is a two dice penalty to all dice
rolls for social dealings with associated mages. A character
with this Flaw may not take the Merit: Reputation.
Sleeper 'Society
These Merits and Flaws deal with the influence, power
and station of a character among the Sleepers. Some of
them correspond very closely to certain Background Traits
(such as Influence and Resources), while others simply
elaborate and expand upon them. The Backgrounds give
you more creative freedom, while the Merits provide you
with exact details of what you possess.
Such Influence is common among the upper ranks of
the Technocracy, but Tradition mages and even Nephandi
may share it. Mages with their fingers embedded too deeply
in these pies may find themselves crossing swords with
vampires, who exert a constant influence on the lives of the
mortals around them.
Black Market Ties: (1-5 pt Merit)
You have special ties to the underground shopping
network, ties that help you acquire hard-to-find equip-
ment. This Merit adds + I die per point to your Streetwise
roll when trying, for instance, to obtain black market
goods. Difficulties for such rolls are left up to the
storyteller (typically 7 or higher). The point cost reflects
how connected you may be. The Storyteller may allow
you to use your Black Market connections during the game
to provide you with needed or useful equipment. Such
connections will not simply hand you whatever you want
-- such things don't come cheap! It is up to the Storyteller
to determine the quantity, quality and availability of the
equipment. He may feel free to disallow it entirely if such
connections would unbalance the game.
One point- Small items: ammo, low-clearance ID
badges, good software
_ Two points- Average items: guns, hi-tech soft-
ware, special ammo
_ Three points- Fancy items: antique cars, explo-
sives, automatic weapons
e Four points- Hefty items: heavy weapons, high-
security IDs or access codes
_ Five points- "Yeah, right. Maybe next game.": hi-
tech military weapons, high explosives, military vehicles
Judicial Ties: (2 pt Merit)
You have both influence over and contacts in the
justice system. You know most of the judges as well as the
attorneys in the prosecutor's department, and can affect
the progress of various cases and trials with limited diffi-
culty. Though it is difficult to intervene in a case, you can
influence it in one direction or another. These ties can also
make it easy to acquire search warrants.
Mansion: (3 pt Merit)
You own a large mansion- a home with 25 or more
rooms- as well as the surrounding estate. The servants, if
you have any, are provided for if you choose this Merit,
although they cannot be used as Acolytes (Allies) unless
you purchase the appropriate Background. The mansion is
assumed to have the most current electronic security avail-
able and a fence around the perimeter, but has no ties to
Nodes or Horizon Realms (see the Chantry Background for
such a place). While the mansion can be in as poor or as
good a shape as you wish, the more inhabited it appears to
be, the more attention it will garner. A ghost house won't
attract IRS audits, but it may attract police scrutiny if bands
of strange kids hang out there.
Media Ties: (2 pt Merit)
You have both influence over and contacts in the local
media. You can suppress and create news stories (though
not always with 100 percent efficiency; journalists are an
unruly bunch) and you have access to the files and gossip of
the staffs of newspapers and TV stations. Common among
agents of the N.W.O. and Virtual Adepts.
Nightclub: (2 pt Merit)
You own a moderate-sized nightclub, perhaps one of
the hottest nightspots in the city. This club brings in
enough money to support you in moderate luxury ($1000 a
month, but it can grow), but more important than the
money is the prestige. You may use the nightclub as your
Chantry, or you may simply hang out there. The name of
the nightclub, its style, design and its regular patrons are all
up to you. Variations on this theme could include: a
restaurant, theater, comedy club, sports arena or retail
store.
Church Ties: (3 pt Merit)
You have influence and contacts in some local churches,
and have the means to create protest rallies, help the needy
or raise money. The more you use your ties, of course, the
greater your risk of being discovered. This is appropriate for
the Celestial Chorus and, perversely, the Nephandi.
Corporate Ties: (3 pt Merit)
You have both influence over and contacts in the local
corporate community. You understand the dynamics of
money in the city and have links with all the major players.
In times of need, you can cause all sorts of financial
mayhem, and can raise considerable amounts of money (in
the form of loans) in a very short period of time. Common
among Technomancers, and almost obligatory in the Syn-
dicate.
Entertainment Ties: (3 pt Merit)
You have a degree of fame and influence in the local
entertainment scene (music, theatre, dance, S.C.A., etc.).
Either you own or manage a good venue or site or you have
some notoriety among both peers and fans. You can exert
this influence to ferret out information, or buy favors. This
is especially useful when searching for Acolytes or attempt-
ing unsubtle magick under the right circumstances ("But
he's a stage magician! He's always doing stuff like that.").
For 5 points, this fame can become nationwide (Is David
Copperfield really working for the Order of Hermes?).
Police Ties: (3 pt Merit)
You have both influence over and contacts in the local
police department. You can, with a single phone call, cause
an APB to be issued. However, the more often you use your
ties with the police department, the weaker they become,
and the more attention you attract toward yourself. Your
influence is not solid (that can be achieved only through
game play), and it can let you down at times.
Political Ties: (3 pt Merit)
You have both influence over and contacts among the
politicians and bureaucrats of the city. In times of need, you
can shut off the power and water to a building or neighbor-
hood, and can unleash many different means of harassment
against your enemies. The more you use your political ties,
the weaker they become. Total control can only be achieved
through game play. Syndicate and N.W.O. mages often
have this Merit.
Underworld Ties: (3 pt Merit)
You have both influence over and contacts in the local
Mafia and organized street gangs. This provides you with
limited access to large numbers of "soldiers," as well as
extensive links to the underworld of crime. The more often
you use your ties with the criminal element, the weaker
they grow.
Corporation CEO: (5 p1 Merit)
You have a particular influence and sway over a major
corporation and associated companies, just as if you were its
chief executive officer. Indeed, you might have owned this
company before your Awakening, and you have retained
your control. Through this corporation, you know much
that takes place in the corporate community and have the
means to wage economic welfare. This Merit provides you
with some informal Allies and Resources, the exact extent
of which are determined by the Storyteller. This is a
common Merit for Technocracy higher-ups.
Ward: (3 pt Flaw)
You are devoted to the protection of a Sleeper. You
may describe your ward, though the Storyteller will actu-
ally create her. This character may be a friend or relative
from your pre-Awakened days, or just a good friend. Aco
lytes do not count as Wards, as they "pay their own way.
wards have a talent for getting caught up in the action of
stories, and they're frequent targets of a character's en-
emies
Haunted: (4 pt Flaw)
Vampires and werewolves are not the only Awakened
who need to fear fanatical witch-hunters (see "The Rule of
Shade "'in Book Three). You have somehow attracted the
interest of some Sleeper agency (perhaps controlled by the
Technocracy or Nephandi) or individual who now seeks
your destruction. This hunter is beyond reason and has
some form of power, influence or authority that puts you at
a disadvantage. Your friends, family and associates are
likewise endangered. Sooner or later, this Flaw will result in
a confrontation. The resolution should not be an easy one.
Physical
These Merits and Flaws deal with your health and
physical makeup. Life 3 can recreate these Merits or fix
these flaws to a degree, but the limitations of the Better
body apply.
Double-jointed: (I pt Merit)
You are unusually supple. Reduce the difficulty of any
Dexterity roll involving body flexibility by two. Squeezing
through a tiny space is one example of a use for this Merit.
Huge Size: (4 pt Merit)
You are abnormally large in size, possibly over seven
feet tall and 400 pounds in weight. You therefore have one
additional Health Level, and are able to suffer more harm
before you are incapacitated. Treat this as an extra Health
level with no penalties to rolls
Allergic: (1-4 pt Flaw)
You are allergic to some substance pollen, animal fur,
alcohol, chocolate, etc. For one point, you get hives, sneeze or
become dizzy upon prolonged contact with your bane; for two
points, you swell up uncomfortably in the affected area,
reducing all Dice Pools by one; for three points, your reaction
actually incapacitates you, reducing appropriate Dice Pools by
three. If the substance is really common in your chronicle, add
an additional point to this Flaw.
Asthma: (I p1 Flaw)
You have difficulty performing strenuous tasks because
you cannot breathe properly. With asthma, your lungs only
pull in a fraction of the air that normal lungs require. Any
time that you exert yourself, you must make a Stamina roll
against difficulty of6 or be unable to perform any action on
the next round while you catch your breath.
Short: (I p1 Flaw)
You are well below average height, and have trouble
seeing over high objects and moving quickly. You suffer a
two dice penalty to all pursuit rolls, and you and the
Storyteller should make sure your height is taken into
account in all situations. In some circumstances, this will
give you a concealment bonus.
Disfigured: (2 pt Flaw)
A hideous disfigurement makes you ugly and easy to
notice or remember, You therefore have a zero Appear-
ance. Common among the Nephandi and some particularly
bizarre Technomancers.
Child: (3 p1 Flaw)
You were a small child at the time of your Awakening
(see "Child Mages" in Book Three). You may be preco-
cious, but you're still just a kid. You have the Flaw: Short
(see above), and find it difficult to be taken seriously by
others (two dice penalty to all relevant rolls). Additionally,
you may be subject to parental control, cuffews and child
labor and truancy laws. Few clubs will admit you, because
you are "underage."
Deformity: (3 p1 Flaw)
You have some kind of deformity - a misshapen limb,
a hunchback or whatever- that affects your interactions
with others and may inconvenience you physically. The
difficulties of all dice rolls related to physical appearance
are raised by two. Your deformity will also raise the diffi-
culty of some Dexterity rolls by two, depending on the type
of deformity you possess.
Lame: (3 pt Flaw)
Your legs are injured or otherwise prevented from
working effectively. You suffer a two dice penalty to all dice rolls related to movement. A character may not take this flaw along with the Merit: Double-Jointed.
One Arm:(3 pt Flaw)
You have only one arm—choose which, or determine randomly at character creation. This could be a battle scar, birth defect or other form of injury. It is assumed that you are accustomed to using your remaining hand, so you suffer no off hand pena
lty. However, you do suffer a two dice penalty to any Dice Pool where two hands would normally be needed to perform the task. A character may not take this Flaw along with the Merit:Ambidextrous.
Mute: (4 pt Flaw)
Your vocal apparatus does not function, and you cannot speak at all. You can communicate through other means—typically writing, Mind magick, or sighning.
Paraplegic: (6 pt Flaw)
You can hardly move without assistance, such as a pair of crutches or a wheelchair. Even then it can be painful and cumbersome to do so. The storyteller and you should take care to rollplay this flaw correctly, no matter how difficult it makes
things. A character may not take this Flaw along with the Merit: Double-Jointed.