Additional Discipline (4/5 pt. Merit): You have the ability to learn an additional discipline without a teacher, at the in-clan costs. Your starting discipline levels may be in this discipline. For 4 points, you may select any Discipline from the list of Disciplines available to Caitiff, and can teach it to others. For 5 points, you can have any Discipline (subject to Storyteller approval) but cannot teach it to others.

 

Arcanist (5 pt. Merit): Through study you have managed to teach yourself a path of vampiric magic. You may purchase one path of Thaumaturgy at the in-clan cost, but can't teach it to others unless they too possess this merit or are of clan Tremere.

 

Beacon of the Unholy (2 pt. Flaw): You radiate palpable evil that everyone around you feels, and clergy and devout mortals can sense that something is horribly wrong with you. You cannot enter churches or other places of worship, as they repel you automatically.

 

Can't Cross Running Water (3 pt. Flaw): You cannot cross running water unless you are at least 50 feet above it ("running water" is any body of water more than 2 feet wide in any direction and not completely stagnant - underground water, such as sewers, don't count). A Kindred with this flaw obviously believes too much in old wives' tales.

 

Cast No Reflection (1 pt. Flaw): You actually cast no reflection, just like the vampires of legend (can have a very detrimental effect when trying to pass as human). Vampires of Clan Lasombra automatically have this flaw (and you may be mistaken for one of them if you possess this).

 

Charmed Existance (5 pt. Merit): Your unlife is somehow protected and you do not face the perils that others must. It could be that you are simply lucky - whatever the reason, you may ignore a single "1" on every roll that you make. This makes it far less likely that you will ever botch and grants you more successes than others obtain.

 

Cursed (1-5 pt. Flaw): A powerful curse affects you, the number of points taken in this flaw determining the power and tenacity of the curse.

Danger Sense (2 pt. Merit): You have a sixth sense that warns you of danger (when in danger the Storyteller should secretly roll Per + Alertness, difficulty depending upon 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). If combined with Heightened Senses (Auspex 1) this can be a very potent warning.

 

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 out of the picture. In the end, all your efforts, struggles, and 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 of your fate - and they are most disturbing. The malaise these visions inspire in you can only be overcome through the use of Willpower and will return after each vision, and at some point in the chronicle you will face your fate (how and when 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 to take away all free will, it also ironically grants freedom.

 

Destiny (4 pt. Merit): You have a great destiny, though you may not realize it (the destiny becomes more apparent as the chronicle continues). Prophecies and dreams guide your way and grant you clues to your ultimate goal. The sense of direction and security granted by this feeling of destiny helps you overcome fear, depression, and discouragement caused by anything not relevant to your destiny. Until your destiny is fulfilled you may suffer setbacks, but nothing will thwart you permanently (how this is played is up to the Storyteller).

 

Eerie Presence (2 pt. Flaw): Other people get a strange feeling when they are around you - you seem to make others very uncomfortable, especially animals and mortals. You have -2 dice in any social situation.

 

Enchanting Voice (2 pt. Merit): You have an almost magical voice, beautiful beyond words. You may add two dice to all rolls directly involving the use of your voice, such as leadership, seduction, singing, and the like. Depending upon the circumstances, the Storyteller may allow you to use two extra dice when making any type of roll involving Presence.

 

Faerie Affinity (2 pt. Merit): Your presence does not frighten faeries - instead it attracts them, and you are naturally attuned to their ways. You are able, unlike most Kindred, to enter Arcadia, the mystical kingdom of the faeries, provided you find an entrance.

 

Grip of the Damned (4 pt. Flaw): There is no ecstasy in your embrace - only terror and pain. Mortals upon whom you feed struggle and shriek all the while as you attempt to feed, requiring you to grapple with them for as long as you wish to take their blood. For vampires with a high Humanity this may require a Conscience roll, at the Storyteller's discretion.

 

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. However, one can never count upon a guardian angel - the Storyteller must decide why you are being watched over and by what (not necessarily and angel, despite the name).

 

Haunted (3 pt. Flaw): You are haunted by a ghost that only you (and Mediums) can see and hear. It actively dislikes you and enjoys making your life miserable by insulting, berating, and distracting you - especially when you need to keep your cool. The ghost also has a number of minor powers it can use against you (once per story for each power): hide small objects; bring a "chill" over others, making them very ill-at-ease with you; cause a loud buzzing (in your or another's ears); move a small objects like a knife or pen; break a fragile object such as a bottle or mirror; trip you; or make eerie noises such as chains rattling.

   Yelling at the ghost can sometimes drive it away, but will confuse those around you. The Storyteller will likely personify the ghost in order to make things all the more frustrating for you.

 

Innate Magical Ability (5 pt. Merit): You have some sort of magical ability that makes you unique, this being different from any normal vampiric power or Discipline. The exact nature of the ability should remain somewhat mysterious to you, though you have some say in what the ability is. The ability has an estimated power level similar to a level 3 Discipline.

 

Inoffensive to Animals (1 pt. Merit): Animals do not fear or distrust you the way they do most Kindred. They treat you as they would any mortal and do not shy from your touch.

 

Light Sensitive (5 pt. Flaw): You are even more sensitive to sunlight than other vampires are. Sunlight causes double normal damage, and even moonlight (reflected light of the sun) harms you (even bright lights can be painful, though sunglasses will mitigate this). When the moon is shining the light it casts will cause wounds in the same way that sunlight does for normal Kindred (though this is only lethal damage, not aggravated, and may be healed normally). Remember: even on nights when the moon is full, it may have already set when you venture outside (or be obscured by clouds).

 

Luck (3 pt. Merit): You were born lucky - or else the Devil looks after his own. Either way, you can repeat three failed rolls per story (not botches, and only one repeat attempt may be made on any single roll).

 

Lunar Influence (1 pt. Merit): The moon has an unusually strong effect on you. During periods of the new moon, your Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina are cut in half (round down). During periods of the full moon, your Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina are increased by half again (round up). During the waxing and waning phases the Attributes are normal.

 

Magic Resistance (2 pt. Merit): You have an inherent resistance to the rituals of the Tremere and the spells of the Mages of other creeds and orders. The user has a +2 difficulty when using all such magic, both malicious and beneficent, against you (you may never learn the Discipline of Thaumaturgy).

 

Magic Sensitivity (1 pt. Merit): You have a supernatural gift that allows you to know if any magic is in use or has been used recently within a 10-ft radius of yourself. This includes all supernatural Disciplines as well. How much you know about the magic depends upon the number of successes you roll using your Perception + Occult (difficulty 8).

 

Magic Susceptibility (2 pt. Flaw): You are susceptible to the rituals of the Tremere and the spells of the Mages of other creeds and orders. The user has a -2 difficulty when using all such magic, both malicious and beneficent, upon you (and they will always have twice the normal effect upon you).

 

Medium (2 pt. Merit): You posses a natural affinity to sense, see and hear spirits. You can speak with them if they are in the area, and even occasionally summon them to your presence through pleading and cajoling. You can call upon them for aid or advice, but there will always be a price.

 

Mystic Ability (2 pt. Merit): For some reason you have visions. These are not necessarily precognitive, but like precognition the visions occur outside your control. You may make yourself more sensitive to them through ascetic practices, but you can never consciously induce a vision. Then again, you may have a vision as you are walking down the street minding your own business. Unlike Precognition, the visions are always steeped in symbolism and they apply only to your own unlife. The particulars of how and when this merit works are left to the Storyteller.

 

Nine Lives (6 pt. Merit): Fate has granted you the opportunity to come as close to Final Death as anyone can get and still survive. You basically have nine lives. If a situation arises in which you should be killed, you actually survive, though you may be the worse for wear. If a roll occurs that would kill the character, it is rolled a second time (another can me made and so forth, until the roll would not kill the Vampire or the merit is used up). You get nine opportunities to make rerolls, and these are never replaced after they have been used - once gone they are gone forever. A list should be kept somewhere to record how many rerolls have been made.

 

Occult Library (2 pt. Merit): You possess a library of occult materials, which may include at least one version of The Book of Nod. You are not necessarily familiar with the contents of these volumes of knowledge (that is a function of your Abilities), but in times of need your library can be an invaluable source for research.

 

Oracular Ability (3 pt. Merit): You see signs and omens in everyday life. You are able to understand many magical portents that are revealed to people every day, but are seen by few and interpreted by less. You are able to draw advice from these omens, for they provide hints of the future and warnings for the present. Seeing an omen or sign requires a Perception + Occult roll (difficulty depending upon how well hidden it is - the most obvious have a 5 difficulty). Once the sign has been seen it must be interpreted (Intelligence + Occult roll, a 6 difficulty is typical). The number of successes determines how much meaning can be gleaned from the sign.

 

Precognition (4 pt. Merit): You have the ability to perceive events before they happen. This ability is not under your control. The premonitions come to you when you least expect them, and the focus of your premonitions is not under your control either. This ability can greatly impact the story and the exact nature of the effects is left up to the Storyteller. This merit should not be used to cause problems in the game, but to intensify the experience through additional drama.

 

Prophetic Dreams (1-3 pt Merit): You have informative, though often strange, dreams. The clarity and usefulness of your dreams is based on the number of points in this merit.

 

Repelled by Crosses (3 pt. Flaw): You are repelled by the sight of ordinary crosses (just as if they were holy). Kindred who were of the Church prior to their Embrace are the ones most likely to possess this flaw - they perceive that their new form is a judgement from God. Note that windmills, crossed candlesticks, and the like are NOT considered to be crosses!

 

Repulsed By Garlic (1 pt. Flaw): You cannot abide the smell of garlic, and the smallest tain of its scent will drive you from a room. The full force of it's pungent odor will bring bloody tears to your face and render you nearly blind, which its touch can cause boils and even open wounds.

 

Sanctity (2 pt. Merit): For some reason, everyone considers you pure and innocent, though certainly not naive. You have a saint-like quality that is hard to put a finger on, but others tend to see it in you. You are trusted, even if you are not trustworthy. You tend to receive lesser punishments for wrongdoing and are liked by most.

 

Silence (1 pt. Merit): You have an unusual ability to move quietly that goes far beyond the norm. You have a -2 difficulty on any Stealth roll involving moving quietly (you can even move quietly over dry leaves). Should the wind blow while you are moving, there is no way to hear you.

 

Special Rapport (2 pt. Merit): You have a special bond with another vampire that extends beyond any other type of bond you know of. You may or may not love the other vampire, but you have a special link to her. This link allows you to always know when she is in trouble, when she is in pain, when she is lying, and when she needs you. In return, she knows the same about you. Both characters have to buy this merit, and it should not be abused by allowing a relatively weak character to choose a powerful one (unless this is approved by the Storyteller).

 

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 the Haunted flaw) 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.

 

Touch of Frost (1 pt. Flaw): Plants wither when you approach and will die if you touch them - your touch leeches heat from living beings, as though you are made of ice. It is rumored that Caine himself possesses this flaw.

 

True Love (4 pt. Merit): You have discovered, perhaps too late, a true love. He or she is mortal, but is the center of your existence, and inspires you to keep going in a world of darkness and despair. Whenever you suffer, the thought of your true love gives you the strength to perservere. This grants you one automatic success on all Willpower rolls which can be negated only by a botch die (this can be a great gift and also a hindrance, for your true love may require protection and occasionally rescue).

 

True Faith (7 pt. Merit): The light of God, Allah, Buddha or whatever name you use for the almighty shines from your soul. You have one dot of True Faith, which can be used in a variety of ways. Note that you must maintain a 9+ Humanity (or the Road of Heaven) to keep this merit, though if you regain a 10 you may recover the lost Faith through extensive penitence and work.

 

Unbondable (3 pt. Merit): The blood bond cannot take hold on you, even partially. No matter how much blood you drink from other vampires, you will never become even partially bound to them.

 

Werewolf Companion (3 pt. Merit): You have a friend and ally who just happens to be a werewolf. Thouh you may call upon this friend in time of need, he also has the right to call upon you (after all, you are friends). However, neither your kind nor its appreciate such a relationship, and your respective societies will punish both of you if your friendship is discovered. Arranging for meeting places and methods of communication will be difficult (the Storyteller creates the Werewolf character, but will not reveal to you its full powers and potencies).

 

---