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"God Modding" is in essence when someone’s
character has the ability to do practically anything without limits or
boundaries. And example is when they simply cannot be harmed by any and
all means other RP-ers try.
-It can be killing or injuring a character without the player's express permission. -It can be when they simply can’t be hit and dodge all attacks or anything for this matter aimed at them. -It can also be using other characters that other people RP with. In other words, if you do not RP as Legolas, then you cannot have Legolas say anything, or do anything, without the player's express permission. The absolute worst is when they make out another character to be what they’re not, just to make their own character seem superior. They make others seem weak, screaming for help, when they’ve made it quite clear about their advantages and strengths. This is called power-play. It’s a strain of God-Modding, but instead of just being irritating, it’s offensive to boot.
This is a prime example of God Modding:
Player A: Punches Player B Player B: Dodges attack, grabs Player A and throws him. Player A flies at Player B, who warps behind him and slashes Player A in the back. God-Mode?Yup, god-moding is simply the disrespect of the RP. In short, a god-moder does not understand the flow of the RP, or simply playing for his/her own personal gratification. God-moding comes in many flavors and to be descriptive in short, God-moders will do one of the following during an RP battle:- Make outrageous claims regarding their characters abilities. Like, instantaneous teleportation, auto-kills, and spell casting without rhyme or reason for the lack of casting time. - Dodge without ability statements or refusal to accept a hit without reasoning. This does not mean that all attacks must be accepted, but dodges should always have reasoning behind them. Do not simply erect a shield in the time that it takes for a bullet to travel the distance across a bar! There are other types of God-moding, of course, but these cover the most common. You will quickly learn to recognize a God-moder; they usually claim to be the greatest RPer ever and always have a "valid reason" as to why they are completely correct and you are completely wrong. | ||
Sunday, December 30, 2012
What is God-Modding?
What is Meta-gaming ?
Meta-gaming that is something commonly frowned upon in most role play SIMs inside second life. By that I mean this is what meta-gaming is.
Metagaming is a broad term usually used to define any strategy, action or method used in a game which transcends a prescribed ruleset, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by the game. Another definition refers to the game universe outside of the game itself.
In simple terms, it is the use of out-of-game information or resources to affect one's in-game decisions.
Examples of metagaming include:
In addition, live action roleplaying games with a more cinematic style may use metagame references to specific books and films, either before the game or during play, to prompt the players as to the atmosphere the organisers are aiming to create.
More broadly, metagaming can refer to those aspects of play that exist outside the gameworld, such as out of character discussions between players and the gamemaster.
Metagaming is a broad term usually used to define any strategy, action or method used in a game which transcends a prescribed ruleset, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by the game. Another definition refers to the game universe outside of the game itself.
In simple terms, it is the use of out-of-game information or resources to affect one's in-game decisions.
Examples of metagaming include:
- Adjusting a character's actions based on foreknowledge of the long-term intentions of the gamemaster.
- Gaining knowledge from Out-Of Character.
- Using knowledge from a previously played or dead character.
- Using certain types of attack or defense based on the strengths and weaknesses of an opponent that the player's character is unaware of.
- Acting on any knowledge that the character is not aware of (such as creating gunpowder in a Dark Ages or Middle Ages setting).
- Adjusting a character's behavior towards other player characters based on real-life relationships with other players.
- Using knowledge of the game's mechanics to gain an advantage in the game by having the character do something incompatible with that character's personality.
- Assuming that something that appears to be wrong or unlikely in the game world is a mistake of the gamemaster rather than something that could be investigated. (This does not apply to situations where the mistake appears in the gamemaster's depiction of the world rather than in the world itself, which can cause a player to become aware of something which their character is not aware of.)
- Deciding on a character's course of action based on how the game's mechanics will affect the outcome without more significant regard placed on how the character would actually behave.
- Any action that is based upon the knowledge that one is playing a game.
- Another form of metagaming occurs as a form of powergaming during character creation, when a player takes flaws or liabilities that they know the gamemaster is unlikely to fully exploit, thereby acquiring extra creation options without paying a corresponding penalty.
- In split-screen games, using another player's viewpoint to gather information that one's own character doesn't have access to.
- Assuming that if an item (often a chest, desk or book-case) is mentioned by the gamemaster during the initial description of an area, it must have some relevance to the storyline, and immediately searching or examining it. (while ignoring other furnishings or objects that are most likely there as well).
In addition, live action roleplaying games with a more cinematic style may use metagame references to specific books and films, either before the game or during play, to prompt the players as to the atmosphere the organisers are aiming to create.
More broadly, metagaming can refer to those aspects of play that exist outside the gameworld, such as out of character discussions between players and the gamemaster.
Something not many tell you
Even though I have posted links to some good aides, to use for your vampire rp, I'll be honest, you don't have to though. These systems are designed for various reasons, but if you want to RP without it. you can. Just be careful though, because even though I will not put down Progeny because I honestly do like it a lot, and for bloodlines, well that's just a money drain in all honesty. You don't have to have the HUDs for these two and role play a vampire, there are various SIMs inside second life that you can RP on, without being a part of them. There is also the Vampire Mafia, which is another HUD you can use. But keep in mind when you are roleplaying. You do not know these terms, the world wide web, what a HUD is, and most importantly you're not suppose to know anyone's name unless you have already met them, all this means is you can NOT meta-game in a lot of places. Metagaming is frowned on, so is GodModding. I'll post information about these two to help you understand them a little better. Just remember this is your second life, and you can do whatever you want with it.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Traditores
The Traditores were a clan of vampires who existed in the early days of
Rome. Due to their insistence on holding true to the compact with the
Striges set by Remus, they were destroyed by the other clans.
Mekhet
A clan of shadow-hugging vampires whose relationship with darkness is
stronger than other Kindred, resulting in their greater weakness towards
sunlight and fire. Just as shadow cannot exist without light, so too
does light banish shadow. Known as sneaky spies and information
gatherers, they are stealthy and quick, and masters of Auspex, the
Kindred Discipline of perception. They are sometimes called Shadows.
Julii
The nobles among the Kindred of Rome, and founders of the Camarilla, the Julii claim descent from Remus.
They may be the ancestors of the Ventrue, or they may simply be a now vanished clan who filled the same niche in Kindred society. The Gangrel clanbook implies that the Ventrue and Gangrel are descended from a common ancestor, possibly the Julii (although the Gangrel would have to have split from their forebears sooner, as they were present in Rome during the days of the Camarilla).
Like the Ventrue, the Julii are masters of Dominate, the Kindred Discipline of mental subjugation.
They may be the ancestors of the Ventrue, or they may simply be a now vanished clan who filled the same niche in Kindred society. The Gangrel clanbook implies that the Ventrue and Gangrel are descended from a common ancestor, possibly the Julii (although the Gangrel would have to have split from their forebears sooner, as they were present in Rome during the days of the Camarilla).
Like the Ventrue, the Julii are masters of Dominate, the Kindred Discipline of mental subjugation.
Daeva
A clan of predatory hedonists and sensualists, the Daeva are emotionally
dying, hollow inside. Emotional, sensual and desirable, they are slaves
to their chosen vices. Daeva are masters of Majesty, the Kindred
Discipline of seduction and persuasion. Daeva are often called Succubi.
Daeva are very diverse as a clan - the only common thread is their consuming passions. Fierce brawlers and social butterflies are found there, as well as everything in between.
Although Daeva are often dismissed as effete, they possess the Disciplines of Vigor and Celerity, thus making them extremely capable in a fight. This, combined with their mercurial tempers and excitable natures make them Kindred with which to tread lightly.
Daeva are most common in the Invictus or Lancea Sanctum, as the former often provides the luxuries that most of them become accustomed to. Daeva who belong to the Lancea Sanctum are often the Covenant's most impassioned firebrands and crusaders. However, there is no Covenant without Daeva members, reflecting their versatile membership - a Succubus can turn their passion to almost any cause.
Daeva are found at all strata of a city's Court. This again is a side-effect of their social natures and martial capabilities. Often they prefer to take up positions that allow them to indulge their vices - Succubus Harpies, Keepers of Elysium and Sheriffs are common.
The clan loves to surround themselves with mortals - to Daeva they are the pretty accessories, the running buffets and punch-bags that they exercise their tastes on. More importantly they serve as a mirror for the joys that, as vampires, the Daeva have lost.
Daeva are very diverse as a clan - the only common thread is their consuming passions. Fierce brawlers and social butterflies are found there, as well as everything in between.
Although Daeva are often dismissed as effete, they possess the Disciplines of Vigor and Celerity, thus making them extremely capable in a fight. This, combined with their mercurial tempers and excitable natures make them Kindred with which to tread lightly.
Daeva are most common in the Invictus or Lancea Sanctum, as the former often provides the luxuries that most of them become accustomed to. Daeva who belong to the Lancea Sanctum are often the Covenant's most impassioned firebrands and crusaders. However, there is no Covenant without Daeva members, reflecting their versatile membership - a Succubus can turn their passion to almost any cause.
Daeva are found at all strata of a city's Court. This again is a side-effect of their social natures and martial capabilities. Often they prefer to take up positions that allow them to indulge their vices - Succubus Harpies, Keepers of Elysium and Sheriffs are common.
The clan loves to surround themselves with mortals - to Daeva they are the pretty accessories, the running buffets and punch-bags that they exercise their tastes on. More importantly they serve as a mirror for the joys that, as vampires, the Daeva have lost.
Harbingers of Skulls
The Harbingers of Skulls are a rare bloodline who surfaced in the Final
Nights. While few Kindred suspect the truth, they are the last remnants
of the Cappadocian clan.
The Harbingers of Skulls clan weakness is an extension of the Cappadocian clan's weakness. Regardless of the quantity of blood a Harbinger of Skulls consumes, her skin maintains a deathly pallor. Additionally, the Harbingers' skin shrinks to make these Cainites appear skeletal, with bony limbs and faces frozen into an immortal death's grin. Because of this decidedly unwholesome and morbid visage, Harbingers of Skulls have Appearance Traits of zero. All Social rolls involving the Appearance Trait automatically fail for Harbingers of Skulls.
The Harbingers of Skulls clan weakness is an extension of the Cappadocian clan's weakness. Regardless of the quantity of blood a Harbinger of Skulls consumes, her skin maintains a deathly pallor. Additionally, the Harbingers' skin shrinks to make these Cainites appear skeletal, with bony limbs and faces frozen into an immortal death's grin. Because of this decidedly unwholesome and morbid visage, Harbingers of Skulls have Appearance Traits of zero. All Social rolls involving the Appearance Trait automatically fail for Harbingers of Skulls.
Salubri
Rare throughout history, in the Final Nights, the Salubri are barely a
bloodline. Composed of seven vampires at any time, the Salubri search
for Golconda, enacting a bloody ritual of cannibalism when they achieve
that state or despair of ever doing so.
Due to their inherent clan weakness, the Salubri lose one health level for each Blood Point drunk from an unwilling victim.
Due to their inherent clan weakness, the Salubri lose one health level for each Blood Point drunk from an unwilling victim.
Ravnos
Nobody in the west understood the Ravnos, and now in the Final Nights,
it's too late to do so. Misunderstood as a clan of gypsies and
tricksters, the western Ravnos are a minor and heretical branch of the
undead lords of India. Gifted with the power to manipulate maya, the
Ravnos saw themselves as tempters and avengers, replacing the fallen
Kuei-Jin in the scheme of the universe. All that is irrelevant now,
however, as Zapathasura rose from his slumber in the Week of Nightmares
and in his own death throes, wiped out nearly all of his clan.
Due to their inherent clan weakness, The Ravnos clan are all criminals; each Ravnos has a specific vice ranging from plagiarism to mass murder. When the opportunity to indulge that vice is present, Ravnos must succeed in a self-control check to avoid indulging it.
Due to their inherent clan weakness, The Ravnos clan are all criminals; each Ravnos has a specific vice ranging from plagiarism to mass murder. When the opportunity to indulge that vice is present, Ravnos must succeed in a self-control check to avoid indulging it.
Giovanni
The usurpers of clan Cappadocian and the youngest clan of Caine, the
Giovanni are both a clan and a family. They Embrace exclusively within
their family (one of many things kept within the family), and are
heavily focused on two goals: money and (necromantic) power.
The clan weakness of Giovanni dictate that when a Giovanni bites a living being, they deal more damage than normal making it difficult to keep people alive after feeding from them.
The clan weakness of Giovanni dictate that when a Giovanni bites a living being, they deal more damage than normal making it difficult to keep people alive after feeding from them.
Followers of Set
The Followers of Set (or Setites) are a clan of vampires who believe
their founder was the Egyptian god Set. Orthodox Setite belief dictates
that Set will one day return to rule or consume the world, and devout
Setites prepare the way for his resurrection. To this end, the clan
remains independent of the Sects of other Kindred, and practice with
great skill the arts of corruption, deceit and ancient sorcery. They
refer to themselves as the Mesu Bedshet, the "Children of Rebellion".
Due to their inherent clan weakness, Followers of Seth are extremely susceptible to sunlight (double damage). Subtract one from all dice pools while in bright light (spotlights, strobes, etc.).
Due to their inherent clan weakness, Followers of Seth are extremely susceptible to sunlight (double damage). Subtract one from all dice pools while in bright light (spotlights, strobes, etc.).
Cappadocian
The Cappadocians, the "Clan of Death", were one of the thirteen vampire
clans of the Classic World of Darkness. Detached scholars obsessed with
the mysteries of death and the soul, they are now (theoretically)
extinct, having been systematically eliminated through a coup de famille
conducted by Augustus Giovanni. Unfortunately for the Giovanni, they
may have underestimated what it takes to kill a clan of experts on
death.
Due to their inherent clan weakness, all Cappadocians have a corpse-like complexion, resembling death. Difficulties of social rolls for Cappadocians - any rolls involving a social attribute - increase by one.
Due to their inherent clan weakness, all Cappadocians have a corpse-like complexion, resembling death. Difficulties of social rolls for Cappadocians - any rolls involving a social attribute - increase by one.
Assamite
Assamites in the Sabbat are much like their counterparts outside the
sect, sharing the same basic spiritual beliefs and appearance. However,
the Assamites of the Sabbat are free from the curse of the Tremere, so
the blood of other kindred is not poisonous to them. For this reason,
the Assamites of the Sabbat may be considered members of a separate
bloodline. In actuallity, the Sabbat bloodline is the Assamite original.
Since the curse affected the founder of the clan, however, the
Antitribu, not the other Assamites, are considered the "subspecies."
Most Assamites Antitribu are either paladins or members of the Black
Hand. The Assamite Antitribu are the assassins of the Sabbat. However,
they do not ask for the blood from the leaders of the sect. Instead,
they ritually slay the eldest of their own clan every 100 years through a
special diablerie ceremony. This elder has some of the blood of the
Lasombra founder, a third generation vampire, running through his veins.
The elder exists for a century as the closest Assamite Antitribu to
Caine himself, ruling under the title Hulul. At the end of the 100 year
reign, the next in line drinks the precious vitae from the previous
ruler, and so it passes on throughout history. If you want to a clan
that isn't mentioned just fill in their history and post it.
Ventrue
Elegant, aristocratic and regal, the Ventrue are the lords of the
Camarilla. It was Clan Ventrue that provided the cornerstone of the
Camarilla, and it is Clan Ventrue that directs and coaxes the Camarilla
in its darkest hours. Even in the modern age, the majority of princes
descend from Clan Ventrue. The Ventrue would, of course, have things no
other way. In the tradition of noblesse oblige, the Ventrue must lead
the other clans for their own good. In ancient nights, Ventrue were
chosen from nobles, merchant princes or other wielders of power. In
modern times the clan recruits from wealthy "old-money" families,
ruthless corporate climbers, and politicians. Although Ventrue move in
the same social circles as the Toreador, they do not fritter away their
existences in frivolity and idle chatter. The Ventrue proudly wear the
privileges of leadership, and stoically bear its burdens. Thus has it
always been; thus shall it always be.
Tzimitze
The Tzimitze is a clan of very arcane vampires. This clan is as
fascinated by the occult as the Tremere are. But do not possess nearly
as wide a scope of knowledge. The Tzimitze is a scholarly clan, and most
of its members are highly educated. The clan is one of the most
honorable of all vampire bloodlines. Tzimitze have strong appreciation
for learning. They are some of the most educated beings on earth. They
seek to understand magic as well as science, but have not reached the
level of the Tremere in this understanding. The Tzimitze cadre stretched
across the Baltic regions of Eastern Europe for many centuries. It
established a great power base until the Tremere, then a house of mortal
wizards, established convenants in what is today northern Bulgaria. The
two coexisted for a time, not intruding upon one another. Eventually,
the power mad Tremere captured some Tzimitze and used them in perverse
rituals aimed at extracting the essence of their immortality. Some
Tzimitzes believe this was the beginning of the Tremere as a clan.
Tremere
Even among vampires, the insular Clan Tremere bears a reputation for
treachery. This reputation is well earned; the Tremere were formerly a
cabal of human wizards who, hungering for immortal life, wrested the
secrets of vampirism from unwilling Kindred. Such vile deeds earned the
clan a sinister reputation; even today, certain vampire clans would love
nothing better than to destroy the entire Tremere line. Nonetheless,
Clan Tremere holds a place in the Camarilla, for its members were
instrumental in suppressing the Inquisition and supporting the
Masquerade. Then, too, the Tremere have proved themselves dangerous
enemies - and powerful allies. Tremere still practice a version of the
arcane arts they studied in life, and so these "warlocks" use their
sorcerous powers in service to the Camarilla almost as much as they use
the Camarilla in service to themselves.
Toreador
The Toreador are called many things - "degenerates," "artistes,"
"poseurs," and "hedonists" being but a few. But any such mass
categorization does the clan a disservice. Depending on the individual
and her mood, Toreador are alternately elegant and flamboyant, brilliant
and ludicrous, visionary and dissipated. Perhaps the only truism that
can be applied to the clan is its members' aesthetic zeal. Whatever a
Toreador does, she does with passion. Whatever a Toreador is, she is
with passion. To the Toreador, eternal life is to be savored. Many
Toreador were artists, musicians or poets in life; many more have spent
frustrating centuries producing laughable attempts at art, music or
poetry. Toreador share the Ventrue's love of high society, though not
for them the tedium of actually running things - that's what
functionaries are for, darling. Toreador know that their place is to
captivate and inspire - through their witty speech, graceful deeds, and
simple, scintillating existence.
Nosferatu
Caine's childer are called "The Damned," and no vampires embody this
more than do the wretches of Clan Nosferatu. While other vampires still
look human and may travel in mortal society, Nosferatu are twisted and
deformed by the curse of vampirism. To put it bluntly, the Embrace
transforms them into hideous monsters. Unable to walk among humans,
Nosferatu must dwell in subterranean sewers and catacombs. Other
vampires revile Nosferatu, considering them disgusting and interacting
with them only when they must. Because of this stigma, however,
Nosferatu are survivors par excellence. Few creatures, mortal or
vampire, know the city's back alleys and dark corners like the Nosferatu
do. Additionally, Nosferatu have refined the crafts of sneaking and
eavesdropping to fine arts; if anyone or anything has the latest dirt on
mortal or vampiric society, it is the Nosferatu. Finally, millennia of
shared deformity and abuse have fostered strong bonds among the
monsters. Nosferatu forego the squabbling and feuds ubiquitous to the
other clans, preferring to work in unison. You mess with one, you mess
with 'em all - and that can get messy indeed.
Malkavian
At first glance, the members of Clan Malkavian do not appear to be a
clan at all; they are chosen from all races, creeds and social strata.
But Malkavians, regardless of mortal standing, bear one disturbing
commonality: They are all quite mad. Whether from the clan's choice of
victims, the circumstances of the Embrace, or some property in Malkavian
blood itself, all Malkavians go insane shortly after the transformation
(if they were not insane to begin with). Accordingly, many Malkavians
find themselves pariahs, ostracized by a vampiric society fearful of
their random urges and capricious whims. Wiser Kindred, however, prefer
to keep the madmen close at hand: Behind the Malkavians' lunatic
cackling and feverish rantings lie smatterings of insight, even wisdom.
Lasombra
The Lasombra...a clan of prestige in the Sabbat. They succeeded in
destroying all of the founders and elders outside of its sect. The
Lasombra clan is also the clan of leadership. They are some of the most
ruthless and manipulative vampires in existence. They value strength and
reward those who posses it. The Lasombra are natural leaders. They rose
to lead the Sabbat soon after the Brujah leaders betrayed the anarchs.
The Lasombra knew they would be severely punished for the destruction of
their elders, so they had to keep the remaining anarchs strong. The
Lasombra took the lead role in organizing the remaining anarchs into the
Sabbat. Since that time, they have enjoyed a great deal of prestige
within the sect. All but one one of the Regents have been of this clan.
Most Lasombra are members of founded packs since it is easier for them
to increase their power in this way.
Gangrel
Of all vampires, the Gangrel are perhaps closest to their inner nature.
These nomadic loners spurn the constraints of society, preferring the
comfort of the wilderness. How they avoid the wrath of the werewolves is
unknown; perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the Gangrel
are themselves shapeshifters. When a mortal speaks of a vampire changing
into a wolf or a bat, she is probably speaking of a Gangrel. Like the
Brujah, Gangrel are fierce warriors; unlike the Brujah, Gangrel ferocity
does not stem from anarchic rage, but from animalistic instinct.
Gangrel have a keen understanding of the Beast in their souls, and
prefer to spend their nights in communion with the animals whom they so
emulate.
Brujah
Brujah
The Brujah are inheritors of a majestic and ancient legacy, which is unfortunate. Tonight's Brujah seem less like a clan and more like a mob. Punks, terrorists, revolutionaries, criminals, gangbangers and the like make up the Brujah; the clan seems to be united in nothing save its contempt for the institutions of vampire and mortal society. Well, this is not entirely true; Clan Brujah are among the most savage vampires, and the most trivial slight or annoyance may trigger a howling Brujah frenzy. The Brujah's disunity keeps the clan tenuously in the Camarilla, but Brujah thugs routinely defect to the anarchs, the better to strike against their hated elders. Even the "tamer" Brujah annoy the elders and princes routinely through acts of defiance and rebellion. Despite their recalcitrance, however, Brujah are valued as warriors; they are perhaps the most dangerous vampires in a straightforward battle. To anger a Brujah is nigh suicidal - and Brujah are notorious for their tempers.
The Brujah are inheritors of a majestic and ancient legacy, which is unfortunate. Tonight's Brujah seem less like a clan and more like a mob. Punks, terrorists, revolutionaries, criminals, gangbangers and the like make up the Brujah; the clan seems to be united in nothing save its contempt for the institutions of vampire and mortal society. Well, this is not entirely true; Clan Brujah are among the most savage vampires, and the most trivial slight or annoyance may trigger a howling Brujah frenzy. The Brujah's disunity keeps the clan tenuously in the Camarilla, but Brujah thugs routinely defect to the anarchs, the better to strike against their hated elders. Even the "tamer" Brujah annoy the elders and princes routinely through acts of defiance and rebellion. Despite their recalcitrance, however, Brujah are valued as warriors; they are perhaps the most dangerous vampires in a straightforward battle. To anger a Brujah is nigh suicidal - and Brujah are notorious for their tempers.
Breakdown of Clans
In this section I will break down the various clans within Vampire, and what each one is, and their history as well. There are a lot of clans, so this section will be broken down into the mains, subs, and so forth, Each of these clans have something to offer your character, and so forth. These are always the families you can build with and etc. So please take the time to read these and figure out what clan will fit into your personality and how you can incorporate into your character setting. Just always remember this, nothing is right or wrong, and you can always add more and more to your character as the time goes on. This will help you along your way as you develop your character.
Part 4 Character Creation
Now onto the biggest one of them all. The clans that you can play with as a vampire. This is the important one, because so many just think of a clan they love, and think they understand to sadly not really understand in the end, and end up leaving that clan and walking out on it's own all together.
Clans
Assamite
Brujah
Caitiff
Followers of Set
Gangrel
Giovanni
Lasombra
Malkavian
Nosferatu
Pander
Ravnos
Toreador
Tremere
Tzimisce
Ventrue
Blood Brothers
Children of the Dreadful Night
Children of Osiris
Daughters of Cacophony
Gargoyle
Laibon
Lhiannan
Old Clan Tzimisce
Salubri
Samedi
Ahrimanes
Baali
Cappadocian
Harbingers of Skulls
Kiasyd
Lamia
Nagaraja
Nickutu
True Brujah
Brujah
Caitiff
Followers of Set
Gangrel
Giovanni
Lasombra
Malkavian
Nosferatu
Pander
Ravnos
Toreador
Tremere
Tzimisce
Ventrue
Blood Brothers
Children of the Dreadful Night
Children of Osiris
Daughters of Cacophony
Gargoyle
Laibon
Lhiannan
Old Clan Tzimisce
Salubri
Samedi
Ahrimanes
Baali
Cappadocian
Harbingers of Skulls
Kiasyd
Lamia
Nagaraja
Nickutu
True Brujah
Part 3 Character Creation
Abilities are the traits used to describe what you know and what you
have learned to do. Whereas Attributes represent your raw potential.
Abilities represent the ways you have learned to use that potential. You
may not need anything but brute strength to smash through a door- but
if your trying to use sheer power to force an engine part into place
without breaking something, you'd better know something about mechanics.
When rolling dice, you'll probably have to pair an ability with an
appropriate attribute, in order to properly depict the combination of
potential and know-how that's necessary for getting things done,
There are 30 Abilities: 10 Talents, 10 Skills, 10 Knowledge's. Each Ability typically covers a broad range of aptitudes. For certain Abilities (Expression, Crafts, Performance, Academics, Science), It is best to pick a specialty, even if the characters rating in the ability is not yet 4 or higher. Thus a character's with the Craft skill is generally versed in handiwork of all sorts, but might be particularly adept at auto mechanics.
TALENTS
There are 30 Abilities: 10 Talents, 10 Skills, 10 Knowledge's. Each Ability typically covers a broad range of aptitudes. For certain Abilities (Expression, Crafts, Performance, Academics, Science), It is best to pick a specialty, even if the characters rating in the ability is not yet 4 or higher. Thus a character's with the Craft skill is generally versed in handiwork of all sorts, but might be particularly adept at auto mechanics.
TALENTS
Talents describe what you intuitively know, what you can do without
coaching or instruction. The only way to improve your Talents is through
direct experience—with the exception of a very few cases (such as
studying a text on Jeet Kune Do to learn a dot or so of brawl.) These
things cant be learned from a book or mail order courses. If you try an
action involving a talent your character doesn't possess, there is no
penalty to your basic Attribute dice pool, these Abilities are so
intuitive that virtually every one has some degree of capacity in each
one.
ALERTNESS
This is your basic knack for noticing things that go on around you, even when you are not actively looking for them. Alertness describes the attention you pay to the outside world, whether otherwise occupied or not. This Talent is typically paired with Perception and is best when used when sensing physical stimuli (opposed to Moods or clues).
* Novice: Your are no mindless drone.
** Practiced: Habitual eavesdropper.
*** Competent: You keep a sharp eye on your surroundings.
**** Expert: Whether from paranoia or good sense, you are rarely caught off guard.
***** Master: Your senses are on par with a wild animal.
Possessed by: Hunters, Security Personnel, Journalist, Burglars.
Specialties: Noises, Eaves dropping, Ambushes, Hidden Weapons, Crowds, Forests, Animals.
ATHLETICS
This Talent represents your basic athletic ability, as well as any training you might have had in sports or other rigorous activities. Athletics concerns all forms of running, swimming jumping throwing sports and the like, however it does not cover basic motor function such as lifting weights, nor does it govern athletic feats covered by another ability (Such as Melee).
* Novice: You had an active childhood.
** Practiced: High school athlete
*** Competent: Professional Athlete
**** Expert: Top Notch in your sport.
***** Master: Olympic Athlete
Possessed by: Athletes, Enthusiast, Park Rangers, Jocks, Kids.
Specialties: Swimming, Rock climbing, Acrobatics, Dancing, Endurance Running, Specific Sports.
BRAWL
The Brawl Talent represents how well you fight in tooth and nail situations. This talent represents skill in unarmed combat, whether from formal martial arts training or simply from plenty of experience - Either type can make you a dangerous adversary. Effective brawlers are coordinated, resistant to pain, quick, strong and mean, The willingness to do whatever it takes to hurt your opponents win plenty of fights.
* Novice: You were picked on as a kid.
** Practiced: You have seen the occasional bar-room tussle.
*** Competent: You fought regularly and routinely, and generally walked away in better shape then your opponents.
**** Expert: You could be a serious contender on a boxing circuit.
***** Master: You can kill three men in four seconds.
Possessed by: Military, Police, Roughnecks, Thugs.
Specialties: Boxing, Wrestling, Dirty Fighting, Kicks, Karate, Judo, Muay Thai, Throws, Submission Holds.
DODGE:
The first rule of Self Preservation, this Talent covers your ability to avoid blows, Missile fire or even oncoming cars. Dodge entails taking cover, ducking punches or any other methods of getting out of the way.
* Novice: You can reflexively duck and cover your head.
** Practiced: You have weathered a self-defense class.
*** Competent: You can evade thrown rocks maybe even a knife.
**** Expert: It would take a skilled brawler to land a punch
***** Master: You can virtually sidestep bullets on open ground.
Possessed by: Police, Criminals, Brawlers, Boxers, People in bad neighborhoods.
Specialties: Cover, Sidestep, Footwork, Leap.
EMPATHY
You understand the emotions of others and can sympathize with, feign sympathy for, or play on such emotions you see fit. You are an easy hand at discerning motive, and might be able to pick up on when someone is lying to you. However, you may be so in tune with others feelings that your own emotions may be effected.
* Novice: You lend the occasional shoulder to cry on.
** Practiced: You can sometimes literally feel someone else's suffering.
*** Competent: You have keen insight into other peoples motivations.
**** Expert: It is almost impossible to lie to you.
***** Master: The human soul conceals no mysteries from you.
Possessed by: Social Workers, Parents, Actors, Psychologists, Detective, Seducers, Mediums, Best Friends
Specialties: Emotions, Personalities, Motives, Gaining trust.
EXPRESSION
This is your ability to get your point across clearly, whether through conversation, poetry or even email. Characters with high Expression can phrase their opinions or beliefs in a manner that cannot be ignored (even if their opinions are misinformed or worthless). They might also be talented actors, skilled at conveying moods or feigning emotion with every gesture. Additionally, this Talent represents your ability for poetry, creative writing or other literary art forms.
* Novice: Your talent has matured past crude poetry on notebook paper.
** Practiced: You could lead a college debate team.
*** Competent: You could be a successful writer.
**** Expert: Your work is Pulitzer material.
***** Master: A visionary such as yourself comes along only once in every generation.
INTIMIDATION
Intimidation takes many forms, from outright threats and physical violence to mere force of personality. You know the right method for each occasion, and can be very….persuasive.
* Novice: Crude teenage bully
** Practiced: Mugger
*** Competent: Drill sergeant
**** Expert: Your air of authority cows casual passersby.
***** Master: You can frighten off vicious animals.
LEADERSHIP
You are an example to others and can inspire them to do what you want. Leadership has less to do with manipulating people's desires than it does with presenting yourself as the sort of person they want to follow. This Talent is usually paired with Charisma rather than Manipulation.
* Novice: Captain of your Little League team
** Practiced: Student body president
*** Competent: An effective CEO
**** Expert: Presidential material
***** Master: You could be the lord and master of a nation.
STREETWISE
The streets can provide a lot of information or money to those who know the language. Streetwise allows you to blend in unobtrusively with the local scene, pick up gossip, understand slang or even dabble in criminal doings.
* Novice: You know who sells drugs.
** Practiced: You're accorded respect on the street.
*** Competent: You could head your own gang.
**** Expert: You have little to fear in even the worst neighborhoods.
***** Master: If you haven't heard it, it hasn't been said.
SUBTERFUGE
You know how to conceal your own motives and project what you like. Furthermore, you can root out other people's motives, then use those motives against them. This Talent defines your talent for intrigue, secrets and double dealing; mastery of Subterfuge can make you the ultimate seducer, or a brilliant spy.
* Novice: You tell the occasional little white lie.
** Practiced: Vampire
*** Competent: Criminal lawyer
**** Expert: Deep-cover agent
***** Master: You're the very last person anyone would suspect.
SKILLS
ALERTNESS
This is your basic knack for noticing things that go on around you, even when you are not actively looking for them. Alertness describes the attention you pay to the outside world, whether otherwise occupied or not. This Talent is typically paired with Perception and is best when used when sensing physical stimuli (opposed to Moods or clues).
* Novice: Your are no mindless drone.
** Practiced: Habitual eavesdropper.
*** Competent: You keep a sharp eye on your surroundings.
**** Expert: Whether from paranoia or good sense, you are rarely caught off guard.
***** Master: Your senses are on par with a wild animal.
Possessed by: Hunters, Security Personnel, Journalist, Burglars.
Specialties: Noises, Eaves dropping, Ambushes, Hidden Weapons, Crowds, Forests, Animals.
ATHLETICS
This Talent represents your basic athletic ability, as well as any training you might have had in sports or other rigorous activities. Athletics concerns all forms of running, swimming jumping throwing sports and the like, however it does not cover basic motor function such as lifting weights, nor does it govern athletic feats covered by another ability (Such as Melee).
* Novice: You had an active childhood.
** Practiced: High school athlete
*** Competent: Professional Athlete
**** Expert: Top Notch in your sport.
***** Master: Olympic Athlete
Possessed by: Athletes, Enthusiast, Park Rangers, Jocks, Kids.
Specialties: Swimming, Rock climbing, Acrobatics, Dancing, Endurance Running, Specific Sports.
BRAWL
The Brawl Talent represents how well you fight in tooth and nail situations. This talent represents skill in unarmed combat, whether from formal martial arts training or simply from plenty of experience - Either type can make you a dangerous adversary. Effective brawlers are coordinated, resistant to pain, quick, strong and mean, The willingness to do whatever it takes to hurt your opponents win plenty of fights.
* Novice: You were picked on as a kid.
** Practiced: You have seen the occasional bar-room tussle.
*** Competent: You fought regularly and routinely, and generally walked away in better shape then your opponents.
**** Expert: You could be a serious contender on a boxing circuit.
***** Master: You can kill three men in four seconds.
Possessed by: Military, Police, Roughnecks, Thugs.
Specialties: Boxing, Wrestling, Dirty Fighting, Kicks, Karate, Judo, Muay Thai, Throws, Submission Holds.
DODGE:
The first rule of Self Preservation, this Talent covers your ability to avoid blows, Missile fire or even oncoming cars. Dodge entails taking cover, ducking punches or any other methods of getting out of the way.
* Novice: You can reflexively duck and cover your head.
** Practiced: You have weathered a self-defense class.
*** Competent: You can evade thrown rocks maybe even a knife.
**** Expert: It would take a skilled brawler to land a punch
***** Master: You can virtually sidestep bullets on open ground.
Possessed by: Police, Criminals, Brawlers, Boxers, People in bad neighborhoods.
Specialties: Cover, Sidestep, Footwork, Leap.
EMPATHY
You understand the emotions of others and can sympathize with, feign sympathy for, or play on such emotions you see fit. You are an easy hand at discerning motive, and might be able to pick up on when someone is lying to you. However, you may be so in tune with others feelings that your own emotions may be effected.
* Novice: You lend the occasional shoulder to cry on.
** Practiced: You can sometimes literally feel someone else's suffering.
*** Competent: You have keen insight into other peoples motivations.
**** Expert: It is almost impossible to lie to you.
***** Master: The human soul conceals no mysteries from you.
Possessed by: Social Workers, Parents, Actors, Psychologists, Detective, Seducers, Mediums, Best Friends
Specialties: Emotions, Personalities, Motives, Gaining trust.
EXPRESSION
This is your ability to get your point across clearly, whether through conversation, poetry or even email. Characters with high Expression can phrase their opinions or beliefs in a manner that cannot be ignored (even if their opinions are misinformed or worthless). They might also be talented actors, skilled at conveying moods or feigning emotion with every gesture. Additionally, this Talent represents your ability for poetry, creative writing or other literary art forms.
* Novice: Your talent has matured past crude poetry on notebook paper.
** Practiced: You could lead a college debate team.
*** Competent: You could be a successful writer.
**** Expert: Your work is Pulitzer material.
***** Master: A visionary such as yourself comes along only once in every generation.
INTIMIDATION
Intimidation takes many forms, from outright threats and physical violence to mere force of personality. You know the right method for each occasion, and can be very….persuasive.
* Novice: Crude teenage bully
** Practiced: Mugger
*** Competent: Drill sergeant
**** Expert: Your air of authority cows casual passersby.
***** Master: You can frighten off vicious animals.
LEADERSHIP
You are an example to others and can inspire them to do what you want. Leadership has less to do with manipulating people's desires than it does with presenting yourself as the sort of person they want to follow. This Talent is usually paired with Charisma rather than Manipulation.
* Novice: Captain of your Little League team
** Practiced: Student body president
*** Competent: An effective CEO
**** Expert: Presidential material
***** Master: You could be the lord and master of a nation.
STREETWISE
The streets can provide a lot of information or money to those who know the language. Streetwise allows you to blend in unobtrusively with the local scene, pick up gossip, understand slang or even dabble in criminal doings.
* Novice: You know who sells drugs.
** Practiced: You're accorded respect on the street.
*** Competent: You could head your own gang.
**** Expert: You have little to fear in even the worst neighborhoods.
***** Master: If you haven't heard it, it hasn't been said.
SUBTERFUGE
You know how to conceal your own motives and project what you like. Furthermore, you can root out other people's motives, then use those motives against them. This Talent defines your talent for intrigue, secrets and double dealing; mastery of Subterfuge can make you the ultimate seducer, or a brilliant spy.
* Novice: You tell the occasional little white lie.
** Practiced: Vampire
*** Competent: Criminal lawyer
**** Expert: Deep-cover agent
***** Master: You're the very last person anyone would suspect.
SKILLS
Skills are Abilities learned through training, apprenticeships or
other instructions. If you try to preform an action involving a skill in
which you have no rating, your difficulty is increased by one. An
unskilled worker just isn't as effective as someone who might have a
lower attribute but an understanding of what the procedure entails.
ANIMALKEN
You can understand animals behavior patterns. this skill allows you to predict how an animal might react in a given situation, train a domesticated creature, or even try calm or enrage animals.
* Novice: You can get a domesticated horse to let you pet it.
** Practiced: You can house break a puppy
*** Competent:You can train a seeing eye dog.
**** Expert: Circus Trainer
***** Master: You can tame wild beasts without benefit of super natural powers.
Possessed by: Animal Trainers, farmers, Zookeepers, Park Rangers, Pet Owners, Domitors.
Specialties: Dogs, Attack Training, Big Cats, Horses Farm Animals, Falconry.
FIREARMS
Executing a mortal with a sword starts investigations. Clawing someone to ribbons shakes the edges of the masquerade. So Cainites adapt, and many have devoted their energies to learning how to kill with a gun. This skill represents familiarity with a range of firearms, from holdout pistols to heavy machine guns. Of course this skill doesn't include heavy artillery, such as mortars or tank guns. However, someone skilled in firearms can clean, repair recognize and accurately fire most forms of small arms.
* Novice: You had a BB gun when you were a kid.
** Practiced: You while away the occasional hour at the gun club.
*** Competent: You survived a firefight or two.
**** Expert: You could pick off people for a living.
***** Master: You have been practicing since the debut of the Winchester.
Possessed by: Sabbat, Policeman, Military Personnel, Survivalists, Hunters.
Specialties: Fast Draw, Gun-smithing, Pistols, Sniping, Revolvers, Shotguns.
SECURITY
This skill entails familiarity with the tools and techniques for picking locks, deactivating car or house alarms, hot-wiring automobiles or even safe-cracking, as well as countless forms of breaking and entering. Security is useful not only for the thief but as for setting up security systems, or deducing where the thief broke in.
* Novice: You can pick a simple lock.
** Practiced: You can hot-wire a car.
*** Competent: You can bypass or disable house alarms.
**** Expert: You can crack a safe.
***** Master: You can get a bomb out or into a Pentagon.
Possessed by: Thieves, Security Consultants, Policeman
Specialties: Safe-cracking, hot-wiring, Electrical alarms. Deadbolts.
CRAFTS
This skill covers your ability to make of fix things with you hands. Craft allows you to work in fields such as carpentry, leather-work, weaving or mechanical expertise such as car repair. You can even create lasting works of art with this skill, depending on the number of successes you achieve. You must always choose a specialization in crafts, even though you retain some skill in multiple fields.
* Novice: High school work shop.
** Practiced: You are starting to develop you own style.
*** Competent: You could make a living out of your work.
**** Expert: Your work might be featured in college-level textbooks for your field.
***** Master: Your artistry is virtually without peer.
Possessed by: Mechanics, Carpenters, Plumbers, Artisans, Designers, Inventors.
Specialties: Pottery, Sewing, Home Repairs, Appraisal.
ETIQUETTE
You Understand the nuances of proper behavior, in both mortal society and Kindred culture. Your specialty is this culture with which you are most familiar. This skill is used during haggling, seduction, dancing, dinner etiquette and all forms of diplomacy.
* Novice: You know when to keep your mouth shut.
** Practiced: You have been to a black tie event.
*** Competent: You know your way around obscure silverware.
**** Expert: Her Majesty would consider you charming.
***** Master: If the right people came to dinner, you could end wars or start them.
Possessed by: Diplomats, Travelers, High Society, Executives.
Specialties: Formal Dinners, Business, Street Culture, Kindred Society.
MELEE
As the Kindred maxim runs, Guns mean nothing to a lifeless heart, A blade is often worth far more, as is a skill to use it properly. Melee covers your ability to use hand to hand weapons of all forms, from swords to clubs to esoteric martial arts paraphernalia such as sai or nun-chucks. And of course, there is always the utility of the modern stake…
* Novice: You know the right way to hold a knife.
** Practiced: You may have had the occasional street fight.
*** Competent: you could make a college fencing team.
**** Expert: You could keep order in the princes court.
***** Master: You enemies would rather face a SWAT team rather then your blade.
Possessed by: Assassins, Gang Members, Martial Artists, Police, Medieval Buffs.
Specialty: Axes, Swords, Improvised Clubs, Stakes, Disarms, Axes.
PERFORMANCE
The performance skill governs your ability to preform artistic endeavors such as singing, dancing, acting or playing a musical instrument. You are almost certainly specialized in one field, although true virtuosos may be talented in many forms of performance. This skill represents not only technical know how, but the ability to work an audience and enrapture them with your show.
* Novice: you can sing in a church choir.
** Practiced: You could get a leading part in a college production.
*** Competent: You are in demand at the local clubs.
**** Expert: You have talent to be a national sensation.
***** Master: You are a virtuoso without peer.
Possessed by: Musicians, College Students, Actors, Mimes.
Specialties: Dancing, Singing, Rock and Rolls, Acting.
DRIVE
You can drive a car and maybe other vehicles as well. This skill does not automatically entail familiarity with complicated vehicles such as tanks or 18 wheelers, and difficulties may vary depending on your experience with individual automobiles. After all, Helming a station wagon doesn't prepare you for controlling a lotus at 100 Miles per hour.
* Novice: You know how to work an automatic transmission
** Practiced: You can drive a stick shift.
*** Competent: Professional truck driver.
**** Expert: Nascar Driver, daredevil or Pilot.
***** Master: You can make a Yugo do tricks out of a James Bond movie.
Possessed by: Cabbies, Taxi Drivers, Race Car Drivers, Most residents of the western world.
STEALTH
This skill is the ability to avoid being detected, whether you are in hiding or moving at the time. Stealth is often tasted against someones else's Perception. This ability is for obvious reasons, highly useful in stalking prey.
* Novice: You can hide in a darkened room.
** Practiced: You can shadow someone from streetlight to streetlight.
***Competent: You have little difficulty finding prey from evening to evening.
**** Expert: You can move quietly over dry leaves.
*****Master: Nosferatu Elder
Possessed by: Burglars, Assassins, Kindred, Spies, Reporters, Commandos.
Specialties: Hiding, Silent Movement, Shadowing, Crowds.
SURVIVAL
Although vampires have little to fear from starvation and exposure, the wilderness can still be dangerous to a Cainite. This Skill allows you to find shelter, navigate your way to civilization, track prey and possibly even avoid werewolves (although this last is exceedingly difficult).
* Novice: You can survive a five-mile hike.
** Practiced: You "roughed it" on a regular basis.
*** Competent: You know poisonous mushrooms from edible ones.
**** Expert: You could live for months in the wilderness of your choice.
***** Master: You could get dropped naked into the Andes and do all right for yourself.
ANIMALKEN
You can understand animals behavior patterns. this skill allows you to predict how an animal might react in a given situation, train a domesticated creature, or even try calm or enrage animals.
* Novice: You can get a domesticated horse to let you pet it.
** Practiced: You can house break a puppy
*** Competent:You can train a seeing eye dog.
**** Expert: Circus Trainer
***** Master: You can tame wild beasts without benefit of super natural powers.
Possessed by: Animal Trainers, farmers, Zookeepers, Park Rangers, Pet Owners, Domitors.
Specialties: Dogs, Attack Training, Big Cats, Horses Farm Animals, Falconry.
FIREARMS
Executing a mortal with a sword starts investigations. Clawing someone to ribbons shakes the edges of the masquerade. So Cainites adapt, and many have devoted their energies to learning how to kill with a gun. This skill represents familiarity with a range of firearms, from holdout pistols to heavy machine guns. Of course this skill doesn't include heavy artillery, such as mortars or tank guns. However, someone skilled in firearms can clean, repair recognize and accurately fire most forms of small arms.
* Novice: You had a BB gun when you were a kid.
** Practiced: You while away the occasional hour at the gun club.
*** Competent: You survived a firefight or two.
**** Expert: You could pick off people for a living.
***** Master: You have been practicing since the debut of the Winchester.
Possessed by: Sabbat, Policeman, Military Personnel, Survivalists, Hunters.
Specialties: Fast Draw, Gun-smithing, Pistols, Sniping, Revolvers, Shotguns.
SECURITY
This skill entails familiarity with the tools and techniques for picking locks, deactivating car or house alarms, hot-wiring automobiles or even safe-cracking, as well as countless forms of breaking and entering. Security is useful not only for the thief but as for setting up security systems, or deducing where the thief broke in.
* Novice: You can pick a simple lock.
** Practiced: You can hot-wire a car.
*** Competent: You can bypass or disable house alarms.
**** Expert: You can crack a safe.
***** Master: You can get a bomb out or into a Pentagon.
Possessed by: Thieves, Security Consultants, Policeman
Specialties: Safe-cracking, hot-wiring, Electrical alarms. Deadbolts.
CRAFTS
This skill covers your ability to make of fix things with you hands. Craft allows you to work in fields such as carpentry, leather-work, weaving or mechanical expertise such as car repair. You can even create lasting works of art with this skill, depending on the number of successes you achieve. You must always choose a specialization in crafts, even though you retain some skill in multiple fields.
* Novice: High school work shop.
** Practiced: You are starting to develop you own style.
*** Competent: You could make a living out of your work.
**** Expert: Your work might be featured in college-level textbooks for your field.
***** Master: Your artistry is virtually without peer.
Possessed by: Mechanics, Carpenters, Plumbers, Artisans, Designers, Inventors.
Specialties: Pottery, Sewing, Home Repairs, Appraisal.
ETIQUETTE
You Understand the nuances of proper behavior, in both mortal society and Kindred culture. Your specialty is this culture with which you are most familiar. This skill is used during haggling, seduction, dancing, dinner etiquette and all forms of diplomacy.
* Novice: You know when to keep your mouth shut.
** Practiced: You have been to a black tie event.
*** Competent: You know your way around obscure silverware.
**** Expert: Her Majesty would consider you charming.
***** Master: If the right people came to dinner, you could end wars or start them.
Possessed by: Diplomats, Travelers, High Society, Executives.
Specialties: Formal Dinners, Business, Street Culture, Kindred Society.
MELEE
As the Kindred maxim runs, Guns mean nothing to a lifeless heart, A blade is often worth far more, as is a skill to use it properly. Melee covers your ability to use hand to hand weapons of all forms, from swords to clubs to esoteric martial arts paraphernalia such as sai or nun-chucks. And of course, there is always the utility of the modern stake…
* Novice: You know the right way to hold a knife.
** Practiced: You may have had the occasional street fight.
*** Competent: you could make a college fencing team.
**** Expert: You could keep order in the princes court.
***** Master: You enemies would rather face a SWAT team rather then your blade.
Possessed by: Assassins, Gang Members, Martial Artists, Police, Medieval Buffs.
Specialty: Axes, Swords, Improvised Clubs, Stakes, Disarms, Axes.
PERFORMANCE
The performance skill governs your ability to preform artistic endeavors such as singing, dancing, acting or playing a musical instrument. You are almost certainly specialized in one field, although true virtuosos may be talented in many forms of performance. This skill represents not only technical know how, but the ability to work an audience and enrapture them with your show.
* Novice: you can sing in a church choir.
** Practiced: You could get a leading part in a college production.
*** Competent: You are in demand at the local clubs.
**** Expert: You have talent to be a national sensation.
***** Master: You are a virtuoso without peer.
Possessed by: Musicians, College Students, Actors, Mimes.
Specialties: Dancing, Singing, Rock and Rolls, Acting.
DRIVE
You can drive a car and maybe other vehicles as well. This skill does not automatically entail familiarity with complicated vehicles such as tanks or 18 wheelers, and difficulties may vary depending on your experience with individual automobiles. After all, Helming a station wagon doesn't prepare you for controlling a lotus at 100 Miles per hour.
* Novice: You know how to work an automatic transmission
** Practiced: You can drive a stick shift.
*** Competent: Professional truck driver.
**** Expert: Nascar Driver, daredevil or Pilot.
***** Master: You can make a Yugo do tricks out of a James Bond movie.
Possessed by: Cabbies, Taxi Drivers, Race Car Drivers, Most residents of the western world.
STEALTH
This skill is the ability to avoid being detected, whether you are in hiding or moving at the time. Stealth is often tasted against someones else's Perception. This ability is for obvious reasons, highly useful in stalking prey.
* Novice: You can hide in a darkened room.
** Practiced: You can shadow someone from streetlight to streetlight.
***Competent: You have little difficulty finding prey from evening to evening.
**** Expert: You can move quietly over dry leaves.
*****Master: Nosferatu Elder
Possessed by: Burglars, Assassins, Kindred, Spies, Reporters, Commandos.
Specialties: Hiding, Silent Movement, Shadowing, Crowds.
SURVIVAL
Although vampires have little to fear from starvation and exposure, the wilderness can still be dangerous to a Cainite. This Skill allows you to find shelter, navigate your way to civilization, track prey and possibly even avoid werewolves (although this last is exceedingly difficult).
* Novice: You can survive a five-mile hike.
** Practiced: You "roughed it" on a regular basis.
*** Competent: You know poisonous mushrooms from edible ones.
**** Expert: You could live for months in the wilderness of your choice.
***** Master: You could get dropped naked into the Andes and do all right for yourself.
KNOWLEDGE'S
Knowledges involve the application of the mind, not the body;
consequently, Knowledge Abilities are most often paired with mental
traits. It is possible to roll charisma+ Academics or Stamina + Medicine
but its pretty rare). The following descriptions speak of knowledge
levels in collegiate terms, although formal schooling is just one way to
improve knowledge.
If you don't have any dots in knowledge, you cannot even attempt to roll involving it unless the storyteller gives it explicit permission. If you don't know Spanish, you cant try holding a conversation in Espagnol on your wits alone.
ACADEMICS
This catch-all knowledge covers the character's erudition in the "humanities": Literatures, art, philosophy and other "liberal" sciences. A character with dots in academics is generally well rounded in these fields and at high levels may be considered an expert in one or more areas of study. Not only can this knowledge impress at salons and other Elysium functions but it can also offer valuable clues to certain past and future movements in Jihad.
* Student: You are aware that 1066 is something more than a Beverly hills area code.
** College: You can quote from the classics, identify major cultural movements, and expound on the difference between Ming and Moghul.
*** Masters: You could get a paper published in a school journal.
**** Doctorate: Professor emeritus.
***** Scholar: Scholars world wide acknowledge you as the foremost expert in your time.
Possessed by: Professors, Literati, Trivia Buffs, Elders.
Specialties: Post-structuralism, Impressionist Painting.
COMPUTER
This knowledge represents the ability to operate and program computers, as well as the savvy to keep up with the latest technology.
* Student: Point and click.
** College: You can process data with relative ease
*** Masters: You can design software.
**** Doctorate: You make a very comfortable living as a consultant.
***** Scholar: You are on the bleeding edge.
Possessed by: Hackers, Office Workers, Programmers, Students.
Specialties: Computer Language, Internet, Code Breaking, Viruses, Data Retrieval.
INVESTIGATION
You have learned to notice details others might overlook, and might make an admirable detective. This knowledge represents not only for a good eye for detail, but also the ability to do research and follow leads.
* Student: You have read your share of Agatha Christie.
** College: Police officer
*** Masters: Private Detective
**** Doctorate: Federal Agent
***** Scholar: Sherlock Holmes.
LAW
With all thee lawyers and law makers out there, this knowledge can prove very useful. Law can be useful for filing suit, avoiding lawsuits or getting out of jail. What's more, even the Kindred keep their own laws and more than one vampire has saved his own skin by deftly explaining a loophole in one of the traditions.
* Student You have watched your share of courtroom dramas.
** College: You're either studying or just passed the bar exam.
*** Masters: Ambulance chaser
**** Doctorate Major public figures have your number, just in case.
***** Scholar: You could find the loopholes in the devils contract.
Possessed by: Lawyers, Police, Judges, Detectives, Legislators.
Specialties: Criminal, Suits, contracts, Police procedure.
LINGUISTICS
You begin play with the native tongue of your choice for free, but if you want to speak any other languages, whether modern or ancient, Linguistics is a must. This ability allows you to understand additional languages, but at high levels also offers a more general understanding of linguistic structure. Linguistics may help to recognize accents or solve word puzzles.
* Student: One extra language
** College: Two extra languages
*** Master: Four extra languages
**** Doctorate: Eight extra languages
***** Scholar: Sixteen extra languages
MEDICINE
You have an understanding of how the human body and to a lesser extent how the vampire body works. This ability entails Knowledge of medicine, ailments first aid procedures and diagnostics or treatment of diseases. Medicine is of great use to those kindred with an interest in repairing, damaging or networking the human body.
* Student: You have taken a CPR course.
** College: Premed or paramedic
*** Masters: General practitioner
**** Doctorate: You can perform transplants.
***** Scholar: You are respected by the worlds medical community as a modern Aesculapius.
Possessed By: Med Student, Doctors, lifeguards, Tzimisce.
Specialties: organ transplant, emergency care, poison treatments, pathology.
OCCULT
You are knowledgeable in occult areas such as mysticism, curses, magic, folk-law and particularly vampire lore. Unlike most other knowledges, Occult does not imply a command of hard, factual information: much of what you know may well be rumor, myth, speculation or heresy. However the secrets to be learned in this field are worth centuries of sifting legend from fact. High levels of occult imply a deep understanding of vampire lore, as well as good grounding in other aspects of the occult, at least you can discern what is partly false.
* Student: You've paged through the New Age section of a Waldenbooks.
** College: There seems to be some unsettling truth to some of the rumors you've heard.
*** Masters: You've heard a lot and actually seen a little for yourself.
**** Doctorate: You can recognize blatantly false sources and make educated guesses about the rest.
***** Scholar: You know most of the basic truths about the hidden world.
Possessed by: Occultists, the Superstitious, New Agers, Tremere.
Specialties: Kindred Lore, Rituals, Infernalism, Witches.
POLITICS
You are familiar with the politics of the moment, including the people in charge and how they got their. This knowledge can aid you in dealings with or influencing mortal politicians, or even some insight into the Kindred power structure.
* Student: Activist
** College: Political Science major.
*** Masters: Campaign manager or talk radio host
**** Doctorate: Senator
***** Scholar You could choose the next President of the United States.
Possessed by: Activist, Politicians, Lawyers, Vampire of all sorts.
Specialties. City, state, federal, bribery, dogma, Radical, Camarilla.
FINANCE
You know the ins and outs of commerce, from evaluating an item's relative worth to keeping up to date with currency exchange rates.This knowledge can be invaluable when brokering items, running numbers or playing the stock market. Sufficiently high levels of finance allows you to raise your standards of living to a very comfortable level.
* Student: You have taken a few business classes.
** College: You have some practical experience and can keep your books fairly neat.
*** Masters: You would make a fine stock broker.
**** Doctorate: Corporations follow your financial lead.
***** Scholar: You could turn a 20 dollar bill into a fortune.
Possessed by: Executives, Upper class, Stock Brokers, smugglers, Finance, Drug Dealers.
Specialties: Stock Market, Laundering, Foreign Currency, Accounting.
SCIENCE
You have at least a basic understanding of most of the physical sciences such as chemistry, biology, physics and geology. This knowledge can be put to all forms of practical use.
* Student: You know most of the high school basics.
** College: Your familiar with the major theories.
*** Masters: You can teach high school science.
**** Doctorate: You are fully capable of advancing the knowledge of your field.
***** Scholar: Your noble prize is waiting for you
Possessed by: Scientists, students, teachers, engineers, Pilots.
Specialties: Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy
If you don't have any dots in knowledge, you cannot even attempt to roll involving it unless the storyteller gives it explicit permission. If you don't know Spanish, you cant try holding a conversation in Espagnol on your wits alone.
ACADEMICS
This catch-all knowledge covers the character's erudition in the "humanities": Literatures, art, philosophy and other "liberal" sciences. A character with dots in academics is generally well rounded in these fields and at high levels may be considered an expert in one or more areas of study. Not only can this knowledge impress at salons and other Elysium functions but it can also offer valuable clues to certain past and future movements in Jihad.
* Student: You are aware that 1066 is something more than a Beverly hills area code.
** College: You can quote from the classics, identify major cultural movements, and expound on the difference between Ming and Moghul.
*** Masters: You could get a paper published in a school journal.
**** Doctorate: Professor emeritus.
***** Scholar: Scholars world wide acknowledge you as the foremost expert in your time.
Possessed by: Professors, Literati, Trivia Buffs, Elders.
Specialties: Post-structuralism, Impressionist Painting.
COMPUTER
This knowledge represents the ability to operate and program computers, as well as the savvy to keep up with the latest technology.
* Student: Point and click.
** College: You can process data with relative ease
*** Masters: You can design software.
**** Doctorate: You make a very comfortable living as a consultant.
***** Scholar: You are on the bleeding edge.
Possessed by: Hackers, Office Workers, Programmers, Students.
Specialties: Computer Language, Internet, Code Breaking, Viruses, Data Retrieval.
INVESTIGATION
You have learned to notice details others might overlook, and might make an admirable detective. This knowledge represents not only for a good eye for detail, but also the ability to do research and follow leads.
* Student: You have read your share of Agatha Christie.
** College: Police officer
*** Masters: Private Detective
**** Doctorate: Federal Agent
***** Scholar: Sherlock Holmes.
LAW
With all thee lawyers and law makers out there, this knowledge can prove very useful. Law can be useful for filing suit, avoiding lawsuits or getting out of jail. What's more, even the Kindred keep their own laws and more than one vampire has saved his own skin by deftly explaining a loophole in one of the traditions.
* Student You have watched your share of courtroom dramas.
** College: You're either studying or just passed the bar exam.
*** Masters: Ambulance chaser
**** Doctorate Major public figures have your number, just in case.
***** Scholar: You could find the loopholes in the devils contract.
Possessed by: Lawyers, Police, Judges, Detectives, Legislators.
Specialties: Criminal, Suits, contracts, Police procedure.
LINGUISTICS
You begin play with the native tongue of your choice for free, but if you want to speak any other languages, whether modern or ancient, Linguistics is a must. This ability allows you to understand additional languages, but at high levels also offers a more general understanding of linguistic structure. Linguistics may help to recognize accents or solve word puzzles.
* Student: One extra language
** College: Two extra languages
*** Master: Four extra languages
**** Doctorate: Eight extra languages
***** Scholar: Sixteen extra languages
MEDICINE
You have an understanding of how the human body and to a lesser extent how the vampire body works. This ability entails Knowledge of medicine, ailments first aid procedures and diagnostics or treatment of diseases. Medicine is of great use to those kindred with an interest in repairing, damaging or networking the human body.
* Student: You have taken a CPR course.
** College: Premed or paramedic
*** Masters: General practitioner
**** Doctorate: You can perform transplants.
***** Scholar: You are respected by the worlds medical community as a modern Aesculapius.
Possessed By: Med Student, Doctors, lifeguards, Tzimisce.
Specialties: organ transplant, emergency care, poison treatments, pathology.
OCCULT
You are knowledgeable in occult areas such as mysticism, curses, magic, folk-law and particularly vampire lore. Unlike most other knowledges, Occult does not imply a command of hard, factual information: much of what you know may well be rumor, myth, speculation or heresy. However the secrets to be learned in this field are worth centuries of sifting legend from fact. High levels of occult imply a deep understanding of vampire lore, as well as good grounding in other aspects of the occult, at least you can discern what is partly false.
* Student: You've paged through the New Age section of a Waldenbooks.
** College: There seems to be some unsettling truth to some of the rumors you've heard.
*** Masters: You've heard a lot and actually seen a little for yourself.
**** Doctorate: You can recognize blatantly false sources and make educated guesses about the rest.
***** Scholar: You know most of the basic truths about the hidden world.
Possessed by: Occultists, the Superstitious, New Agers, Tremere.
Specialties: Kindred Lore, Rituals, Infernalism, Witches.
POLITICS
You are familiar with the politics of the moment, including the people in charge and how they got their. This knowledge can aid you in dealings with or influencing mortal politicians, or even some insight into the Kindred power structure.
* Student: Activist
** College: Political Science major.
*** Masters: Campaign manager or talk radio host
**** Doctorate: Senator
***** Scholar You could choose the next President of the United States.
Possessed by: Activist, Politicians, Lawyers, Vampire of all sorts.
Specialties. City, state, federal, bribery, dogma, Radical, Camarilla.
FINANCE
You know the ins and outs of commerce, from evaluating an item's relative worth to keeping up to date with currency exchange rates.This knowledge can be invaluable when brokering items, running numbers or playing the stock market. Sufficiently high levels of finance allows you to raise your standards of living to a very comfortable level.
* Student: You have taken a few business classes.
** College: You have some practical experience and can keep your books fairly neat.
*** Masters: You would make a fine stock broker.
**** Doctorate: Corporations follow your financial lead.
***** Scholar: You could turn a 20 dollar bill into a fortune.
Possessed by: Executives, Upper class, Stock Brokers, smugglers, Finance, Drug Dealers.
Specialties: Stock Market, Laundering, Foreign Currency, Accounting.
SCIENCE
You have at least a basic understanding of most of the physical sciences such as chemistry, biology, physics and geology. This knowledge can be put to all forms of practical use.
* Student: You know most of the high school basics.
** College: Your familiar with the major theories.
*** Masters: You can teach high school science.
**** Doctorate: You are fully capable of advancing the knowledge of your field.
***** Scholar: Your noble prize is waiting for you
Possessed by: Scientists, students, teachers, engineers, Pilots.
Specialties: Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy
Part 2 of Character Creation
All vampires have Attributes. So here you can read through the ones, and pick the ones you want for your character.
Attributes
Every Vampire character has Attributes; they represent the basic
potential of every person in the world, as well as most other living
(and unliving) things.
Most people have Attribute scores between 1 (poor) and 3 (good), though exceptionally gifted individuals may have scores of 4 (excellent) or even 5 (peak human capacity). Some vampire elders, those of strong Blood, are rumored to have scores higher still.
Specialties
Some characters are especially good at particular applications of their Traits. For example, a painter might be particularly good at portraits, a baseball player might be adept at catching fly balls, and a brawler might be infamous for his low blows. To represent this, characters with scores of 4 or higher in Attributes or Abilities may choose specialties for those Traits.
A specialty is a particular subcategory of an Attribute or Ability - thus, a character with a Strength 5 might choose to be especially adept in "deadlifting," while a character with Investigation 4 might be a whiz at "ballistics." Whenever a player makes a die roll involving an activity in which her character has specialized, she may take any die that comes up "10," tally the success normally, then reroll that die in an attempt to accumulate extra successes. If the rerolled die also comes up "10," she may continue to reroll for still further successes. This process continues until no further "10s" are rolled.
Physical
Physical Attributes define the condition of a character's body. They indicate how strong, agile and resilient a character is. Physical Attributes should be taken as the primary category for an action-oriented character.
Strength
Simon winced as blow after blow landed on the other side ofthe hotel door. His sire was right: The war packs of the Sabbat were terribly tenacious. Unless he managed to keep the door held against them while Josephine called the police, Simon was as good as gone. Envisioning himself and Josephine torn to ribbons under the Sabbat's talons, Simon braced himself against the door for another hail of blows.
Strength is the raw, brute power of a character. It governs how much weight a character can lift, how much he can physically push and how hard he can hit another character or object. The Strength Trait is added to a character's damage dice pool when he hits his opponent in hand-to-hand combat. It is also used when a character wishes to break, lift or carry something, as well as when a character tries to jump a distance.
Specialties: Iron Grip, Powerful Arms, Reserves of Strength, Fists Like Anvils
Poor: You can lift 40 lbs.
Average: You can lift 100 lbs.
Good: You can lift 250 lbs.
Exceptional: You can lift 400 lbs.
Outstanding: You can lift 650 lbs. and crush skulls like grapes.
Dexterity
A sheer layer of blood-sweat glistened on Serina's forehead. Her prey knew he was being followed, so her ability to strike quickly and with surprise was paramount. Serina managed to climb the fire escape almost silently, knowing that the man would seek refuge in this alley. Ah, there he was! Baring her fangs andclaws, Serina erupted from her ill-lit perch as her prey panted for what would soon be his last breath.
The Dexterity Attribute measures a character's general physical prowess. It encompasses the character's speed, agility and overall quickness, as well as indicating the character's ability to manipulate objects with control and precision. Also included under Dexterity's heading are hand-eye coordination, reflexes and bodily grace.
Specialties: Lithe, Swift, Feline Grace, Lightning Reflexes
Poor: You are clumsy and awkward. Put that gun down before you hurt yourself.
Average: You're no clod, but you're no ballerina, either.
Good: You possess some degree of athletic potential
Exceptional: You could be an acrobat if you wished.
Outstanding: Your movements are liquid and hypnotic - almost superhuman.
Stamina
Simon awoke to find himself bound to a chair with heavy chains, the prince's enforcer looming over him.
"It seems your little Sabbat friends left you high and dry, no?"
"They're not my friends. They came after me and Josephine," Simon spat through tattered lips.
"Why would you lie to me, Simon?" crooned his captor. "Just tell me the truth, and this will all be over…." The brute pushed up his sleeve and hammered Simon in the face, cracking bone and spattering blood.
Hang in there, Simon thought to himself. They can't beat it out of you if you don't let them.
The Stamina Trait reflects a character's health, toughness and resilience. It indicates how long a character can exert herself and how much punishment she can withstand before suffering physical trauma. Stamina also includes a bit of psychic fortitude, indicating a character's grit and tenacity not to give up.
Specialties: Tireless, Determined, Tough as Nails, Resolute
Poor: You bruise in a stiff wind.
Average: You are moderately healthy and can take a punch or two.
Good: You are in good shape and rarely fall ill.
Exceptional: You can run - and perhaps win - any marathon you choose.
Outstanding: Your constitution is truly Herculean.
Social
Despite their solitary predilections, vampires use human society like building blocks to advance their schemes. Social Attributes delineate a character's appearance, charm and ability to interact with society. These Traits are paramount in determining a character's first impressions, personal dynamics and relations with other individuals.
Charisma
The prince pushed the curtain aside and walked out before the assembled council of the city's primogen. Their petty side conversations and guarded whispers stopped as the prince took his place at the head of the table, smiling at them with the look of a predator. Despite their differences of opinion, personal vendettas and centuries-oid hatreds, they still accepted the prince as their superior. None could contest the ancient vampire's overwhelming force of personality.
"See how they love me, even in their hate?" commented the prince to his childe, who stood behind the chair next to him. "Let them know who's in charge, and you'll have them drinking out of your hand."
Charisma is a character's ability to entice and please others through her personality. Charisma comes into question when a character tries to win another character's sympathies or encourage others to trust her. Charisma does not indicate necessarily a silver tongue or a skill with bullying. Rather, it is the simple power of a character's charm and influence. Charisma delineates a character's ability at convincing others to see her point of view.
Specialties: Smooth Talker, Genteel, Urbane, Witty, Eloquent Speaker, Graceful
Poor: Stop picking your nose.
Average: You are generally likable and have several friends.
Good: People trust you implicitly.
Exceptional: You have significant personal magnetism.
Outstanding: Entire cultures could follow your lead.
Manipulation
Daphne looked at Lucasz as if he were the only Kindred in the city who could heIp her. He already trusted her, the foot, and now alt she had to do was convince him that he needed to go talk to that bastard Barzeski.
"Lucasz, you're the only one who can do it. I'm on such bad terms with them that Barzeski won't even listen to me anymore. Plus, if you start leaning on them now, they'll be too intimidated to come after you later."
Lucasz' face softened a bit - she had him! Now, with any luck, he and Barzeski would kill each other while they were at the table, and she'd be rid of two thorns in her side.
Manipulation measures a character's ability for self-expression in the interests of getting others to share her outlook or follow her whims. In short, it's getting others to do what she wants. Manipulation comes into play when a character tries to influence or subtly guide another's behavior. Manipulation is used to trick, bluff, fast-talk and railroad other characters. Whether or not the characters in question actually like the manipulator is irrelevant (this is why Manipulation differs from Charisma); a skilled motivator can even employ the talents of people who hate her.
Manipulation is a dangerous affair, especially among the Kindred (though it is their coin of the realm). Failed attempts at manipulation often earn the ire of the would-be patsy. Botching a Manipulation roll may add a name to the character's list of enemies.
People are manipulated every day, and typically ignore it. ("Would you run to the store for me?") If the fact is brought to their attention, however, most people get quite defensive. Manipulation can be the most powerful tool in a Kindred's repertoire, but failure can be disastrous. Characters with high Manipulation ratings are often distrusted by those around them.
Specialties: Persuasive, "Damn I'm Smooth," Seductive, Well-Reasoned
Poor: A person of few (often ineffectual) words.
Average: You can fool some of the people some of the time, just like anybody else.
Good: You never pay full price.
Exceptional: You could be a politician or cult leader.
Outstanding: "Of course I'll tell the prince it was I who tried to stake him!"
Appearance
"Well, Harrick, let's see who the Toreador have pulled from the bottom of their collective shoe to discuss this matter with us, shall we?" Jervis Graves pulled a fat Cuban cigar from his desk drawer and struck a match, flinching instinctively from the tiny flame. "Bring them in!" Graves bellowed at his attendant, ashes tumbling from the cigar's tip.
The cigar hit the table at the same time Graves' jaw hit the floor. In walked the ugliest woman ]ervis had ever seen - and he'd even seen some of the Nosferatu.
"Caine's blood, creature, that face could send me into torpor."
"Yes, sir, " replied the Kindred calmly. "And now shouldn't we discuss the matter of…"
"No, not at all, " Graves cut her off. "Tell the 'artistes' that if they want to do business with Jervis Graves, they need to send someone who still looks human."
The Appearance Attribute is a measure of a character's attractiveness. More than simple looks, however, Appearance is the sum of a character's visible grace, beauty and the indefinable je ne sais quoi that makes people desirable.
Appearance is both more and less than words - it appeals to the lower levels of the psyche, so it shapes first impressions and the nature of memories thereafter. No matter how open-minded a person is, no matter how vehemently he claims, "Her personality is more important than her looks," a person still thinks of another in relation to the subject's appearance.
This Trait is used for more than getting potential vessels to heed your beckon across a crowded dance floor. In situations in which first impressions are paramount, or that involve people who view Appearance as very important, a character may have no more dice in a Social dice pool than her Appearance score. Thus, it is critically important to either look your best or get to know people before you start trying to convince them to firebomb the justicar's haven.
Poor: Ugly as a mud fence.
Average: You don't stand out in a crowd, for better or for worse.
Good: Strangers offer to buy you drinks at bars.
Exceptional: You are appealing enough to be a model, and people often go out of their way to tell you so.
Outstanding: People react to you with either insane jealousy or beatific awe.
Mental
Mental Attributes define a character's cerebral capacities, including such aspects as memory, intelligence, awareness of one's surroundings and the ability to think, learn and react.
Perception
Lucasz sat on the leather divan, jacket unbuttoned, hands in his lap, waiting for his odd host to enter the room. Above the musky scent of the leather, Lucas? caught a whiff of.. .poppies?… and heard the clink of glass on glass.
A stooped man with a beaklike nose - probably Barpeski's ghoul servant - limped into the room, a fluted glass on a service in his hand. "An aperitif while the lord dresses, sweet guest?" the ghoul rasped.
"If it's all the same toyou, I prefer my vitae without laudanum," answered Lucasz.
The ghout blanched.
Perception measures a character's ability to observe his environment. This may involve a conscious effort, such as searching an area, but it is more often intuitive, as the character's keen senses notice something out of the ordinary. Perception is a sensitivity to the character's surroundings, and is seldom present in the cynical or jaded (who have seen it all before).
Perception is used to determine whether or not a character understands a given situation or detects an environmental stimulus. It can warn a character of ambushes, help a character identify a metaphor, distinguish a clue from a pile of refuse or uncover any other hidden or overlookable detail, whether physical or otherwise.
Specialties: Attentive, Insightful, Careful, Discerning, Experienced
Poor: Perhaps you are absurdly self-absorbed, perhaps merely an airhead; in any event, even the most obvious details elude you.
Average: You are oblivious to the very subtle, but aware of the bigger picture.
Good: You perceive moods, textures and minuscule changes in your environment.
Exceptional: Almost nothing evades your notice.
Outstanding: You instantly observe things almost imperceptible to human senses.
Intelligence
Aisling stared at the fragile manuscript, wondering why it refused to make sense. The symbols were all in order, the invocations were clearly defined, and the motions were even illustrated correctly. Why wouldn't the damn thing work, then? It was as if whatever backward magician had scrawled this thing had left out some basic but vital element.
Backward…
Aisting toughed oioud as she heid the book before a mirror. There were the symbols. Working through the alphabet in reverse, she transcribed the proper verses from the page, and practiced the motions in opposite order. She had broken the primitive code.
The Intelligence Attribute refers to a character's grasp of facts and knowledge. More importantly, however, it governs a character's ability to reason, solve problems and evaluate situations. Intelligence is almost a misnomer, as the Attribute also includes critical thinking and flexibility of thought.
Intelligence does not include savvy, wisdom or common sense, as those are properties of the character's personality, not Traits. Even the smartest character may be too foolish to keep her mouth shut or too daft to assume the thugs who want her car keys are up to no good.
Characters with low Intelligence aren't necessarily stupid (though they might be), they are just uneducated or simple thinkers. Likewise, characters with high Intelligence aren't all Einsteins; they may be better at rote memorization or have particularly keen judgment.
Specialties: Book Knowledge, Creative, Analytical, Problem Solver, Subject Authority
Poor: Not the sharpest knife in the drawer (IQ 80).
Average: Smart enough to realize you're normal (IQ 100).
Good: More enlightened than the masses (IQ 120).
Exceptional: You're not just bright, you're downright brilliant (IQ 140).
Outstanding: Certified genius (IQ 160+).
Wits
Fire!
Lucasz leaped from the divan as the first waves of hot smoke wisped through the floorboards. First poison, and now this!
Looking to the door, Lucasz figured it must be bracedfrom the outside. The window overlooked the bay, and using that exit would mean a fall of a few hundred feet. The ventilation ducts were far too small for Kindred to crawl through.
Lucasz looked up. The crawlspace. The Fiend surely couldn't have compartmentalized the thin gap between the floors. Simply crawl up there, burst back through above the hallway, and bolt out the front door.
Lucasz turned the divan on its side, climbed atop and hammered his way through the plaster ceiling with his fists. Now it was only a question of what remained outside.
The Wits Trait measures the character's ability to think on her feet and react quickly to a certain situation. It also reflects a character's general cleverness. Characters with low Wits scores are thick and mentally lethargic, or maybe gullible and unsophisticated. By contrast, characters with high Wits Traits almost always have a plan immediately and adapt to their surroundings with striking expedience. Characters with high Wits also manage to keep their cool in stressful situations.
Specialties: Getting the Jump on Others, Snappy Patter, Changes in Strategy, Ambushes
Poor: Pull my finger.
Average: You know when to bet or fold in poker.
Good: You are seldom surprised or left speechless.
Exceptional: You're one of the people who make others think, "Ooh, I should have said…" the next day.
Outstanding: You think and respond almost more quickly than you can act.
Most people have Attribute scores between 1 (poor) and 3 (good), though exceptionally gifted individuals may have scores of 4 (excellent) or even 5 (peak human capacity). Some vampire elders, those of strong Blood, are rumored to have scores higher still.
Specialties
Some characters are especially good at particular applications of their Traits. For example, a painter might be particularly good at portraits, a baseball player might be adept at catching fly balls, and a brawler might be infamous for his low blows. To represent this, characters with scores of 4 or higher in Attributes or Abilities may choose specialties for those Traits.
A specialty is a particular subcategory of an Attribute or Ability - thus, a character with a Strength 5 might choose to be especially adept in "deadlifting," while a character with Investigation 4 might be a whiz at "ballistics." Whenever a player makes a die roll involving an activity in which her character has specialized, she may take any die that comes up "10," tally the success normally, then reroll that die in an attempt to accumulate extra successes. If the rerolled die also comes up "10," she may continue to reroll for still further successes. This process continues until no further "10s" are rolled.
Physical
Physical Attributes define the condition of a character's body. They indicate how strong, agile and resilient a character is. Physical Attributes should be taken as the primary category for an action-oriented character.
Strength
Simon winced as blow after blow landed on the other side ofthe hotel door. His sire was right: The war packs of the Sabbat were terribly tenacious. Unless he managed to keep the door held against them while Josephine called the police, Simon was as good as gone. Envisioning himself and Josephine torn to ribbons under the Sabbat's talons, Simon braced himself against the door for another hail of blows.
Strength is the raw, brute power of a character. It governs how much weight a character can lift, how much he can physically push and how hard he can hit another character or object. The Strength Trait is added to a character's damage dice pool when he hits his opponent in hand-to-hand combat. It is also used when a character wishes to break, lift or carry something, as well as when a character tries to jump a distance.
Specialties: Iron Grip, Powerful Arms, Reserves of Strength, Fists Like Anvils
Poor: You can lift 40 lbs.
Average: You can lift 100 lbs.
Good: You can lift 250 lbs.
Exceptional: You can lift 400 lbs.
Outstanding: You can lift 650 lbs. and crush skulls like grapes.
Dexterity
A sheer layer of blood-sweat glistened on Serina's forehead. Her prey knew he was being followed, so her ability to strike quickly and with surprise was paramount. Serina managed to climb the fire escape almost silently, knowing that the man would seek refuge in this alley. Ah, there he was! Baring her fangs andclaws, Serina erupted from her ill-lit perch as her prey panted for what would soon be his last breath.
The Dexterity Attribute measures a character's general physical prowess. It encompasses the character's speed, agility and overall quickness, as well as indicating the character's ability to manipulate objects with control and precision. Also included under Dexterity's heading are hand-eye coordination, reflexes and bodily grace.
Specialties: Lithe, Swift, Feline Grace, Lightning Reflexes
Poor: You are clumsy and awkward. Put that gun down before you hurt yourself.
Average: You're no clod, but you're no ballerina, either.
Good: You possess some degree of athletic potential
Exceptional: You could be an acrobat if you wished.
Outstanding: Your movements are liquid and hypnotic - almost superhuman.
Stamina
Simon awoke to find himself bound to a chair with heavy chains, the prince's enforcer looming over him.
"It seems your little Sabbat friends left you high and dry, no?"
"They're not my friends. They came after me and Josephine," Simon spat through tattered lips.
"Why would you lie to me, Simon?" crooned his captor. "Just tell me the truth, and this will all be over…." The brute pushed up his sleeve and hammered Simon in the face, cracking bone and spattering blood.
Hang in there, Simon thought to himself. They can't beat it out of you if you don't let them.
The Stamina Trait reflects a character's health, toughness and resilience. It indicates how long a character can exert herself and how much punishment she can withstand before suffering physical trauma. Stamina also includes a bit of psychic fortitude, indicating a character's grit and tenacity not to give up.
Specialties: Tireless, Determined, Tough as Nails, Resolute
Poor: You bruise in a stiff wind.
Average: You are moderately healthy and can take a punch or two.
Good: You are in good shape and rarely fall ill.
Exceptional: You can run - and perhaps win - any marathon you choose.
Outstanding: Your constitution is truly Herculean.
Social
Despite their solitary predilections, vampires use human society like building blocks to advance their schemes. Social Attributes delineate a character's appearance, charm and ability to interact with society. These Traits are paramount in determining a character's first impressions, personal dynamics and relations with other individuals.
Charisma
The prince pushed the curtain aside and walked out before the assembled council of the city's primogen. Their petty side conversations and guarded whispers stopped as the prince took his place at the head of the table, smiling at them with the look of a predator. Despite their differences of opinion, personal vendettas and centuries-oid hatreds, they still accepted the prince as their superior. None could contest the ancient vampire's overwhelming force of personality.
"See how they love me, even in their hate?" commented the prince to his childe, who stood behind the chair next to him. "Let them know who's in charge, and you'll have them drinking out of your hand."
Charisma is a character's ability to entice and please others through her personality. Charisma comes into question when a character tries to win another character's sympathies or encourage others to trust her. Charisma does not indicate necessarily a silver tongue or a skill with bullying. Rather, it is the simple power of a character's charm and influence. Charisma delineates a character's ability at convincing others to see her point of view.
Specialties: Smooth Talker, Genteel, Urbane, Witty, Eloquent Speaker, Graceful
Poor: Stop picking your nose.
Average: You are generally likable and have several friends.
Good: People trust you implicitly.
Exceptional: You have significant personal magnetism.
Outstanding: Entire cultures could follow your lead.
Manipulation
Daphne looked at Lucasz as if he were the only Kindred in the city who could heIp her. He already trusted her, the foot, and now alt she had to do was convince him that he needed to go talk to that bastard Barzeski.
"Lucasz, you're the only one who can do it. I'm on such bad terms with them that Barzeski won't even listen to me anymore. Plus, if you start leaning on them now, they'll be too intimidated to come after you later."
Lucasz' face softened a bit - she had him! Now, with any luck, he and Barzeski would kill each other while they were at the table, and she'd be rid of two thorns in her side.
Manipulation measures a character's ability for self-expression in the interests of getting others to share her outlook or follow her whims. In short, it's getting others to do what she wants. Manipulation comes into play when a character tries to influence or subtly guide another's behavior. Manipulation is used to trick, bluff, fast-talk and railroad other characters. Whether or not the characters in question actually like the manipulator is irrelevant (this is why Manipulation differs from Charisma); a skilled motivator can even employ the talents of people who hate her.
Manipulation is a dangerous affair, especially among the Kindred (though it is their coin of the realm). Failed attempts at manipulation often earn the ire of the would-be patsy. Botching a Manipulation roll may add a name to the character's list of enemies.
People are manipulated every day, and typically ignore it. ("Would you run to the store for me?") If the fact is brought to their attention, however, most people get quite defensive. Manipulation can be the most powerful tool in a Kindred's repertoire, but failure can be disastrous. Characters with high Manipulation ratings are often distrusted by those around them.
Specialties: Persuasive, "Damn I'm Smooth," Seductive, Well-Reasoned
Poor: A person of few (often ineffectual) words.
Average: You can fool some of the people some of the time, just like anybody else.
Good: You never pay full price.
Exceptional: You could be a politician or cult leader.
Outstanding: "Of course I'll tell the prince it was I who tried to stake him!"
Appearance
"Well, Harrick, let's see who the Toreador have pulled from the bottom of their collective shoe to discuss this matter with us, shall we?" Jervis Graves pulled a fat Cuban cigar from his desk drawer and struck a match, flinching instinctively from the tiny flame. "Bring them in!" Graves bellowed at his attendant, ashes tumbling from the cigar's tip.
The cigar hit the table at the same time Graves' jaw hit the floor. In walked the ugliest woman ]ervis had ever seen - and he'd even seen some of the Nosferatu.
"Caine's blood, creature, that face could send me into torpor."
"Yes, sir, " replied the Kindred calmly. "And now shouldn't we discuss the matter of…"
"No, not at all, " Graves cut her off. "Tell the 'artistes' that if they want to do business with Jervis Graves, they need to send someone who still looks human."
The Appearance Attribute is a measure of a character's attractiveness. More than simple looks, however, Appearance is the sum of a character's visible grace, beauty and the indefinable je ne sais quoi that makes people desirable.
Appearance is both more and less than words - it appeals to the lower levels of the psyche, so it shapes first impressions and the nature of memories thereafter. No matter how open-minded a person is, no matter how vehemently he claims, "Her personality is more important than her looks," a person still thinks of another in relation to the subject's appearance.
This Trait is used for more than getting potential vessels to heed your beckon across a crowded dance floor. In situations in which first impressions are paramount, or that involve people who view Appearance as very important, a character may have no more dice in a Social dice pool than her Appearance score. Thus, it is critically important to either look your best or get to know people before you start trying to convince them to firebomb the justicar's haven.
Poor: Ugly as a mud fence.
Average: You don't stand out in a crowd, for better or for worse.
Good: Strangers offer to buy you drinks at bars.
Exceptional: You are appealing enough to be a model, and people often go out of their way to tell you so.
Outstanding: People react to you with either insane jealousy or beatific awe.
Mental
Mental Attributes define a character's cerebral capacities, including such aspects as memory, intelligence, awareness of one's surroundings and the ability to think, learn and react.
Perception
Lucasz sat on the leather divan, jacket unbuttoned, hands in his lap, waiting for his odd host to enter the room. Above the musky scent of the leather, Lucas? caught a whiff of.. .poppies?… and heard the clink of glass on glass.
A stooped man with a beaklike nose - probably Barpeski's ghoul servant - limped into the room, a fluted glass on a service in his hand. "An aperitif while the lord dresses, sweet guest?" the ghoul rasped.
"If it's all the same toyou, I prefer my vitae without laudanum," answered Lucasz.
The ghout blanched.
Perception measures a character's ability to observe his environment. This may involve a conscious effort, such as searching an area, but it is more often intuitive, as the character's keen senses notice something out of the ordinary. Perception is a sensitivity to the character's surroundings, and is seldom present in the cynical or jaded (who have seen it all before).
Perception is used to determine whether or not a character understands a given situation or detects an environmental stimulus. It can warn a character of ambushes, help a character identify a metaphor, distinguish a clue from a pile of refuse or uncover any other hidden or overlookable detail, whether physical or otherwise.
Specialties: Attentive, Insightful, Careful, Discerning, Experienced
Poor: Perhaps you are absurdly self-absorbed, perhaps merely an airhead; in any event, even the most obvious details elude you.
Average: You are oblivious to the very subtle, but aware of the bigger picture.
Good: You perceive moods, textures and minuscule changes in your environment.
Exceptional: Almost nothing evades your notice.
Outstanding: You instantly observe things almost imperceptible to human senses.
Intelligence
Aisling stared at the fragile manuscript, wondering why it refused to make sense. The symbols were all in order, the invocations were clearly defined, and the motions were even illustrated correctly. Why wouldn't the damn thing work, then? It was as if whatever backward magician had scrawled this thing had left out some basic but vital element.
Backward…
Aisting toughed oioud as she heid the book before a mirror. There were the symbols. Working through the alphabet in reverse, she transcribed the proper verses from the page, and practiced the motions in opposite order. She had broken the primitive code.
The Intelligence Attribute refers to a character's grasp of facts and knowledge. More importantly, however, it governs a character's ability to reason, solve problems and evaluate situations. Intelligence is almost a misnomer, as the Attribute also includes critical thinking and flexibility of thought.
Intelligence does not include savvy, wisdom or common sense, as those are properties of the character's personality, not Traits. Even the smartest character may be too foolish to keep her mouth shut or too daft to assume the thugs who want her car keys are up to no good.
Characters with low Intelligence aren't necessarily stupid (though they might be), they are just uneducated or simple thinkers. Likewise, characters with high Intelligence aren't all Einsteins; they may be better at rote memorization or have particularly keen judgment.
Specialties: Book Knowledge, Creative, Analytical, Problem Solver, Subject Authority
Poor: Not the sharpest knife in the drawer (IQ 80).
Average: Smart enough to realize you're normal (IQ 100).
Good: More enlightened than the masses (IQ 120).
Exceptional: You're not just bright, you're downright brilliant (IQ 140).
Outstanding: Certified genius (IQ 160+).
Wits
Fire!
Lucasz leaped from the divan as the first waves of hot smoke wisped through the floorboards. First poison, and now this!
Looking to the door, Lucasz figured it must be bracedfrom the outside. The window overlooked the bay, and using that exit would mean a fall of a few hundred feet. The ventilation ducts were far too small for Kindred to crawl through.
Lucasz looked up. The crawlspace. The Fiend surely couldn't have compartmentalized the thin gap between the floors. Simply crawl up there, burst back through above the hallway, and bolt out the front door.
Lucasz turned the divan on its side, climbed atop and hammered his way through the plaster ceiling with his fists. Now it was only a question of what remained outside.
The Wits Trait measures the character's ability to think on her feet and react quickly to a certain situation. It also reflects a character's general cleverness. Characters with low Wits scores are thick and mentally lethargic, or maybe gullible and unsophisticated. By contrast, characters with high Wits Traits almost always have a plan immediately and adapt to their surroundings with striking expedience. Characters with high Wits also manage to keep their cool in stressful situations.
Specialties: Getting the Jump on Others, Snappy Patter, Changes in Strategy, Ambushes
Poor: Pull my finger.
Average: You know when to bet or fold in poker.
Good: You are seldom surprised or left speechless.
Exceptional: You're one of the people who make others think, "Ooh, I should have said…" the next day.
Outstanding: You think and respond almost more quickly than you can act.
Part 1 of Character Creation
TOP
Name:
Player:
Chronicle:
Nature:
Demeanor:
Clan:
Generation:
Haven:
Concept:
The list above is just that, You need to come up with a fairly good RP name to use during this creation. Remember this is the name you will use throughout the entire role play, so please pick something that will be taken seriously and not something someone will laugh at. Like for example my Character creation is this.
ABOUT HER CHARACTER:
NAME: Shadowz
PLAYER:----------------------------
CHRONICLE:--------------------
NATURE: Deviant
DEMEANOR: Survivor
CLAN: Malkavian-Assamite (Cross breed by a Blood Bond)
GENERATION: 7th Generation
HAVEN: Anywhere that she was left alone.
CONCEPT: Dilettante – Investigator
As you can see I chose the name Shadowz , I left the player,chronicle blank because at the time we didn't have one set up, you can always bypass those. my nature was Deviant, I was a survivor, my clan was cross-breed, my generation was 7th. I was safe anywhere I was left alone, and my concept was Dilettante-Investigator. Now I will break these down to help you understand them even more.
Nature
Keep in mind that Nature and Demeanor are guidelines and summaries, and not set-in-stone ways that seal off all possibilities.
A
Alchemist
"As above, so below…" runs the alchemical axiom, and you believe it. There is more to be learned in the lab and the library than anywhere else, and the results are so much clearer in those venues. You are a student of the mysteries, a dabbler into metasciences, and an explorer of forgotten lore. What's more, you believe that the answers to everyday problems, both mundane and esoteric, are found in the operations that one performs magically. You are rational and methodical, relying on careful consideration and an implicit (if not entirely consistent) logic.
Quest: Whenever a breakthrough gives you a greater understanding of the magical axioms which allow supernaturals to function, you gain Willpower.
Ban: Never participate in social games or other "distractions" when there is work to be done in the lab.
Architect
Your sense of purpose goes beyond your own needs; you try to create something of lasting value for those who will come after you. People need many things, and you gain satisfaction by providing whatever you can. You are the type of person who makes an effort to build something of value: to found a town, create a company or in some way leave a lasting legacy. Many American pioneers were Architects by Nature.
Quest: Whenever you create or establish something of importance or lasting value, you gain a Willpower.
Ban: Never work towards a goal that will destroy something that someone has put their time and effort into. You may only improve on it.
Artisan
There's no substitute for hard work, no matter what anyone says. Ultimately, you know that nothing is ever accomplished unless people are willing to toil at it, tirelessly getting the job done. Other people may flit about, with their intrigues and their love affairs, but in the end, it's sweat, tears, and blood which get the job done, and any person who says otherwise has no idea what he's talking about, as far as you're concerned. You don't labor for glory, but for the pride of a job well done, and it's almost impossible for you to be at peace with a project still incomplete, tugging at the corner of your mind. You're not afraid of heavy labor, and regard the calluses on your hands as a badge of honor. You are proud of your work, but not arrogant towards anyone, as long as they have respect for your toil.
Quest: Whenever your labor at a task at the expense of yourself finally pays off with success, you gain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never rest easily until your current projects are complete.
Artiste
The Artiste is interested in art for art's sake. The ability to create is what elevates humans above the animals. The Masters knew this and rejoiced not just in the glory of human form, but in the gift of expression given only to humans. The Artiste thrives on the reception and digestion of her art — and usually the acceptance of it as well. Poets, playwrights, painters, composers and other such romantic demonstrative sorts are Artiste Archetypes. They can typically be found in Parisian and Budapest coffee or absinthe houses, university quads and dilapidated brothels or hostels serving as communes.
Quest: Whenever you manage to 'reach' an audience through something you've created, you gain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never do something that would undermine a work of art. Your own or that of someone else.
Aspirant
Life is a learning experience, and you always strive to improve yourself. Every obstacle is a potential opportunity, and you rarely rest on the laurels of past accomplishments for very long. This means that you spend most of your time pursuing different goals. Unlike the Virtuoso, your aspirations tend towards gaining general excellence, rather than mastering one particular field. You view the pursuit of a goal to be just as important as obtaining it. As a result, others may see you as a jack-of-all-trades but a true master of none, someone who abandons projects once he becomes bored with them. The challenge of learning the new thing is what interests you, so your accomplishments are likely to be diverse, but not entirely noteworthy.
Quest: Gain Willpower every time you overcome an obstacle.
Ban: Never pass up a learning opportunity.
Autist
You wouldn't have to keep such secrets if everyone wasn't trying to use your history, your opinions, and your true feelings against you all the time. But everyone wants in to your life, mostly to manipulate you, and the best way to avoid this is to reveal as little as possible. Everyone keeps secrets, and you don't necessarily see a reason to lie; whose business is it anyway, aside from yours? Others may see you as a distant loner, or a mysterious plotter, but you're mostly trying to keep them from manipulating you. Odds are if someone reveals how they really feel to you, they're either lying to manipulate you or a fool who hasn't learned the way the world really works yet. Maybe you'll give them a pointer, as long as it doesn't tip your own hand to do so.
Quest: Whenever you manage to reveal nothing while under scrutiny, regain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never reveal your thoughts to others; never place too much trust in those who do.
Autocrat
It's your way or the highway. You want to be in charge, and seek prominence for its own sake, not necessarily because you have the organization's best interests at heart or have the best ideas, though certainly you think both of those things are true. You may genuinely believe that others are incompetent, but ultimately you crave power and control. You are likely to justify your authority through imagined or real threats, and though your leadership may be solid, you also brook no argument from those with equally valid alternate viewpoints.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever you achieve control over a group or organization involving other individuals.
Ban: Never tolerate disobedience or disrespect.
Avant-Garde
You must always be in the forefront - always the first with a piece of news, a dance or fashion trend, or a discovery in the arts. Nothing pains you more than hearing news secondhand, or someone else telling you about a hot new band. New discoveries are your life, and you devote a great deal of time and effort to keeping up with things. After all, if you're not in the forefront, you're nowhere.
Quest: Whenever you are the first with a piece of news or some other significant discovery, you regain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never allow distraction to sway you from your course, when you know that a piece of fresh news might be at stake.
B
Barbarian
Civilization is the trap that the clever set for the weak, and in which they end up snaring themselves. Truly intelligent, brave, strong people understand that sedentary existence only brings you that much closer to the grave, and that what counts is what you achieve as an individual. You respect only actual deeds. Anyone can boast or scheme, but all words vanish in the end. Only deeds remain, having changed the world.
Quest: When you beat 'civilized' competition through your barbaric virtues, gain back a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never embrace the concepts of civilization as a means to an end.
Beast
You seek to conquer all who oppose you, destroying them if possible. Your world view is defined by those who bow to you and those who get eaten because they didn't. To you, all exists at and for your pleasure. You play people off each other, like chess pieces on a board, with no consideration for anyone's needs but your own. You take what you want without asking, and you destroy those weaker than yourself for amusement.
Quest: Whenever you remove significant opposition to your goals, gain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never retreat; never compromise your territory.
Bogle
You are a prankster at heart, and do not care who gets hurt as long as you get a good laugh out of it. Spiteful, mean-spirited pranks are your favorite, though you may occasionally play more benign ones. The results of your jokes usually range from the merely mean to the fatal. Like the Prankster, your jokes may range in intricacy, but motivations tend more towards spite and revenge.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever you pull off a particularly artful or mean-spirited prank.
Ban: Never apologize for a prank. Never let any intentional sleight from a human go by without a prank as repayment.
Bon Vivant
You know that life is shallow and meaningless. As such, you decide to enjoy your time on Earth, because who knows what comes afterwards? You're not necessarily irresponsible; rather, you are simple predisposed to having a good time along the way, even if its at the expense of others. You know that once the music stops, you'll have to face the real world, and its simply too painful to focus on for long. Instead, you throw yourself into blissful denial, attending to your own pleasure rather than the cold, hard facts of life. Hedonists, sybarites, and dilettantes are all examples of this archetype.
Quest: Whenever you manage to enjoy yourself despite a bad situation, or because of it, you gain Willpower.
Ban: Never let the party end, even when it is long over, and everyone wants to go home.
Bravo
You are known as a bully, a ruffian and a tough, and delight in tormenting the weak. Things must always go your way, and you do not tolerate those who cross you. Power and might are all you respect; indeed, you heed only those who can prove their power to you. You see nothing wrong with forcing your will upon others. There is nothing you like better than to persecute, antagonize, heckle and intimidate those for whom you have contempt - and of them there are many. The emotions of kindness and pity are not completely foreign to you, but you hide from your own sense of weakness through cruelty to others. While most Bravos despise the weak, a few become their protectors.
Quest: When you intimidate or physically force another person to do what you wish, gain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never let another person get away with giving you 'No' for an answer. It just isn't acceptable.
Bumpkin
Solid and practical, you approach every problem with common sense and pragmatism. You bring the conversation back to the point and ask the questions that get the right answers. Always prepared, you think about possible scenarios in advance and take precautions against them, or else are more than willing to use whatever's around to solve the matter. You love solving problems, both your own and those of others. You become frustrated with people who don't seem to think quite as logically as you.
Quest: Whenever you successfully apply a practical, homespun solution to any problem, you regain Willpower.
Ban: Never miss an opportunity to solve a problem through practical application of logic and common sense.
Bureaucrat
Laws were created for a reason, and you have to be sure to follow them. Rules weren't made to be broken. Even mankind's laws aren't as easy to forget as some people might hope. You must follow the rules to a "T." If nobody follows the laws, civilization breaks down into chaos, and no one in their right mind wants that. Others probably see you as stodgy and hidebound.
Quest: Whenever you solve a situation "by the book," and can get others to follow correct procedures, you gain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never willingly permit the laws and traditions to be broken, though you might accompany those who did so, if only to point out their mistakes.
C
Caregiver
You always try to help those around you, struggling to make a difference in the needs and sorrows of the unfortunate. People around you depend on your stability and strength to keep them steady and centered. You are the one people turn to when they have a problem.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you successfully protect or nurture someone else. It can be as small as a smile of support or a shoulder to lean on at an appropriate moment. You must help the other person in some way, though he need not acknowledge it openly.
Ban: Never refuse an offer to help someone in need.
Cavalier
You are a flamboyant soul, always seeking attention and the chance to be the brightest star. Dashing and heroic, you are as much interested in the style of greatness as its substance. You quip your way through even the most desperate of battles, never entirely taking the risk seriously, and always preparing for an exciting escape if the threat level becomes too high. Nothing excites you as much as a new audience to woo and win. While others may despise you as a pretentious image-obsessed brat, you aspire to the heroic ideal. You've simply become lost in the romantic notion of the hero, and refuse to part with it.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever you make a scene, impressing and dazzling other characters.
Ban: Never do anything small. Never miss an opportunity to quip or do things in a showy, ostentatious fashion.
Celebrant
The Celebrant takes joy in her cause. Whether the character's passion is battle, religious fervor, foiling her rivals or reading fine literature, it gives the Celebrant the strength to withstand adversity. Given the chance, the Celebrant will indulge in her passion as deeply as possible. Unlike the Fanatic, the Celebrant pursues her passion not out of duty, but out of enthusiasm. Crusaders, hippies, political activists, and art enthusiasts are Celebrant Archetypes.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever you pursue your cause or convert another character to the same passion. Conversely, lose a point of temporary Willpower whenever you are denied your passion or it is badly lost to you
Ban: Never deny a chance to embrace your cause.
Cereniac
The pursuit of pleasure is your reason for living. You may derive pleasure from any number of sources: sex, drugs, food, sensory stimulus of any kind. Choose one or all of the above. You spend most of your time and resources in pursuit of the vice of your choice, despite the pain that often accompanies it. More than the Bon Vivant, who simply denies reality with pleasure, you dive full-force into vice with the hopes that it will bring you enlightenment and power. While the Bon-Vivant is happy as long as he is enjoying himself, you want more, always skating the edge for your next thrill. Your appetite for pleasure is constantly increasing. You require ever more stimuli to satiate your jaded palate.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you spend a day pursuing one of your vices, or experience a completely new pleasurable sensation.
Ban: Never turn down an opportunity to fulfill your desires.
Challenger
You exist to test the mettle of others, especially your so-called betters. You realize that most of the time, people pretend to be something that they're not to get what they want. Similarly, a lot of potential goes untapped because no one is willing to challenge themselves, and test their strength. That's where you come in. You see yourself as providing an invaluable service to the individuals and societies around you, by forcing them to realize their true strengths and capabilities. It's important to take the poseurs down a notch, and it gives you a chance to figure out where you fit into the hierarchy, as well. You're not willing to accept anything at face value; you don't have to be overt, but you're always looking for a chance to size others up.
Quest: Gain Willpower whenever you expose the weakness of others through direct confrontation, especially those who claimed to be something they weren't. Similarly, you gain Willpower whenever you prove to someone that they were stronger than they thought.
Ban: Never resist an opportunity to size someone up, man to man. Never trust someone until you've tested their mettle personally.
Child
You are still immature in personality and temperament. Wide-eyed and innocent, you either know little about the world, or feign ignorance to get others to take care of you. At your worst, you are a brat: you want what you want now, and you prefer it if someone gives it to you. At your best, you have a refreshing attitude about the world, as you learn all about it, asking the questions that others have always assumed answers for, but never spoken out loud. Although you might be able to look after yourself, you would rather have a caretaker-type who would look after you.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever you manage to convince someone to help you with no gain to herself, or to nurture you.
Ban: Never do things alone when there are others to help you.
Churl
Manners are for wimps, wusses, and mama's boys. Urrrrp! Rude and ill-bred, you scoff (and piss, and belch) at convention. Polite society is just a bunch of snobs with something up their butts and even more to hide. Unlike the Grotesque, you are not necessarily trying to be disgusting; you just think that the societal strictures governing personal comportment are unnecessary. You are… natural.
Quest: Regain Willpower every time you get away with outraging polite society.
Ban: Never be polite.
Comrade
You value friendship above all other things and strive to prove yourself worthy of other people's trust. Other values may be important to you, but you place your personal connections above all other considerations. You are willing to face almost any danger to aid friends in need, even if they do not always do the same in return.
Quest: Gain Willpower every time you aid a friend by risking your own interests.
Ban: Never terminate a friendship, even after your friend has violated your trust.
Competitor
You are driven by the need to win at all costs. The thrill of victory is the only thrill you recognize; it is the thing that drives you. You see life as a contest and society as a dichotomy of winners and losers. You believe all the macho business proverbs - "if you're not lead dog, the view never changes"; "there are no prizes for second place"; "eat or be eaten." You try to turn every situation into a contest of some kind, and it is the only way you can relate to anything. You are capable of cooperating with others, but only by turning the group interactions into another contest: you must be the leader, or the most productive, or the most indispensable, or the best liked - anything, as long as it means you win in some way or another.
Quest: Regain one Willpower point whenever you win a contest of any sort, formal or informal. For truly impressive victories, the Storyteller may award more points.
Ban: Never refuse a chance to compete.
Confident
You understand people and, more importantly, you like them. You are a facilitator who listens and advises. People confess to you and in return you give them advice, most of which is good (though sometimes your advice is more for your own benefit than for that of the recipient). You are very interested in other people, and who and what they are. Personalities fascinate you, as do the sickness and beauty of human nature.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever someone confides in you on a personal and intimate level.
Ban: Never deny a chance to learn more about another individual.
Conformist
You are a follower. Taking charge is just not your style. It is easy for you to adapt, attune, adjust, comply and reconcile yourself to whatever new situation you find yourself in. You flit to the brightest star, the person whom you feel to be the best, throwing your lot in with her. It is both difficult and distasteful for you to go against the flow or rebel. You hate inconsistency and instability, and know that by supporting a strong leader, you help prevent chaos from occurring. All stable groups need some kind of Conformist.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever your group (the brood) accomplishes something because of your support and aid.
Ban: Never go against the flow or against the pack.
Conniver
Why work for something, when you can trick somebody else into getting it for you? You always try to find the easy way, the fast track to success and wealth. Some people call you a thief, a swindler, or less pleasant terms, but you know that everybody in the world would do unto you if they could. You just do it first, and better. You might be a criminal, but you probably see yourself merely as an entrepreneur, making good for yourself at the expense of fools. Why put yourself out when there are so many saps?
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you trick someone into doing something for you, without having to do work.
Ban: Never lift a finger if there's someone else who could do it for you.
Coward
The Coward fears himself above all. Whatever it is at the heart of the Coward cannot be revealed, or he will be vulnerable to attack or rejection. This utter separation from the outside world is terrifying, thus the Coward reveals morsels of his thoughts and feelings in hopes of love and approval. The Coward longs to be validated and accepted. Persons who seek out anonymous positions in the clergy or in military and industrial sectors are often of the Coward Archetype.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever you reveal something about yourself without being hurt or utterly revealed.
Ban: Never take unnecessary risks or actions that may cause you hurt or problems.
Courtier
Somewhat the social butterfly, you use wit, charm, and flirtation as tools to lighten the mood. You live for social interaction. You are a student of etiquette and a lover of dances, parties, and courtly gatherings. Your tact and grace often place you in the position of diplomat. Because your goal is harmony, you are deeply concerned with politics, ritual, custom, and the preservation of order. Often working behind the scenes, you soothe hurt feelings and encourage others to relax and have a good time.
Quest: You regain Willpower whenever you deflate a volatile solution and return the gathering to peace and harmony.
Ban: Never purposely make anyone angry or upset.
Crafter
The urge to improve things burns strong within you. You see everything in terms of what you can do to make it better. Nothing brings you greater joy than creating something beautiful or useful out of the ugly or useless. You are never without a project of some sort, whether it is a painting, a sculpture, an organization, or the training and molding of a less-than-perfect individual. You enjoy the process, but can't wait to see the finished product.
Quest: Whenever you create something of lasting value, you regain Willpower.
Ban: Never miss an opportunity to put your touch on something and improve it in some way.
Craven
Better a live coward than a dead hero. You live your life by those words. Unfortunately, this does not just mean that you have the good sense to avoid harrowing situations. You are a true coward in almost every area of your life. Your code applies to social situations and facing unpleasant truths about yourself, as well as avoiding physical danger. While you may put yourself in danger, you are always looking for the nearest escape route. You may be ashamed of your cowardice and occasionally perform heroic or bullying acts out of a need to prove yourself.
Quest: Regain Willpower every time you save yourself by running away.
Ban: Never volunteer for dangerous assignments.
Critic
Nothing in the world should be accepted without thorough scrutiny and examination. Nothing is ever perfect, and the blemishes must be pointed out in order for the good to be truly known. Your standards are high for everything, and you insist on their being met. You encourage the same ideals in others, because laxity and low standards reduce the quality of life for everyone. Others will thank you later, once they discover the purity of your perspective. You seek out and expose the imperfections in every person or thing you encounter. You are never satisfied with anything that is less than perfect, unless it is within yourself after all, you're not a perfectionist.
Quest: Regain one Willpower point whenever you are able to discover a significant imperfection that has escaped the attention of others.
Ban: Lowering your high standards or refusing to critic something flawed.
Curmudgeon
You are an irascible, churlish person at heart, taking everything seriously and finding little humor in life (though you may have a wickedly barbed wit). Cynicism is your middle name; it is the tool with which you judge everything in life. You have a very well-defined understanding of how things really work, especially when they involve the circus of human endeavor. Long ago the foolish actions of others ceased to surprise you.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever someone does something stupid, just like you predicted. You must predict it either out loud to the other characters or in private to the Storyteller.
Ban: Never show optimism for the plans or thoughts of another.
D
Dandy
A social climber at heart, you are an expert on court etiquette. Your goal is to get as high up the ladder as possible. Intrigue and gossip feed you, and you can always be found at the periphery of trouble, watching and listening to see what you can learn and possible use for your own benefit at a later time. Somewhat of a snob, you look back down the ladder with disdain, especially at those who might take your position from you. However, you know better than to burden your bridges. As a result, you tend to play the diplomat. You will do anything to make yourself look good, often helping others and taking risks in order to do so.
Quest: Whenever you succeed in strengthening your hold on your current social position or in getting a promotion, you regain Willpower.
Ban: Never miss an opportunity to ingratiate yourself to one of your superiors.
Darling
You are the apple of everyone's eye, the precious, delicate creature that simply must be taken care of, treated with excessive caution and babied. You could be ignorant of the world, and thus a true innocent, genuinely weak-willed and weak-minded, requiring the need for care from others and possessing the charm to earn it, or manipulative and cunning, using what charms you may have to attain what you desire.
Quest: Regain a WP whenever the character is treated with unusual kindness, favoritism or consideration.
Ban: Never show the fact that you are, or can be, independent. Others must feel you need them.
Defender
Everything that matters in the world struggles to survive in the face of its enemies. This isn't necessarily a commitment to tradition, though. The thing you defend may be some fragile innovation or the hope of future progress. You may see your role in martial terms, or otherwise; this is an Archetype for healers and priests as well as warriors. You find your fulfillment in defending the cause to which you're given your allegiance.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you successfully defend your chosen object of loyalty from some outside threat.
Ban: Never deny a chance to defend your object of loyalty.
Demon-Lover
Others see you as a lover of pleasure and a consummate hedonist, but you want more. You like to take risks, and it secretly delights you when others can't keep up with them. You want more, always, and damn the expense. You also want others to know about it; you pursue pleasure as much for the rights to brag about it as the pleasure itself. You always kiss and tell, and delight when your exploits become the talk of the town. Though some may say that you are crass, you go out of your way to make yourself an object of envy and desire. You have a reputation to protect as a ferocious and insatiable pleasure-seeker, and you'll do anything to protect it.
Quest: Whenever you prove that you are the most extreme person, and that others cannot keep up with your appetites, you gain Willpower.
Ban: Never resist an opportunity to push things beyond acceptable limits.
Deviant
There are always people who don't fit in, and you are such a miscreant. Your beliefs, motivations and sense of propriety are the complete antithesis of the status quo. You are not so much an aimless rebel as an independent thinker who does not belong in the society in which you were raised. You don't give a damn about other people's morality, but you do adhere to your own strange code of conduct. Deviants are typically irreverent, and some have truly bizarre tastes and desires.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you are able to thumb your nose at society and its precepts without retaliation.
Ban: Never side with the status quo.
Diplomat
The world is full of people who'd rather be right than have peace, firebrands who think with their tempers and not their brains. Someone has to try and get the parties involved to sit down and actually listen, and who better than you? You are patient, compassionate, and see all sides of the issue. Long after others would have tired of diplomacy, you remain the fair arbiter, neutral to the demands of others, willing to make peace but not at the expense of the rights of others. You may be calm, harried, pleading or stern, using a wide variety of tactics to suit your audience, but you can tailor your message to what people want to hear. Unlike the Courtier, you do not exist merely to please; you have a sense of what is right and just that drives you, and that won't let you settle for an agreement wherein one side has leverage over another.
Quest: Whenever you can bring people of disparate viewpoints to a mutually beneficial agreement, or at least keep the peace between them, you regain Willpower.
Ban: Never make a decision without hearing all sides of the issue.
Director
Nothing is worse than chaos and disorder, and it creeps in at a moment's notice. You seek to be in charge, not for the sake of your own power, but simply to keep everything running smoothly. You are perfectly willing to take a subordinate position, even to be rarely or never praised, if you could only make things more orderly and efficient. Alternately, you may see other leaders as a source of the problem, and demand a more central role in the structure of whatever organizations you belong to. You often have inventive new ways of doing things, but these innovations may get in the way of others and their habits.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever you get a group to do something in a well-organized and efficient way.
Ban: Never miss an opportunity to inspect how things are done, and throw in your own two cents on the matter.
E
Eye-of-the-Storm
The thrill of chaos calls to you, but you see yourself as the center of a storm, twisting all around you while you remain unmoved. You are a master at being unfazed by the ever-changing tableau around you. Perhaps you take great risks, wading through combat or standing atop tall spires while a raging thunderstorm crashes all about. Alternately, perhaps the thrill of court, with its constant subtle manipulations and veiled violence calls to you. You are a master of smiling while they knife you in the back, and subtle reprisal is your calling. Others may regard you as a maniac, a removed manipulator, or an implacable mask-wearer, but you know only by holding fast to where you are can you survive the whirling storm all around.
Quest: Regain Willpower every time you manage to survive chaos, violence, or trouble by doing nothing, and maintaining exactly as you were about to do before.
Ban: Never flinch from danger, or retreat.
Explorer
There is a whole world out there and no one really knows the first thing about it. You are only truly content when you are blazing a path into new territories, finding what's out there and bringing back news of it to others. You take risks so that others don't have to, but you also enjoy the thrill of putting yourself in the way of possible danger. At the same time, you know when it's best to act as an observer, and you have learned to move quietly when it is necessary. You may be excited or fearful of the great unknown, but, no matter what, you cannot resist its call.
Quest: Whenever you successfully explore new territory, find something that no one has ever seen before, or find a solution that no one else thought of, you gain Willpower.
Ban: Never pass an opportunity to be the first to discover something new. Never resist an opportunity to share your findings with others.
F
Facilitator
You live to manipulate the actions of others from the backdrop, from simple, every day activities to paramount accomplishments on a massive scale. Though this could be considered harsh control and nothing more, you know that it is nothing as coarse as that. There is a fine art to subtle manipulation, and you make it your life's goal to accomplish it with your subjects none the wiser. You might genuinely believe that you are subtley coercing your 'victims' into what is best for them, but it is equally as likely that you manipulate for your own purposes — Furthering your own cause, and your own goals through the supporting actions of others.
Quest: Regain a Willpower whenever you manipulate a person or situation to your desired ends (must be declared prior), without the subject being aware of your influence.
Ban: Never deny a chance to manipulate another human.
Fanatic
You have a purpose, and that purpose consumes your existence. You pour yourself into your cause; indeed, you may feel guilty for undertaking any objective that deviates from your higher goal. To you, the end justifies the means– the cause is more important than those who serve it. Whatever your cause, you'll stop at nothing to achieve it, and woe betide those who stand in your way. You consider it the highest goal to convert others to your cause, bringing them to your way of thinking, and adding them to your forces.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you convert others to your cause, or get them to step out of your way because of your zeal.
Ban: Never keep your ideals to yourself; never resist an opportunity to bring others into the fold.
Fatalist
Like Pooh's companion, Eeyore, you have a less-than-optimistic view of the world. You expect things to go wrong, and you take a dark and sullen pleasure when you're proven right. Because everything is doomed to end disastrously, there is no reason to struggle. You have no hope for a bright future, but rather are resigned to inevitable gloom. You find comfort in your pessimism, because you know you'll never be disappointed. Even when things turn out to have a happy ending, you know that it's only a temporary illusion and the real disaster is undoubtedly following right behind.
Quest: Regain Willpower when your warnings of doom turn out to be correct.
Ban: Never laugh except in bitterness and sarcasm.
Fiend
You inflict pain for no other reason than the enjoyment you get out of watching others suffer. You are, in short, a sadist. You may have a hundred facile reasons for why you do what you do. Maybe you have really tried to stop, but the feeling of power that you get out of controlling others destinies always draws you back. You only feel truly alive when someone else is screaming in pain or begging for mercy. You live in fear that someone may give you what you really deserve. You should consult the Storyteller before taking this archetype.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower every time you really hurt someone.
Ban: Never pass up an opportunity to inflict pain.
Fool
You are the divine trickster, the clown, the one who laughs last and loudest. Because you believe that there is no meaning in the world, no underlying reason for anything, you take great pleasure in spoiling people's well-laid plans by sticking the proverbial monkey-wrench in the works. You almost feel it a duty to play the agent of chaos, knocking others off their pedestals of dogma and making them eat their spouted words of honor and nobility. Sometimes you work for weeks, months, or even years formulating your pranks, laying the foundation, and setting the trap so that when your prey steps into it, they fall all the harder.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you manage to deflate the ego of someone you have labeled as self-righteous.
Ban: Never search for the "whys" behind your life; there are none.
Fop
They call you "superficial," the uncouth swine. Some say you are arrogant and excessively concerned with such "surface" qualities as dress and manner. Piffle! Affected? You? You are one of the beautiful people, the czars of style. People judge others by their appearance, no matter how much they profess the opposite. You know that style beats substance any day of the week, and you have style in spades. Peasants, prepare to be dazzled!
Quest: Regain Willpower every time you outshine others in a social situation.
Ban: Never be out of style.
Freak
Unlike the Grotesque or the Riddler, there is something genuinely wrong with you. Perhaps you jabber to yourself in insane, made-up languages, or are perpetually silent, never speaking to anyone. Touched by lunacy or divine inspiration, your mind is a seething realm of chaos that you can barely understand, and you act out accordingly. You alarm others with your words and deeds, though they are sometimes quite profound.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever others are shocked or scared by your strange ways, especially if you accidentally hit on an alarming new insight.
Ban: Never resist letting your madness slip the leash and run free, expressing your strange notions about the world in actions and words.
Futurist
The Futurist revels in the magnificent unknown. Humanity is at the threshold of a wondrous and exciting new age. That which is coming must be embraced. A Futurist might delight in the amazing developments of technology and human endeavor, or he might set out to discover new theories, principles and practices, often a manner similar to Celebrants. Futurism developed from the concept of manifest destiny and is sister to the science-fiction genre, also born of this era. Scientists, patrons, writers, teachers or any other forward-looking sort are often of the Futurist Archetype.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever you first come upon some progressive device or concept. Reading about such things isn't enough. You have to meet people and touch things. At the Storyteller's discretion, you may regain two Willpower points whenever you actually contribute to the creation of some futuristic development.
Ban: Never deny yourself the chance of being apart of a new invention or embracing new developments in the world.
G
Gallant
You are as flamboyant as you are amoral; some see you as a rogue, a Don Juan, a rake, a paramour or just a lounge lizard - but you see yourself as all of the above. A consummate actor who loves to make as big a show of things as possible, nothing attracts your attention more than an appreciative audience. You love people and you love to impress them even more. Though you may indeed be a superior lover, you enjoy the chase almost as much as you enjoy the act. Gallants vary widely in temperament and ambition, holding in common little more than their love of attention.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you manage to dazzle or impress another person. The Storyteller is always the judge, even when characters are involved.
Ban: Never refuse an attempt to promote your image.
Gadfly
Someone has to keep the powers-that-be honest. It might as well be you. No one is 100% right, and you always take great pleasure in pointing this out to everyone. Unlike the Humbug, you generally mean for your criticism to be helpful, though some still find it annoying. You especially criticize those in positions of power. You are persistent in your task, and no explanation is enough to completely mollify you. Even if everything happened exactly the way that you wanted it to, you would soon find something new to criticize.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower every time you win an argument with someone in power.
Ban: Never let anyone get the last word.
Grotesque
You love disgusting others and go out of your way to push their buttons. You prey on the sensibilities of others, with a blush or a shocked gasp for your applause. The more extreme the reaction, the happier you are. You make it your life's work to discover what upsets people and then inflict it upon them. A master of insults, you cut right to the heart, throwing out all propriety and etiquette in favor of shock value. Nothing is too low for you, from bodily noises to insulting someone's mother.
Quest: Whenever you cause someone to falter or lose his composure, regain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never display an overtly pleasant or appealing side of yourself.
Guru
Your enlightenment draws others to you. You may be a mentor of a particular Path of Enlightenment, a priest with the church, or merely an idealist in your pack. Whatever the case, your presence motivates and moves others to engage in spiritual or ideological pursuits. Your peers view you as calm, centered, and “with it,” even when you are preaching a bout violence as a means to an end.
Quest: Gain back a WP whenever someone heeds wisdom that you imparted.
Ban: Never betray a chance to mentor your comrades.
H
Hoarder
You have determined that you will never lack for anything. You amass great quantities of whatever you feel you need– food, wealth, followers. The idea of sharing anything is foreign to you; let others provide for themselves. You never know when there will be a shortage of something essential for survival, and you will not risk being caught empty-handed. In this age of coming Winter, you spend your days preparing for the hard times.
Quest: You regain Willpower whenever your hoarding instinct pays off, particularly when others are in need but you are still provided for.
Ban: Never willingly surrender anything you have gained for yourself.
Honest-Abe
You have a moderate temperament, and refrain at all cost from telling lies and stealing from others. You were brought up to live honestly and openly, and to be good to others - you have lived your life (and unlife) by these simple truths ever since. You are not a dogmatist and do not insist that others live as you do, nor have you constructed a complicated set of rules for yourself. You are flexible in your behavior, but always carefully evaluate your actions against your beliefs.
Quest:You regain five points of Willpower if your honesty harms you or your friends in some way, but later turns out to help you. In other words, your honesty turns out to have been the proper way to do things, even from a pragmatic point of view.
Ban: Avoid being dishonest at all costs.
Hermit
You are reclusive and ascetic by nature, preferring your own company to that of others. Introspective by nature, you view everything from a very personal standpoint. When in public, you tend to be quiet, speaking only when spoken to, unless your input has such extreme relevance that you feel that you have to say it. One of the benefits of this is that others tend to see you as wise, since when you do speak, your words often make a profound point that was overlooked. Despite your desire to be alone, you are drawn out by the need to watch and learn. Your curiosity about the nature of things and your place among them keeps you from being totally isolated.
Quest: You regain Willpower whenever you find a solution to a problem through inner reflection rather than brash action.
Ban: Rarely speak unless the situation is dire and you feel that your viewpoint has not already been expressed.
Humbug
Grumpy, sour, and just plain cranky, nothing ever satisfies you. The light's too bright in here, turn off that awful music, nothing is as good as it was in the "old days." If there is nothing to complain about, then something fishy is going on. Unlike the Gadfly, you do not gripe to improve things (though you may claim you do). You just like to complain and find the worst side of every issue. Every silver lining means there's a thunderstorm a-brewin'. Some believe that under your gruff exterior lies a loveable, old softy. You live to prove them wrong.
Quest: Gain Willpower every time one of your dire predictions comes true.
Ban: Never look on the bright side of life.
I
Iceheart
You are the Ice Queen, the detached and cold pragmatist. It's too dangerous to get involved with anything emotionally, though you don't necessarily tell others that. Some see you as jaded or frigid, but you are the unmoving rock that others can rely on. The screams of your victims, the desperate pleas of abandoned lovers, the groveling of courtiers, all are met with an icy facade. Your face is a permanent mask of vague disinterest, and you perfect the art of the bored stare. You delight in exposing the weakness of the emotionally vulnerable; in your spare time, you are likely to take many lovers, and abandon them for the pleasure of watching their weakness. Still waters run deep, of course; you have likely been hurt to reduce you to this, and a sea of emotional wreckage lurks beneath the ice of your demeanor.
Quest: Whenever you win the day as a result of being unaffected by the attempts of others to sway your emotions, you gain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never betray the true feelings of your heart; never let anyone know how you really feel.
J
Jester
The world is such a fun place, but everyone always gets hung up on their misfortunes. You're here to make sure that doesn't happen, distracting them from their troubles long enough for their natural tendency for happiness to reassert itself. You are an entertainer and a confidant, who finds out the troubles of others to help them forget them. You think nothing of making yourself look the fool, if only it'd bring a smile to the lips of others. You'll do what you can to delight others, and have a soft spot in your heart for innocents in trouble. More than willing to draw fire from those who would make problems for your friends, you are a staunch defender of what you see as their best interests.
Quest: Whenever you successfully manage to take people's mind off of their troubles, you regain Willpower.
Ban: Never miss an opportunity to cheer someone up, no matter what it takes.
Judge
You seek to perpetually improve the system, taking pleasure in your rational nature and ability to draw the right conclusion when presented with the facts. You respect justice as the highest ideal, and are quick to point out its efficiency for resolving all issues. You are hardly a visionary, relying on what has gone before as the best model. Nonetheless, others look to you to solve disputes, carefully listening to all sides and gathering all the facts before you make a decision. You are highly likely to speak up if you think someone has made an unfair decision, though your opinion may differ wildly even from another Judge's. You believe that fair decisions are more important than merciful ones, and strive for what is right over what is easiest.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you correctly deduce a mystery by assembling the clues presented, or when one of your arguments unites dissenting parties.
Ban: Never rest until you are certain that justice has been served. Never let injustice occur without speaking against it.
Jobsworth
You are dedicated to the unbroken routine of your existence, and refuse to do anything that compromises your routine and established practices. No matter how urgent or deserving an individual case may be, the preservation of established practices and routines is more important. Individual decisions and considerations are fallible, whereas routines and established procedures are the distilled wisdom of years or decades of decision-making. Routines are what separate order from chaos. make an exception once, and it sets a dangerous precedent; make an exception twice, and the door to anarchy is opened.
Quest: Regain a Willpower point each time you are able to preserve your routine, and each time you avoid reevaluating anything or making a decision about a situation based on its individual merits. At the Storyteller's option, more points may be awarded for truly impressive feats of generalization.
Ban: Don't ever break your routine.
K
Knave
With a sparkle in your eye, you cajole, encourage, tempt, trick, and manipulate others into exploring their darkest desires. You are the pusher, the perverter, taking the sweet and turning it into the sordid. You see yourself as a teacher of sorts– you teach people what base and feral creatures they really are. There's nothing you love more than to corrupt the innocent and do it with such panache that they never realize they've been compromised.
Quest: You regain Willpower whenever you cause someone to do something she would normally be opposed to and she enjoys it.
Ban: Never protect anyone from the harsh realities of life.
Knight
A present day Don Quixote, you never tire of tilting at windmills. You follow all the old codes of chivalry and seek to aid those in need. This makes you an oddity in the modern world. You may be a true idealist, and somewhat naively, believe the best about everyone. You may be a pragmatist, desperately trying to keep a small portion of the world from sinking into despair. You may even have been raised with a strict code all your life which you latch on to unswervingly, and will not desert simply to suit your own ends. In any event, you believe that one person can make a difference.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower every time following your code may put you at risk.
Ban: Never behave in a manner that does not befit a Knight.
L
Lackey
You are a servile minion, drawing strength from those you serve. Perhaps you are a coward at heart, or you fear having to take responsibility for your own actions, and instead abuse the powers of others. Whatever the reason, you attach yourself to the most powerful person who will permit it, and covet their praise. Even their discipline means that they notice you, and if your ego isn't stroked on a regular basis, you're likely to misbehave simply to draw their attention again. You think for yourself as little as possible, and though you have some enlightened interest in the goals of your master, you're willing to do absolutely anything to achieve those goals. Others call you a boot-lick, a spy, or a mercenary, depending upon how they got to know you.
Quest: Regain Willpower every time you receive praise, or even attentive discipline, from a superior.
Ban: Never think for yourself when the orders of others will suffice.
Lurker
It's a dangerous world out there, and the nail that stands the tallest gets hammered down. You've mastered the art of not being noticed, and you slouch, slink, and creep out of the way of trouble and the attention of others. You may make the occasional "friend," but he or she had better fend for themselves when times get tough, because that's just what you plan to do. Those who speak up or act out are only asking for punishment; you toe the party line, no matter how you really feel. You've learned that there are some benefits in not being noticed; you can get juicy dirt on people when they've been convinced that you're not worth paying attention to, but you're loathe to act on any of what you find out for any other reason than to save your own worthless hide.
Quest: Whenever you manage to keep your head down and blend in to avoid trouble, you gain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never do anything to draw attention to yourself, even if it means abandoning your friends.
Loner
You are the type of person who is always alone, even in the midst of a crowd. You are the wanderer, hunter and lone wolf. Though others might think of you as lonely, forsaken, isolated or remote, in truth you prefer your own company to that of others. There are many different reasons why this might be so: you don't understand people, you understand people too well, people dislike you, people like you too much, or you are simply lost in your own thoughts. Your reasons are your own.
Quest: When you manage to accomplish some significant task on your own, without the aid of others, yet which still aids the group in some way, you regain Willpower based on the significance of the achievement.
Ban: Avoid working in groups.
M
Manipulator
You have always been fascinated by others. Why do people behave as they do? What thoughts and emotions affect their actions? The cognitive processes that influence the choices people make intrigue you. Sometimes just asking people questions about their actions can yield important information, but often people do not truly understand their own motivations and concerns. In these cases, it is far easier to set up situations - experiments, if you will - to see how people behave. You attempt to manipulate these situations for your personal advantage, in order to discover more information about your chosen subjects. Some might call these experiments cruel, but to you it is mere scientific necessity.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you manage to set up an incident or situation that allows you to gain new insight into your subject's psyche.
Ban: Never refuse a chance to manipulate or gain further insight into a target.
Martyr
You suffer for your cause, enduring trials out of the belief that your suffering will ultimately improve the lot of others. You may want the attention or sympathy that your ordeals engender, or you may actually be sincere in your cause, greeting the opposition with unfaltering faith in your beliefs. You are the first to throw yourself between harm and your friends, knowing that your sacrifice will serve to shelter them.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever you sacrifice yourself or your comfort for your ideals or another's immediate gain.
Ban: Never indulge in what could be given away instead; never accept gifts or comfort when there are others who could use them instead.
Masochist
You love to test your limits, and see how much pain you can tolerate before you collapse. While this may accidentally cause you to commit heroic actions, you're doing this entirely for yourself, and the secret delight you get from your own suffering. You gain satisfaction from humiliation, suffering, denial, and even physical pain. You define who you are by your ability to feel discomfort– you wake each day only to greet a new pain. Your twisted ambitions are likely to freak out others, but you find release only in agony. You may even seek to indoctrinate others into your philosophy, but you are not a sadist; your involvement is entirely in your own pain.
Quest: Whenever you experience a new pain, or when the situation turns against you through your own design, you gain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never resist an opportunity to torture yourself, both physically and emotionally.
Mastermind
You are the brilliant, if underestimated, architect of destruction. Yes, you could achieve your goals through the most direct route, but such actions are for simpletons and animals. Instead, you enact complicated and lengthy plots to undo your enemies and accomplish your ends. There's nothing quite like a master plan coming together, and the shock on the faces of the fools around you when they realize your genius. You overcompensate for your own feelings of worthlessness, those inflicted upon you by others who could never understand your greatness. You'll show them all now, and they'll be forced to recognize your brilliance. You are moody, erratic, and given to overly elaborate methods of getting what you want. The simplest route is simply not your way.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you get to gloat over your enemies, or explain your brilliant machinations to them.
Ban: Never accomplish any of your major goals directly; everything must have an elaborate scheme attached to it.
Mediator
The world is full of people who want things; sometimes people want the exact same thing. Some people have what other people want and would be willing to talk about working out a deal, but just don't know how to start. These people often have immense trouble finding and communicating with each other. That is where you come in. You are dedicated to mediating between people - fulfilling needs, smoothing over disputes, and generally helping people talk to one another. You are the diplomat, the middle child, the perpetual person in the middle.
Quest: Regain one point of Willpower whenever you are able to act as a go-between between two individuals or groups, and regain another point if you taring things to a satisfactory conclusion. The Storyteller may award more points for particularly outstanding mediation.
Ban: Never take one side in an arguement, always take a chance to be the third party, to be the diplomat.
Merchant
There's no such thing as a free lunch, and anyone who expects one is a sucker who deserves to be taken for a ride. You don't trust any situation where you can't inspect the merchandise and hear the price up front, and you always want to know what the catch is. Naturally, you make your livelihood by selling something– perhaps something you make, or own, or steal, or even through selling yourself, as a mercenary. You're not in the habit of giving hand-outs away, and no one's going to buy the cow if they get the milk for free. You live by the adages of business, and see the entire world as a market, whose economy is driven by those who have and those who want. You reduce even the most complex interactions to business, and excel at fetching a better price for your wares than anyone else does.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you manage to fetch a better part of a bargain, selling something, even yourself, at inflated prices.
Ban: Never give anything away, including your own help, without getting paid for it.
Minion
You crave the attentions of beings more powerful than yourself, knowing that such creatures desire agents capable of working for them in the mortal world. Perhaps you seek the respect of a secret society, but it's far more likely that you are attempting to gain the attention of vast, cosmic forces. Compared to these impersonal godlike beings, you feel small and afraid, and so you covet their attention and praise, attempting to ingratiate yourself with something beyond your control. You are more similar to the Riddler than the Lackey, but you contain elements of both. You are willing to sell your soul to the highest bidder, or even play two of these forces off against each other. Sooner or later, we'll all belong to them anyway. Better to be one of the jailers than the prisoners. You want forbidden knowledge at any cost, and are willing to undertake great risk for the rewards of power.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you manage to ingratiate yourself with forces beyond your comprehension and win their favor.
Ban: Never do anything without expecting some reward, whether short- or long-term.
Monster
The Monster knows she is a creature of darkness and acts like it. Evil and suffering are the Monster's tools, and she uses them wherever she goes; no hurt goes uninflicted and no lie remains untold. The Monster does not commit evil for its own sake, but rather as a means to understand what she has become. Kindred elders and unstable individuals and display characteristics of the Monster Archetype.
Quest: Malignant deeds reinforce the Monster's sense of purpose. Monster characters should pick a specific atrocity, regaining Willpower whenever they indulge that urge. For example, a tempter regains Willpower for luring someone into wickedness, while an apostate earns back Willpower for causing another to doubt her faith. Pick a destiny and fulfill it.
Ban: Never act with intent of kindness. Embrace evil and suffering whenever possible.
Mystic
It's a strange world out there, and you're determined to find out more about it. Whether it's esoteric subjects like alchemy or the geography of the parallel dimensions, or more "worldly" matters like the interactions of various magics or the creation of ephemera, you have keen insights into the matter. You may not be willing to reveal all the tricks of your trade, but you enjoy the accord you receive as a student of the great unknown. Other affairs can wait so long as there is new spirituality or metascience to hold your attention.
Quest: Whenever you develop a new theory about supernatural phenomena and get a chance to test it out, you gain Willpower. Storytellers should be judicious in awarding Willpower only for shocking new discoveries, and not everyday developments in a character's mystical life.
Ban: Never resist a chance to dabble in the mysteries of the world, even if you risk your life for it.
N
O
Optimist
"Everything always turns out for the best." That is the motto of your life, and you know if you can just stay cheerful and stop worrying, your problems will never be with you forever. Some call you a fool, but even they have to admit you're happier than they are. Certainly you'll encounter difficulties from time to time, but there's no sense in worrying yourself to death in advance. Don't worry, be happy, and have a nice day.
Quest: Regain a Willpower point whenever things turn out for the best, just like you said they would. You must predict such an outcome, either out loud to the other characters or to yourself (tell the Storyteller).
Ban: Don't fall to pessimism. Keep cheery.
Oracle
Unwelcome though they may sometimes be, messages come from the spirit world and the future which cannot be ignored. You are the figure who receives and interprets these signs, and your burden is to warn others of their impending meaning. Your presence may not be wanted, but it is needed, and you refuse to abandon your sacred mission. Perhaps you have revelations from a gift at birth, or a magical blessing, or even the spirits of the dead speaking with you, but you do your best to interpret the truth and share it with others. Some regard you with reverence, others with dread, but you are sworn to your obligation to pursue the truth and reveal it to others.
Quest: Whenever you intervene on behalf of spiritual and mystical agencies, delivering messages and omens for them, you regain Willpower, especially if these augurs come to pass.
Ban: Never turn away from a revelation simply because it is unpleasant or others do not wish to hear it.
Orchid
Up until now, you have lived a pampered, protected life. Suddenly, you have been forced out into the light and faced with the harsh realities of the world. You find it difficult to trust anyone, and yet you fervently wish for someone to come along and take care of you. You have no experience dealing with the dangers and hurts of the real world. Wide-eyed and innocent, each new disaster threatens to shatter your world. You let others make your decisions for you, not out of preference, but rather as a result of the insecurity you feel when faced with problems.
Quest: Whenever you escape a frightening situation with your sense of well-being and innocence intact, you regain Willpower.
Ban: Never trust a stranger; never reveal yourself to anyone.
Outcast
You are a loner, a drifter on the outskirts of society, and you can ultimately only rely on yourself. You've seen the way that other, "civilized" beings betray and plot against each other, and you want none of it. Friends are just people who'll eventually use you, and every love eventually fades, and leaves you more empty for it. You are a bitter pessimist who feels failed by others, and withdraws as a result.
Quest: Whenever you prove that you do not need anyone or anything to survive, regain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never permanently associate yourself with any group or individual.
Outlaw
You look out at the world and see an ocean of mindless automatons that haven't the slightest clue as to what it's all about. You believe it's your duty to take advantage of them. How else are they going to learn? A thief and a cad, you take what you want from others without a moment's hesitation and guilt. If your victims are stupid enough to be victims, then you see no reason not to use and abuse them. You feel no pity for people– they've made their own beds, and now they can lie in them.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you commit a completely selfish that hurts someone.
Ban: Never do anything that helps others more than it hurts them or helps you, in the long run.
Outsider
The Outsider is something of a passive rebel, defining himself by the things he does not participate in. He does not strive to bring down those social structures he disagrees with. Instead, hte Outsider examines those structures for some way to reflect and understand himself. Servants, artists, criminals and vagrants are the most common Outsider Archetypes.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever you discover something about yourself through the decisions someone else makes, especially when those decisions are different than those you make.
Ban: Don't actively go with the flow or take an active part against/for something. Remain the observer.
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Paladin
You are the quintessential competitor, and your story is that of the brave, stalwart athlete or hero. Constantly searching for new challenges to overcome, new adversaries to wrestle, new causes to fight for and protect, you live for the chance to slay the monster and fulfill the quest or win the game. Without the thrill of striving against others (or yourself), life quickly becomes dull and meaningless.
Quest: Whenever you successfully overcome a truly challenging situation, you regain Willpower.
Ban: Never refuse a fair challenge, or a chance to prove your courage.
Panderer
You love to see other people happy, and do whatever you can to encourage them, whether through playing matchmaker or refilling a drink. Perhaps you live vicariously through their experiences, or perhaps you just feel that others sometimes need a little push from you to find their fulfillment. You spend more tome on this than you do pursuing your own interests and gain great pleasure from it. A skilled manipulator, you work most of your magic from behind the scenes, dropping hints or subtle encouragement.
Quest: You regain Willpower whenever you cause someone else's happiness or fun without them realizing your part in it.
Ban: Never do anything that you know would undermine another's happiness.
Pandora
Like Pandora, you just can't seem to keep your box shut. You open your mouth, and trouble flows from it in great crashing waves. You just can't help yourself. You love to get someone in trouble by revealing their secrets for them. Furthermore, your curiosity often overcomes you, especially if you have been forbidden to go somewhere or do something. The more someone insists that you shouldn't do something, the more it makes you want to do exactly that.
Quest: You regain Willpower whenever you survive something dangerous that you were strictly forbidden to do or warned against.
Ban: Never keep a secret; never obey an order.
Paranoid
You have seen all the malice of the world, and know better than to simply accept anything at face value. The more someone seems innocent, the more likely that it's all a ruse, and they're working for their own interests. You know that there's always a string attached, a hidden clause that someone is waiting for you to agree to. Consequently, you are wary of everyone and everything, placing little trust in others. You watch everyone like a hawk, and see agendas and conspiracies everywhere. You are often more than a little desperate, as you feel the walls closing in around you, and can't determine who to trust. Ultimately, you may exploit others just to have an ally that you know you can rely on, but you always watch for the first sign that they are about to betray you.
Quest: You regain Willpower every time your distrust and scrutiny of others yields information that can be used against them, especially if they were about to use it against you.
Ban: Never trust anyone without having something on them.
Peacock
You are the most attractive, smartest, best person in the world, and you want to make sure that everyone knows it. If you're not the center of attention, you're not happy. As long as you're being heaped with praise and adulation, you're the most gracious, modest-seeming person around, but as soon as attention is diverted from you, you become vicious. You are not above tantrums and fits of violence in order to draw others' notice. Jealousy rules your choice of friends and enemies.
Quest: Whenever you conclusively prove that you are the best at something, you regain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never admit failure or fault.
Pedagogue
You know it all, and desperately want to inform others. Whether through a sense of purpose or a genuine desire to help others, you make sure that your message is heard– at length, if necessary. Unlike the removed Sage, you are more than willing to lecture those who lose their way. You may be a well-meaning mentor, or a verbose blowhard who loves to hear yourself talk. You are unlikely to sit idly by as others make the mistakes that you made, though you may not necessarily have the answers to suit their problems.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever someone benefits from wisdom that you have imparted to them.
Ban: Never miss an opportunity to instruct someone in the proper manner of doing something (though you may do so politely, embarrassing them serves no real purpose).
Penitent
You exist to atone for a grave sin you have committed, or feel that you committed. You have either a low self-esteem or a legitimate, traumatic past, and you feel compelled to "make up" for your previous actions. You are not necessarily religious; you may simply wish to scourge the world of the grief that you bring to it. You feel remorse for your actions of the past, or perhaps even actions you continue to commit, and are conflicted about how to atone for these crimes. As such, you do not let yourself rest easily, living a life of constant contrition, avoiding creature comforts, and seeking some answer for your existence.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you fully atone for something you have done wrong (or perceive as something you've done wrong), on an equal magnitude of atonement for crime.
Ban: Never let yourself become too comfortable. Never praise yourself or accept praise.
Perfectionist
You can't stand imperfection, not in others and certainly not in yourself. Neither can you tolerate those who do not do everything they can to do their best, to make everything neat and proper and right in their lives. Though you may be strict with others, it is with yourself that you are most critical - everything must always be in its place, and you must always do the best and be the best.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever you accomplish something flawlessly, without a single mistake, falter, wound, hesitation, confusion, hindrance or obstruction.
Ban: Never revoke a chance to perfect something.
Philanthropist
You have a highly defined sense of morality and always strive to do the "right" thing. This invariably consists of helping others and doing good deeds without the expectation of reward. You may base your ethical code on your belief in a higher morality (i.e. some divine source), or it may just spring naturally from within you. Your ethics are rational and logically consistent (at least you believe they are). You are forever balancing your actions against your system of beliefs.
Quest: Regain Willpower every time you make a positive difference in someone's life.
Ban: Never accept a reward for your generosity. Never cause deliberate harm to an innocent.
Pishogue
You interpret reality very differently than everyone else, but in a benign fashion. The world is a place of endless, childlike wonder to you. Even the most destitute places seem like storybook palaces. You are an eternal ingenue, and your world view makes you generally very trusting of others. This does not necessarily mean that you are easy to manipulate, however. Because of your strange mental state, you are easily distracted, but you may also notice things that other people miss. You tend to be highly creative.
Quest: Regain Willpower every time you avoid a particularly unpleasant truth.
Ban: Never take anything too seriously.
Plotter
Everything you do is planned. Very little springs from you spontaneously. Your plans are often long and involved, sometimes extending beyond the lives of the mortals involved in them. Details must be exact, for you believe any deviation could bring ruin. You try to plan everything in your life; each thing you do must accomplish something in the greater scheme. Deviation from routine, however, is bothersome, not traumatic. You are organized, not deranged. You tend to be neat and precise in everything you do.
Quest: You regain three points of Willpower when one of your plots comes to fruition in the exact manner you planned.
Ban: Refuse to be spontaneous and avoid not planning.
Poltroon
Meeting trouble (or anything else ) head-on is the tactic of fools and optimists. The sensible way to deal with trouble is to deny it a target. While some people might accuse you of sticking your head in the sand, they do have to admit that it has remained on your shoulders for quite some time, and looks like it will continue to do so indefinitely. You never confront what you can evade, and never face anything unless there is no other option. Courage is not high on your list of virtues, but then the line between courage and folly is virtually nonexistent to your eyes.
Quest: Regain one point of Willpower whenever you are able to avoid a problem or situation without dealing with it.
Ban: Avoid direct conflict.
Prankster
The quintessential pooka, you delight in the playing all manner of jokes and pranks. You do this for any number of reasons. You may merely want to amuse people, or you may be trying to show people that they take themselves much too seriously. The pranks you play may be as simple as a pie in the face, or as elaborate as a royal family tree. These pranks are rarely harmful or done out of spite, and usually result in no more than a few bruises or some personal embarrassment.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower every time you pull off a particularly artful prank.
Ban: Never verbally apologize for a prank (indirect acts of contrition are possible). Never take anything too
seriously.
Praise-Seeker
You self-worth is based entirely on the opinions of others. You crave approval and praise, and will go to extreme lengths to get such - even risking yourself and things you love. Unlike the Sycophant, you do not think of protection, and you have no thought of using others' good opinions to your own advantage - you simply crave praise and approval for their own sake, so you can feel good about yourself.
Quest: Regain one Willpower point whenever another character offers unprompted praise, admiration or appreciation. If the appreciation is truly great, and/or the other character is powerful or particularly admired, the Storyteller may award extra points.
Ban: Never avoid a chance to receive praise.
Predator
You divide the world into those who hunt, and those who are hunted, and you are one of the trackers and killers. There is no thrill like the hunt– you may sometimes pick weaker prey, just to keep your skills sharp, but the true game is the smart, cunning, and swift equal. You may hunt animals for food, but you live for the thrill of the chase of smarter creatures. You may not necessarily kill what you catch, but you love to prove your excellence by being able to trap it. You decry civilization as an amusing game, but ultimately something to be shed for the thrill of the hunt itself. You are not a Savage, of course; you're more than willing to use technology, and to brag to others about your prowess, but you'll never let a machine or a trap get in the way of the hunt itself.
Quest: Whenever you stalk and capture, subdue, or kill a victim after an extended hunt, you gain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never resist a challenge; never surrender once you have decided that a victim must be selected.
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Questor
The Questor seeks to find the one great answer that will make sense of the world. With so much suffering and confusion all around her, the Questor wants simply to understand. The Questor attempts to boil down all quandries and dilemmas to their root conflicts and simplify all relationships into something digestible, manageable and surmountable. The Questor seldom feels at rest and may quietly believe that happiness can come only with an utter understanding of the world. Clergymen, scientists, contemplatives and spiritualists fulfill the Questor Archetype.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower whenever you reach some concise life lesson that could become a rule of thumb. This rule is inevitable disproved, but it's just answers you seek, after all, not necessarily the truth.
Ban: Avoiding a chance to find answers/life lessons.
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Ragamuffin
The opposite of the Fop, you believe that substance is all that matters; therefore you play the militant slob to show how truly deep you are. You reject all such "surface ephemera" as bathing and basic grooming. Those who pay attention to such trivialities are affected snobs and beneath you. Just because you are a slob doesn't mean that you are really any deeper for all that. Those who see past your grimy exterior and really take the opportunity to know you may well find you no more genuine than the Fop.
Quest: Regain Willpower every time you expose another person as a fraud.
Ban: Never dress appropriately for an occasion.
Rake
You are a greedy sensualist, a miser, a glutton, an obsessive collector, and a hoarder of experience. You care little for other people, except as objects to collect and use at your whim, pretty things to set around and provide you with pleasure. You revel in material gratification and show off your good taste at every opportunity. Sharing is not a word that you recognize, however. You flaunt what you own, be it the beautiful woman on your arm or the glittering diamond on your finger, but you would never consider giving a gift to anyone or helping the needy.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you succeed in your pursuit of pleasure.
Ban: Never give anything away without either hope of reward or a hard fight.
Rebel
You are a malcontent, iconoclast and free-thinking recalcitrant. You are so independent-minded and free-willed that you are unwilling to join any particular cause or movement. You are just yourself and only desire the freedom to be yourself. You do not make a good follower and aren't usually a very good leader either (unless your followers are willing to go wherever you lead). You tend to be insubordinate to authority to the point of stupidity.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever your rebellion against the status quo turns out to be for the best.
Ban: Conforming to authority/Conforming to the status quo.
Regent
Nobility in the purest sense, you are the ruler, the patriarch or matriarch. You are the judge and legislator who sorts right from wrong. More than any other, you feel the heavy burden of duty and obligation. Often, you have to deal our punishment. Although you despise it, it is a necessary part of your responsibilities, and you perform it with as much wisdom and fairness as you can muster. You have resigned yourself to the fact that regency is a lonely and often misunderstood mission, and you do not let your personal feelings interfere with the charge of your station.
Quest: You regain Willpower whenever you resolve a situation through the strength of your leadership.
Ban: Never compromise or shirk your duty or the laws by which you live, whatever they may be.
Riddler
You are an enigma, the mystery that no one can figure out. You are in love with secrets and never give a truly straight answer to any question. You obscure everything in double entendres, mysterious terms, and outright lies. You take joy in confusing and confounding others, satisfying your own need to feel that your intellect is superior to theirs. You are especially careful to shroud your own psyche in deepest mystery, and your greatest fear is that someone will learn what you're really like.
Quest: Whenever you manage to confuse or mislead someone, you regain Willpower.
Ban: Never allow others to discover the truth of you and your origins.
Ringleader
You have your gang and you rule them with an iron fist. You work hard to build and strengthen your organization, preaching loyalty and submission to the cause you embody. You will not stand for your law or authority to be undermined. While you understand that a group is more powerful than any one individual, you do not consider yourself equal to your band of followers. You are the head, and you use them at your whim to further your own goals.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you accomplish something as a direct result of the devotion of your followers.
Ban: Never allow any one person to endanger the whole of your organization or your goals.
Rogue
You don't need to work; so many others out there can get the job done for you. Others see you as a leech, but while they're licking their wounds, and cleaning their boots, you're spending your share of the pot. All things considered, you prefer taking the path of least resistance. There's always some gung-ho hero ready to leap to the fore and do all the dirty work. Why not let him? And so what if you're there with your hand out when it's time to reap the reward. You didn't ask that guy to do it; you just didn't offer to help.
Quest: Whenever you achieve something that you do not really deserve, regain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never work for something when it can be had for free.
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Sage
You are the advisor, the wise one, the teacher. You have traveled many places and seen many things. You have learned, and you willingly share your insights with others. The quest for knowledge and wisdom is paramount to your goals in life. You see something to be learned in every situation. Like the old man of the mountain, you don't force your wisdom on others, but share it with an open heart to any who wish to learn.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever someone follows your advice and succeeds at his chosen task.
Ban: Never stand in another's chosen way, for the path to wisdom is difficult for everyone.
Sadist
You like to push the boundaries other others and try to see how much they can take - how much pain they can tolerate before they collapse. You gain a certain satisfaction from causing or observing suffering, humiliation, deprivation and even mutilation, especially when you are the cause of said pain and have control over it. You know that your need is somewhat perverse, but you know you aren't crazy. This is just the way you are.
Quest: Regain two points of Willpower whenever you bring suffering in a new way.
Ban: Refusing a chance to make another suffer or alleviating another of pain.
Saint
You feel the pain of those around you and strive to ease their suffering. You give freely of your time, your belongings and whatever else it takes to increase the happiness of others. This often places you in a position of martyrdom, so complete is your altruism. Your own happiness is secondary to that of others. You can become so obsessed with your cause that you endanger yourself. However, you would never do anything that might bring harm to others. You exemplify a life of simple faith and charity, encouraging others to do the same, unlike the Martyr, who undertakes his sacrifice alone.
Quest: Whenever you protect someone else or alleviate their suffering, you regain Willpower.
Ban: Never knowingly cause distress or harm to anyone.
Savage
For you, the only viable way to live is like the animals in the forest, eating what you catch, mating when the urge strikes, and fighting to establish superiority. Everything else is senseless. Civilized conversation, etiquette, and technology– wastes of time. Modern inventions only distract you from your true nature, and keep you form satisfying the instincts that burn in your soul. You long for a return to the days of primal self-indulgence and the law of nature. In the meantime, you just live your life as if they were already here, feral and proud of it.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you conquer "civilized" foes through your own cunning and might.
Ban: Never indulge in civilized folly.
Seer
Someone has to plumb the mysteries of the world, for the good of others. You exemplify that role, carefully gathering all the information you can through natural and supernatural methods so that you can play the role of advisor and soothsayer. You pride yourself on the ability to ferret out the truth, the best path, and the answers, though you know that sometimes they will shock and terrify people. Still, you must gain whatever insight you can; to live in darkness is not to live at all. Whenever you can, you use supernatural methods to divine the best course of action, whether that is an innate gift you possess or communication with the spirit world.
Quest: You regain Willpower whenever others act on your advice, especially that gained through supernatural means.
Ban: Never undertake any major course of action, or let any of your friends do the same, without at least a serious attempt to divine the future.
Schismatic
Things fall apart. The center cannot hold. You are a destroyer of social institutions, be they governments, businesses, or families. You never miss an opportunity to sow dissention or cause discord. Maybe you do this to help people break out of old, hidebound ways of doing things, but you mostly just enjoy destroying things that other people build. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. The sooner the huddled masses are on their own, the sooner they will realize that. You view yourself as a bold social visionary, an anarchist or a rugged individualist. This may be true, or you may just be a destructive child.
Quest: Gain Willpower every time you cause dissention in a tightly-knit group.
Ban: Never join a formal organization, except for the express purpose of disrupting it or using it to disrupt other organizations.
Shade
Like the Pishogue, you see the world in a very different way than most. Unfortunately, it is a very ugly place. You are a human zombie, an emotional sleepwalker who sees the world as a never-ending horror show. The World of Darkness has finally gotten to you. You accept mindless brutality as the natural order of things. Perhaps you react to this reality by joining in the mayhem, or perhaps you've retreated behind a wall of emotionless detachment. This is not to say that you have no sense of moral outrage, it just takes the most inhuman of atrocities to even register on your screen. Your primary motivations are selfish desire and immediate personal gratification.
Quest: Regain Willpower every time you encounter a horrific experience without betraying emotion.
Ban: Never show an extreme emotion, even in crisis situations.
Sophist
Most people are hungry for knowledge, whether they know it or not. You are more than happy to share yours, for a price. You are a sophist in the old sense of the word, one who teaches solely for self-gain. Is that so wrong? Unfortunately, you just assume that people want what you are selling. When the ungrateful fools don't meet your price you become… agitated. You believe you know more than everyone else. You will rarely back down from your original argument, no matter how much sophistry and facile logic you have to employ to convince everybody that you know best.
Quest: Gain Willpower every time you win an argument or debate.
Ban: Never admit you are wrong.
Squire
Rather than stepping into the limelight, you prefer to support and help those who do. You are Tonto to the Lone Ranger, Watson to Holmes, Kato to the Green Hornet. You care nothing for glory or recognition, but merely seek the chance to be a small part of the process. You abide by the words of your present hero, and no task is too menial for you if your hero requests it.
Quest: You regain Willpower whenever you play a supporting role in an accomplishment, but take no credit for it.
Ban: Never contradict or undermine your current heroic companion.
Stoic
You take the unavoidable sorrows (and joys) of life in stride. You have a calm and serious mind, and rarely give into unseemly displays of emotion. This does not mean that you do not have feelings, you just do not wear them on your sleeve. The most people will ever get out of you is a slight smile or a small frown. Some Stoics have fierce malcontent sides that they hold back for years, passionate whirlwinds which explode out when they have finally borne all they can.
Quest: Regain Willpower every time you come through an emotionally charged situation with your composure intact.
Ban: Never let your emotions get the better of you.
Survivor
No matter what, you always manage to survive. You can endure, pull through, recover from, outlast and outlive nearly any circumstance. When the going gets tough, you get going. You never say die, and never give up - never. Nothing angers you as much as a person who doesn't struggle to make things better, or who surrenders to the nameless forces of the universe.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you survive a difficult situation through your own cunning and perseverance.
Ban: Submitting to failure.
Sycophant
In the grand scheme of things, you are small and weak and unfit for survival. Your best hope is to find someone who is more powerful than you are and persuade her to take care of you. In return you will serve, admire and follow her. You will do anything she says, unless it puts you in great risk. In any type of uncertain situation, you will attach yourself to the strongest-seeming person, siding with her, performing various barely necessary services and generally trying to ingratiate yourself. Thereby you hope to earn some kind of protection. There is no limit to the depths to which you will lower yourself in order to be accepted, and you have no pride.
Quest: Regain one Willpower point whenever a stronger character to whom you have attached yourself acts in your defense, be it siding with you in an argument or protecting you from physical harm.
Ban: Being independent, being stronger than another.
T
Thrill-Seeker
No chance is too slim, no risk too great, no longshot too far for your tastes. You love the thrill of the wind in your hair, and the gasps of the crowd as you do what they didn't believe was possible. The people who tell you that it can't be done are simply cowards, with no appreciation for your skill or knowledge of your past accomplishments. You aren't happy unless your adrenaline is racing; you might prefer to perform for others, but you'll take the risk simply for your own enjoyment if no audience is handy. It's certainly possible that you are a braggart, and even the most humble thrill-seekers fly in the face of convention and promote others to take risks which most would deem unacceptable. You are constantly looking for the next high, the next rush, and it has to be better than the last one, or else it's just boring. You rush in where angels fear to tread.
Quest: Whenever you take a life-threatening risk that pays off for you, you gain Willpower.
Ban: Never take the easy way when there's a more exciting and dangerous path.
Traditionalist
In a world which has forgotten its roots, you still see the old ways as the best. You speak fondly of the "old days," not to chastise as the Humbug does, but with the hopes of instructing others in avoiding the mistakes of the past. It's likely that others see you as an old fuddy-duddy, with your outdated dress and manner of speaking, but you refuse to turn your backs on them, responding in as mentorly and sagacious a fashion as you can. If there's an old ritual or celebration, a forgotten tidbit of lore, or an archaic custom, you see the beauty and worth in it, and try to encourage that same respect in others. It's likely that you've fallen behind the times, and may not be aware of the newest rages among various cultures; you probably see them as passing fads, or not worthy of attention until they have withstood the test of time.
Quest: Whenever you prove to others that the old ways work best (forgotten lore, customs, and the like), you gain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never try anything new without first doing it the old-fashioned way.
Trickster
The Trickster finds the absurd in everything. No matter how grim life or unlife may become, the Trickster always uncovers a kernel of humor within it. Tricksters cannot abide sorrow or pain, and so they strive to lighten the spirits of those around them. Some Tricksters have even higher ideals, challenging static dogma by exposing its failures in humorous ways. Comedians, satirists and social critics are examples of Trickster Archetypes.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower any time you manage to lift others' spirits, especially if you are able to deny your own pain in the process.
Ban: Submitting to a serious life, submitting to sorrow/pain and embracing negativity.
Troubadour
You walk in a fog of pink and lilac optimism, feeling emotions more strongly than others and expressing them at every opportunity. You are an idealist who believes in the potential for a perfect world, a perfect love, a perfect life. You step into every situation with enthusiasm and wide-eyed wonder, anxious to experience the thrill of the moment. When you love, you love with abandon. When you cry, your tears would fill an ocean. When you are happy, you make sure everyone knows it. Forgiving and loving, you rarely find it in yourself to hate anyone, seeing them instead as just another fascinating piece of your glorious world.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you complete a task in the name of a higher ideal (love, friendship, romance, etc.).
Ban: Never hide your feelings.
U
V
Viper
Similar to the Pandora, trouble follows you wherever you go. Unlike the innocence of that other archetype, however, you have a mean streak a mile wide, and are just waiting to bite the hand the feeds you. You are the scorpion who stings the wolf as he swims across the river, dooming you both to drown because it's simply in your own nature. You strike first as a means of protecting yourself, and feign innocence to shield you from your accusers. What's more, you have a love of ingratiating yourself among those you want to destroy, gaining their confidence so that the sting of your bite hurts all the more. You protest your innocence even when caught red-handed, but will strike again the moment their backs are turned. Getting away with it doesn't even enter your mind; you're concerned first with the delight of the betrayal, and covering your tracks later.
Quest: Whenever you manage to feign innocence and still wreak havoc, you gain Willpower.
Ban: Never reveal your true colors to anyone; always protest your innocence.
Virtuoso
There are few people who can say that they have mastered a given field, and you are one of them. You are a specialist, striving for excellence in a small number of related disciplines. Even if you have not yet reached the level of excellence that you desire, you consider yourself an authority (though you admit that you have more to learn). You fear all your attention toward learning more about your field of expertise.
Quest: Gain a point of Willpower every time you accomplish something that brings you closer to mastering your intended field of study.
Ban: Never become involved in tangential matters for too long.
Visionary
You are strong enough to look beyond the mundane and see the truly wondrous. You test accepted social limits and question authority not to destroy the old order, but to bring the dream to realization. You often question what others could be doing, as opposed to what they are doing. Wide-eyed but hardly naive, you possess a charisma and a vision which may either threaten others or draw them to you, depending upon their feelings about tradition and the changes you wish to enact.
Quest: Regain a point of Willpower every time you are able to convince others to have faith in your dreams and follow the course of action dictated by your vision.
Ban: Never resist an opportunity to explain your vision to others, or correct a flawed system to correspond with your dream of the world remade.
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Wallflower
You are shy, and feel that your best place is hanging back when social grace or heroism are called for. Nonetheless, you are always attentive, paying attention for the chance to do your part. You keep to the wings, watching carefully, and making notes as to who is up to what. You don't feel you will ever shine, but you might be able to do your part to help others. Nonetheless, you resist anyone who tries to draw you out too much, retreating to the shadows where it's safe. Unlike the Lurker, you aren't quick to cut yourself off for the sake of your own skin, and may secretly befriend others, so long as it doesn't force you into the limelight.
Quest: Regain Willpower whenever you learn a juicy secret or important piece of information by holding your tongue and paying attention.
Ban: Never make a scene, or speak up when you think your opinions aren't wanted. Never volunteer information without prompting.
Wayfarer
Your story is that of the endless wanderer, the great explorer and adventurer who has a love in every port and rarely stays in any one place for long. You live by your own wits, though your restless nature often lands you in dangerous situations. A reactionary, you act first and think later. This sometimes saves you; other times, it gets you in trouble. Impatient and easily bored, you are always looking for the next adventure.
Quest: Whenever you survive a life-threatening scene through your own cleverness, you regain Willpower.
Ban: Never plan for the future.
Weird
You cultivate an aura of power and mystery similar to the Riddler, but you are more concerned with being held in high regard. You are the strange one, the medium, the truthsayer and the seer whose powers are unfathomable to others. You may study the magic, methods of soothsaying, or even the ways of the dead, but this is always to the maximum effect on others around you. Your objective is to convince them that you are a dangerous, implacable sorcerer, someone who is to be feared and revered. You delight in being held at arm's length by anyone you consider "common" and are unlikely to associate with anyone who can reveal the nature of your powers or source of wisdom. You hold yourself above all others, and expect the same from everyone else.
Quest: Whenever you convince others that they do not, cannot possibly understand you and your powers, gain a point of Willpower.
Ban: Never submit to being "one of the crowd." Never let anyone condescend to you.
Wildflower
You delight in the beauty of nature, the serene calm of harmony with the elements and the animals around you. Your idyllic view of nature may not always be true, but you live in a delightful dream of peace with your surroundings, taking only what you need and avoiding the excesses of modern civilization. In some ways, you are the counterpart of the Savage, but their cruel and barbaric ways have no place in your dream of harmony. You cultivate the wilderness around you, unafraid of being occasionally pricked by a thorn if it means you get to enjoy the beauty of a rose.
Quest: Gain a point of Willpower every time you show that the natural way is best, avoiding human artifice and technology for a more wild way of life.
Ban: Never let anyone threaten the beauty of the unspoiled wilderness, and nature itself.
Wretch
You have no positive self-image, and assume that everyone else hates you as much as you hate yourself. Perhaps you are the wallflower who never gets asked to dance or the loser who was never invited to birthday parties; regardless, you believe that everyone hates you and that you are a pitiful outcast. Sometimes you seek pity and aid from others. Other times you seek to punish them for their pity and aid, being especially hard on anyone who shows you compassion and caring.
Quest: Whenever others vilify you as worthless or throw up their hands in despair of ever getting through to you, you regain Willpower.
Ban: Never admit to success.
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