Connection Merits
Linguistics (● to ●●●●●): Each character may naturally speak and write their own native language and the most common language in the location where the game is set. Each dot of this Merit provides two extra languages the character may speak and/or write.
Cobbler (●): You have studied the mortal systems enough to be able to create Masks for yourself and others. Creating a Mask (see Mask, page XX) requires you to spend Downtime Actions equal to two plus the number of dots of the Mask you are trying to make. Masks take time to build, and a solid identity must have a solid foundation. You may also improve an existing mask; improvement requires you to spend two + the difference between the old and new Mask dots’ worth of Downtime Actions. In addition, if you are creating or improving a Mask for another character, that character may spend one Downtime Action per month aiding you in the creation (or improvement) of their Mask, reducing the total Downtime Actions needed by one for each Downtime Action spent. Prerequisite: Mask (●●)
Phenom (●●) : You are extremely talented as a performer, academic, or craftsperson. When purchasing this Merit you must choose one of the following Skills: Academics, Crafts, or Performance. You gain an additional specialty for each dot of the chosen Skill that you possess. You may purchase this Merit once for each of the listed Skills.
Zeroed (●●): According to any sort of record-keeping system, you do not exist. Someone has gone in and zeroed you out. For your true vampiric identity, there are no fingerprints or DNA on file, your face is recognized nowhere, and searches for your name come up empty. You may not take both Zeroed and Known Blankbody. Prerequisite: Mask (●●●)
Connection Flaws
Enemy (● to ●●●) : You have rubbed someone the wrong way. Maybe you cheated them at poker, stole their parking spot, killed their friend, or committed various slights on every scale. Work with the storyteller to define your Enemy and which Sphere of Influence they are within. Your Storyteller will then make a character sheet for this enemy that you are not privy to. The enemy will attempt to thwart you and your allies with an intensity depending on your Flaw level. You may take this Flaw more than once. Each Enemy must be assigned to a Sphere of Influence.
● Level 1: You have minorly offended this person, perhaps repeatedly, and your presence irritates them. If they cross your path, they’ll make sure you encounter some hassle or stress. An enemy of this level will only harass you if they accidentally run across you or anyone associated with you.
●● Level 2: Something you did or something about you seriously upset this person. They will go out of their way to cause you trouble, so long as it does not cause them too much inconvenience. They may not actively try to cause your death, but they would not be upset if it were to happen. An enemy of this level will actively try and make your life difficult by searching for you and your allies to cause hardship. However, they will not try to personally physically harm you.
●●● Level 3: This person completely detests you. They would love to see you ruined or dead and will go out of their way to make that happen. An enemy of this level will seek you out, and when they can’t find you, they will go after your allies, friends, and family. There is no line they won’t cross, including assault or murder.
Infamy (● to ●●●) : You are famous, but for something horrible that no one should want to be known for. Everyone who recognizes your face is likely to recoil with at least some level of distaste. Upon taking this Flaw, work out exactly what your character did with your Storyteller. Are you still doing the things that earned your reputation, or have you tried to reform from past crimes? Choose a Sphere of Influence in which you are exceptionally well known and more likely to be recognized. For each level of this Flaw, you receive a -2 cumulative penalty to any mundane, non-Intimidation social interaction with someone who recognizes you; you must work to convince them to stick around long enough to hear you out.
● Level 1 : People in your town see you walking and go the other direction, but, outside of that, you’ve managed to stay fairly under the radar.
●● Level 2 : You’re quite well-known among anyone who stays up to date with related topics. Unless controlled or approached very safely, people who recognize your Infamy are likely to cause a scene to escape your presence.
●●● Level 3 : You are incredibly well-known around the city, and that is not a good thing. You’ve been in the news or a similar forum, and even those outside of your selected Sphere are likely to know who you are. Everyone within that Sphere knows, without a doubt, and will alert authorities or cause a scene if not controlled.
Poor (● to ●●●) : Even without significant Resources, someone may live a comfortable life, but you are even worse off than most lower-middle class people. With any level of this Flaw, you may not buy any dots in the Resources Mortal Connection or its respective Advantages.
● Level 1 : You are living paycheck-to-paycheck. You can afford your rent and bills, but you have only $100 per month of disposable income. You may not purchase more than one dot in the Haven Mortal Connection and may only apply one advantage to that Haven while having this Flaw.
●● Level 2 : You are probably behind on rent and getting by through sheer luck, but you have not been evicted yet and have a comfortable place to sleep at least. If something costs over ten dollars, you are unable to buy it without assistance. You may not purchase more than one dot in the Haven Mortal Connection and may not apply any advantages to that Haven while having this Flaw.
●●● Level 3: You have no job, no money, no home, no way to pay off your debts, and your friends are done letting you crash with them. You may not buy any dots in Haven with this Flaw. However, you are not required to take the No Haven Flaw; you may still benefit from access to another character’s Haven but not its advantages.
No Haven (●●) : You have nowhere, not even the smallest cubby, to consistently rest during the day. Even friends don’t let you couch-surf for longer than a couple nights. Each night before dawn, you must spend some time finding a safe place to rest. You have one less Downtime action than normal and may not purchase or benefit from dots in the Haven Background.
Obvious Predator (●●) : You look downright scary. While it is not instantly clear that you are a vampire, you give off vibes that, if someone were to let you near them with anything sharp, they would be dead. You are unable to purchase dots in the Herd Background and suffer a -1 penalty to any challenges involving non-violent attempts to feed.
Illiterate (●●) : You cannot read or write. Maybe you never learned, or perhaps there is something that never “clicked” about it. Even street names can be too much, though you can match letters on familiar signs that you recognize and memorize the names that go with them. Even texting isn’t a viable option unless you have a friend sending messages for you.
Known Corpse (●●) : You have not been dead long and are known to be deceased by local humans. Your family and friends are still around and still remember you. They went to your funeral. Maybe they even got a call to identify your body. People who knew you will react appropriately horrified, like they have just seen a ghost. They may even call the police on you for impersonating their dead loved one. Prerequisite: No Dots in Mask.
Known Blankbody (●●●●): You have managed to get yourself included in high-level government databases, marked as someone to watch. You must spend one Downtime Action a month covering the tracks of your monthly activities. Failure to spend this Downtime Action will cause an encounter with Hunters run by your Storyteller prior or during the next game. In addition, whenever you fail a Hunting challenge, your failed feeding attempt is noticed by a Hunter. A Known Blankbody may not purchase the Zeroed Merit. The Second Inquisition has tagged you. Prerequisite: No Dots in Mask.
