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====== General System House Rules ======
General House Rules apply to all splats, and are divided into the following categories.

===== Character Creation =====

**Always, always see the [[http://www.shadowsoverthesouth.net/showthread.php?tid=205&pid=2213#pid2213|Banned and Limited Characters List]] __FIRST.__**

Character types listed as **Limited** cannot be taken as your first character on this server. They can only be your second character onward after you have been active with your first character for **one month**, and even then, being allowed to take one will require a talk with the ST(s) of your splat __first.__

Character types listed as **Temporarily Closed** cannot be taken at this time. **Please __do not__ ask us when they will be available again.** We promise, the players will be the first to know when they are.

Character types listed as **Banned** cannot be taken. Don’t even ask, the answer is and will be no for the foreseeable future.

**Please note that while there is no rule against having more than one character in the same splat AS LONG AS ONE OF THOSE CHARACTERS IS IN A ‘SUBSPLAT’ (Kinfolk or Fera for Werewolf, Technocrats or Disparates for Mage, etc.), please keep the following in mind:**
  * Your characters can never interact with each other in any way. If it would break the willing suspension of disbelief for them //not// to interact (ex: two vampires in the same Clan, two Mages in the same Tradition working at the same Chantry, two werewolves in the same pack or the same sept, etc.), just err on the side of caution and don’t do it.
  * One or your characters helping the other is and will be considered cheating and is grounds for having a character forcibly retired on the first offense and being banned from the server on the second. Don’t worry, we know the difference between your character doing something good for your splat and it indirectly affecting your other character and just blatantly trying to slip aid under the radar, but we’re not stupid, either.
==== Merits and Flaws ====

[[Merits]]\\

[[Flaws]]\\

=== Banned Merits and Flaws ===

  * **Property**: Rolled into the Resources Background.
  * **Self-Confident/Optimstic**: Encourages min-maxing, can become a game-breaker with the right setup.
  * **Immortal Enemy**: No, the STs will not run an apocalyptic eldritch abomination for you.
  * **Berserker/Stress Atavism**: Notoriously derailed a scene so badly that it had to be retconned.
  * **Child**: No, just no. See below.
  * **Fast Learner**: Banned because it encourages min-maxing and is an absolute game-breaker for the relatively low Freebie/XP cost.
  * **Ritual Sleeper, Sleepwalker & Psychic Vampire**: Flaws affecting not just you but also other player's characters are nothing more than recoloured PvP merits. We discourage PvP and therefore those are banned.
  * **Abusive Partner**: A multitude of reasons, most of which should be obvious. Even putting aside the argument that this is WoD and bad things happen, even if we //did// allow a topic this serious and this potentially upsetting to players who (God forbid) may have to deal with this IRL and absolutely do not also need to deal with it in a game, the moment a lot of other PCs found out about it, said partner would be dead or in jail less than a day later, making this flaw unworkable in this game both mechanically and, frankly, morally. Take the Dark Secret flaw and pick something else if you absolutely must have something traumatic in your character’s private life.
  * **Firearms License**: Rolled into the Certification Background.
  * **Flexible Job**: Due to the way the game works it is very unlikely that a character's day job will get in the way of their supernatural activities, whether they posses this merit or not. As such the merit is effectively obsolete.

These merits are outright banned, don't ask, the answer is no.


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=== Merits that Grant Connections to Other Splats ===


We've been asked about this before, and it's really about time we make an official ruling on this. There are merits that exist that grant a character deep ties to other supernatural communities, one they would not initially have without that merit. For example, someone who is a Kinfolk can in theory Awaken as a Mage, or someone who was Imbued could be Fae-Blooded without knowing. How do we handle these types of characters? Do they 'count' as being in two splats at once? The answer: Yes, and no.

Your character only counts towards the 'population' of their primary splat.

For example: If you are a Mage that took the Shapechanger Kin merit (4 pts, M20: Book of Secrets, p. 74), you are still considered a Mage, and not a part of the Werewolf splat as far as population goes. However, you must still coordinate with the Werewolf ST(s), because depending on the Tribe you are Kinfolk to, they will not take kindly to one of their own becoming a Willworker and potentially turning their back on their blood. Even if you picked one of the more open-minded Tribes, you must still coordinate with the Werewolf ST(s), because even if you aren't considered a part of the splat as far as the game's population count is concerned, you are still deeply connected to it, and a part of the splat in all but name.

All of these merits are very much double-edged swords, granting both benefits and drawbacks. Coordinating with the STs of two different splats can be fun, but be prepared to be pulled in two different directions in-game... which may mean eventually your character alienates one side or the other, whether intentionally or not.

Note that this does not apply to characters who are primarily a Ghoul, Kinfolk, etc. This applies to, but is not limited to, the following types of characters who took the corresponding merit, or otherwise gained deep ties to a splat through in-game actions:\\

**Kinfolk:** If having taken the Shapechanger Kin merit (4 pts, M20: Book of Secrets, p. 74). You must decide with the ST(s) of both your primary splat and the Werewolf ST(s) which tribe you are Kinfolk to. Choose wisely; certain Tribes are less accepting of potential outsider influence than others...\\

**Ghouls**: If your character is primarily a ghoul, you can ignore this. If, however, you were ghouled during the course of the game (note: other supernatural types, such as Mages or Changelings, MUST gain this merit through in-game actions and NOT at character creation) and therefore gained the Ghoul merit (5 pts, M20: Book of Secrets, p. 75), you must coordinate with both the ST(s) of both your splat, and the Vampire ST(s). Note that becoming a ghoul, while having a few obvious benefits, also has very major drawbacks: A Mage, for example, choosing to hang around Nightfolk and becoming a junkie hooked on their blood will lose their Avatars eventually, and will become a pariah in the eyes of their Tradition and their Chantry (God help you if you're a Technocrat). The good news is that someday, you might become a candidate for the embrace.\\

**Kinain:** If you took the Fae Blood merit (4 pts, M20: Book of Secrets, p. 74), you, again, must coordinate with both your splat's ST(s) and the Changeling ST(s). This means you might want to watch your Banality score.

**Thralls**: See [[Demon House Rules]]. If you form a Pact with a Fallen Player Character (which must be done in-game and not at character creation), you automatically gain the Bound flaw (5 points, M20: Book of Secrets, p.92), and from that point on, must coordinate with both your splat's ST(s), and the STs for Demon. If you made a deal with some other type of entity (Wyrm Banes, Apophis, etc.), talk to the relevant splat ST.


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=== Changed Merits and Flaws ===

  * **Crack Shot:** ONLY applies to sniper rifles, which aren't exactly easy to lug around in battle. This does NOT apply to pistols, and especially not to automatic weapons of any kind.
  * **Dynamic Personality, Fast Learner, and anything similar:** Merits that grant XP reductions must obey the monthly reduction cap (15 per month, described below). The merits by themselves do not grant justification for the ability/attribute/background/etc. in question, only for the XP reduction. These merits may only be used once per month as justification for an XP reduction.
  * **Enchanting Voice:** This is now a double-edged sword. Your voice is so unforgettably and almost supernaturally beautiful that anyone who wishes to remember the sound of your voice or recognize it even in a crowd may roll Wits + Alertness at -2 difficulty.
  * **Independent Income:** Can //never// be used to justify more than three dots in the Resources background. Further, we strongly recommend taking the Finance knowledge with this. No merit protects you from making dumb decisions, and in real life, financially illiterate people being handed money for nothing are the favorite targets of con artists.

**An important note on the Aging flaw (//M:20: Book of Secrets//, p 40)**: As you will note above, the Child flaw is banned. However, as a compromise (and to avoid having to force-retire at least one character in the game when the Child flaw was banned), we kept the Aging flaw, which allows for characters age 12 and up (note that Child specifically refers to characters 10 and below), as well as elderly characters (age 65+). If you want to play a minor, please speak with your ST first. We //may// allow it if it's a genuinely interesting character concept, but you'll really have to sell us on it first.


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[[The Enemy Flaw]]


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=== Merits and Difficulty Modifiers and Trivial Rolls ===

**Merits, Difficulty Modifiers, and You**

First, **the minimum difficulty for any roll is always 3; difficulties can never drop below this, regardless of Merits, equipment, active effects, or any other modifiers.**

Merits, for a character, are the innate talents, mundane or supernatural, that they possess at character creation or can be earned in-game as scene rewards. They are, ideally, supposed to be for flavor, to illustrate part of your backstory. But let's face it: More often than not, they're also mechanical advantages.

Whether they're difficulty modifiers or additional dice, merits are never neutral, although some can be pretty cheap or easy to get. Some even had to be downright banned (ex: Confident) or modified (ex: Crackshot) or limited due to over-use (Enchanting Voice).

But is it still a merit if everyone has it? Is it still special? Is it even still an interesting game if everyone has a sheet full of the exact same merits, and not only are there no more unique characters, there is no more suspense in any scene because nobody is going to fail (let alone botch) any roll?

The answer is no. We know it, you know it. So starting today, we are instituting the following House Rules regarding merits and difficulty modification.

Note: Before anyone starts to freak out, we're not taking away any merit from any existing sheet.

No difficulty can ever drop below Base Diff - 3. In other words, you can add up modifiers, but the most you can ever lower any single roll's difficulty will be by three (merits, gifts, Wonders... all modifiers combined). Some of you might believe it was already the case. Mages, for instance, are very familiar with this concept; the same applies to their Arete rolls. Some things are just difficult; even those who can make something look easy will struggle with something, sometime, and even experts screw up occasionally. So whether or not this rule used to apply to you, now it does. No more will characters be able to drop a difficulty 10 roll to difficulty 4 (yes, this did happen once). That diff 10 roll can never drop below diff 7. A diff 9 roll can never drop below diff 6. A diff 7 roll can never drop below 4. And no roll can EVER drop below 3 (some can't even be lowered to 4 if such is stated in your reference book).\\

You can only apply two (2) merits to any given roll. This includes merits that grant extra dice (Natural Leader, etc.), merits that all but negate the possibility of botching (Charmed Existence, True Love, etc.), and of course, difficulty modifiers. Note that not every merit can apply to every roll anyway. If you have more than two merits that can apply to a roll, you'll have to make a choice. Experiment and get creative; different choices might lead to different results. Note: This does not apply to other types of modifiers, such as  Gifts, Fetishes, Wonders, Relics, etc. This only applies to merits. The point of this is to disincentivize 'merit stacking,' encourage diversity of merits, as well as make it worth it to actually invest in crafting or making friends with somebody else who can do it.\\

All merits require justification: At character creation through their backstory, or in-game through scene rewards (which should also be noted somewhere in your sheet). No exceptions. This really should go without saying and I can't believe I even have to reiterate this. Do you have Enchanting Voice? Show us how and why your voice is so special. Do you have Charmed Existence? Why is your 'fate' special, and how did it get that way? Don't tell us. Show us. Write it out. STs reserve the right to request additional justification for anything on a sheet, for any reason. If sufficient justification is not provided, STs reserve the right to veto that item. Also, while some (though not all) merits can be requested as purchases with XP, this should remain exceptional and will always require a scene or even an entire plotline as justification. Most of the time, merits obtained in play should remain surprise rewards from the ST to illustrate a turning point in a given character's development or story arc, same as we do with flaws.\\

All players will now be required to write out their difficulty modifiers in their rolls. Mages already have to do this to identify whether a spell is Coincidental or Vulgar, which spheres they're using, whether they're taking extra turns, whether they're spending Willpower, etc. List out which merits are applying to which roll (when in doubt, ask if they apply). When we're in the middle of a big scene, we don't have time to check each sheet and make guesses as to which merits you're using and where your Diff 3 is coming from. Players have abused this in the past to try to slip inappropriately low difficulties past the radar by counting on STs not to check. Blame them for the added inconvenience. STs reserve the right to question or outright reject rolls that do not include difficulty modifiers when the roll was not made at the difficulty an ST has designated.\\

"B-But," you might be saying, "w-what about my four super cool merits, my four gifts, my fetish, and all this other cool stuff I have to turn every difficulty I'll ever have to 3? I worked hard to get those!" We acknowledge that players can and do work for a sake of progression to make certain rolls trivial. Plus, certain characters are just better than others at certain things. For that, we do still want to reward players, so we'll be introducing a new mechanic to go along with this: Introducing Trivial Rolls.\\


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==== Floor XP ====

Floor XP and You

Floor XP is something all characters receive by default at creation. It is a one-time only gift. Here's what makes it special:
  * Floor XP does not count against your monthly cap. If you had 10 floor XP by default and then gained another 20 because you retired a character, you are not capped for the first month of your character's existence.
  * Dots purchased with Floor XP do not have a monthly cooldown/training time. This means that you can buy more than one dot of the same skill/attribute/whatever in the same month, but only if those purchases are made with Floor XP.
  * Floor XP does NOT gain catch-up XP. No, you don't effectively gain 20 XP by default at creation. That's an obvious loop-hole and we're nipping that one in the bud.
  * XP gained by retiring an existing PC (25% of their total XP) counts as Floor XP.


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===== The Get out of Death Free Card =====

Character death sucks. We get attached to our characters, and STs here understand this and do not like killing PCs for the fun of it. There are times when the dice just seem to hate one (or more!) character in particular, and then a character rolls a botch at exactly the wrong moment. STs will go with the roll, but still wish there could be a way to save that character, as is their prerogative as per Rule n°1. But where to put the limit? If you do it once, you have to do it again, and if you do it for one character, you have to do it for everyone else, even when it doesn't make sense. So what do we do?

Introducing the Character Save Card.

**Every single character** will only have __//**one**//__ of these. If all other options have been exhausted, no further rolls can be made, no allies can save you, etc., the player may declare that they are using that character's Save Card. When the Card is invoked, the STs will intervene with a Deus Ex Machina and save that character from what was otherwise going to be certain death. But before you think that this gives you license to go hog wild, there are a few things to remember:

  * **You only get __ONE__**. Once you use it, that's it, your character does not get another. That's one per character, not one per character per scene. The STs //will// be keeping track of these, and if a Card is used during a scene, it will be noted in our records.
  * **This is __NOT__ a total get-out-of-jail-free card**. Being saved from death is not the same thing as being saved from consequences. If, for example, your vampire was about to be killed by the Sabbat, using your Card could mean that rather than bring you Final Death, they decide instead you'd be of more use as a blood bound tool. In other cases, it may result in you surviving with the Disfigured flaw, or you gaining the Enemy flaw, or you owing somebody a major debt that they will expect to be paid back later. This is entirely up to ST discretion, and even if your character was saved, it's entirely possible that your character will end up wishing they'd have died instead (this is still WOD), and you will be expected to play this out fully, not try to artificially soften the blow by minimizing the consequences your character has to suffer through by downplaying its effects on them in-character.
  * **There are some situations from which you just cannot be saved**. More often than not, these situations are 100% your character's fault. The dice hating you is one thing. Your vampire deciding to break the Masquerade in front of the Sheriff and brag about it in front of the Harpy, or your Werewolf deciding that they should tell that funny story at the Moot about that crazy night they had where they woke up the next morning in bed with a few Black Spiral Dancers, or your Mage thinking that maybe it would be fun to go see what's inside that Caul is another. In short, just like with the No Stomping rule, there's a "Too Dumb To Live" clause.

This rule is an attempt at finding a middle ground between wanting to give characters a last-ditch attempt to save themselves, and making the risk of death feel cheap. Though, this should remain exceptional. Announcements are made prior to particularly dangerous scenes during which character death is a real possibility. Please take that into account and avoid sending characters that you know don't have the requested skillset. It's one time only, don't waste it.

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===== Character Traits =====


==== Attributes ====

  * **Wits:** Your number of Dots in Wits limits how many **splat-specific powers** (e.g. Disciplines, Spheres, Lores, etc.) you can increase in one expenditure of XP. For example, if you have Wits 2, you may buy one dot in two Disicplines at once, but cannot buy a third until at least one of the other dots' completion date has been reached. Please note that even if a high number of dots in Wits allows you to learn three, four, or even five at once, keep in mind that time is finite; if you're studying that many different complicated fields at once, please don't then participate in a million scenes, otherwise your ST is granted the right to refuse one or more of the purchases even after approving it.
==== Abilities ====

It is an unfortunate reality that no two splats within the classic World of Darkness feature exactly the same list of abilities, which is of course a problem in a multi-splat game. To alleviate this issue we make use of the following lists of primary and secondary abilities for all splats. Please note that **Gremayre, Kenning, Primal Urge,** and **Rituals** are not mentioned on the lists, since only characters of specific splats have access to these abilities. However, those abilities are still available for members of the respective splats. Please consult the core books of //Changeling: The Dreaming// and //Werewolf: The Apocalypse// for details. Further it is worth mentioning that various abilities belong to different categories in different splats. So if you cannot find an ability, please check the other lists before consulting your ST.

|  [[setting:talents|Talents]]  |  [[setting:skills|Skills]]  |  [[setting:knowledges|Knowledges]]  |

Additional rules and considerations regarding abilities:
  * **Technology** is a Skill, in all system types.
  * **Research** is a Knowledge, in all system types.
  * **Martial Arts** are no longer hard OR soft style.  All styles are both.  This is covered in depth in [[Combat System House Rules]].
  * **Religion** has been subsumed in the more general **Belief Systems.**
  * We allow Dual Specializations, but they can only be purchased //after// character creation, never during. For the mechanics behind this, please see Page 277 of //Mage 20th Anniversary Edition// corebook, specifically the section titled 'The Well-Skilled Craftsman.'
  * While most abilities receive a specialisation at four dots, there are some exceptions: **Academics, Art, Belief Systems, Crafts, Esoterica, Hunting, Performance** and **Science** receive a specialisation at the first dot.
  * Since the following abilities are defined differently in different game lines,  the following compromise shall apply to all splats:
    * **Art** is a talent and applies to visual art forms: Drawing, painting, sculpting, flower arrangement, etc.
    * **Performance** is a skill that applies to performance arts: Dancing, singing, acting, etc.
    * **Expression** governs activities that involve the effective use of language, including writing novels or poetry.
    * **Crafts** encompasses abilities for the creation of primarily functional objects, like tailoring, carpentering, forging, etc.
    * **Technology** refers to the building, operation, and maintenance of electronics and electromechanical devices.
    * **Computers** is the software side to Technology's hardware. Writing, operating, and maintaining computer programs is handled by this ability.



==== Backgrounds ====

=== The Arcane Background ===

This has been brought up again, and it's time to finally put this issue to bed, about what can or can't defend against this, and how it can or can't affect your character. First and foremost, we are taking Arcane as a background, as written in Mage 20. Yes, we're aware that it also exists as a merit for Vampires in Black Hand: Guide to the Tal'Mahe'Ra. Non-Mages who want this will take the Background and not the Merit (it's not like it makes a difference in Freebie point cost). Yes, we're allowing non-Mages to take it, at ST discretion. For whatever reason it's more common among Mages than other types of supernaturals, so in other splats, it should be rare.\\

First and foremost: Arcane is not a Mental effect. Even Mages don't fully understand how it works, only that it's something much more metaphysical in nature, affecting the strands of reality itself. What is known is that Mind Shield does not protect against it. No other form of mental protection will work against it, either. Not the innate Mind Control Immunity of Demons, not Conviction for Hunters, nothing. Nobody understands why this is, but for whatever reason, at the higher levels of Arcane, the memories just will not take root.\\

But this comes at a cost: Anyone with the higher levels of Arcane are a ghost in the wind. Nobody remembers their faces or their name. Even records of them disappear. They live a very lonely existence, devoid of interpersonal relationships or even evidence that they ever existed. In a place like the World of Darkness, that could very well be a fate worse than death. Keep in mind, Arcane doesn't have an 'off' button. And no, the Mind Sphere can't turn it off, either, just like it can't be used to protect against its effects.\\

Starting at Arcane 4, people will have extreme difficulty remembering you. Paper records of you start to disappear. You vanish from photographs. It's as if you don't exist. This means that you cannot take the Enemy flaw, Wanted by Law Enforcement flaw, Hunted flaw, or anything similar (at character creation; you can still earn these flaws through in-game actions, even if your enemy will have trouble actually finding you). But that also means that the following Backgrounds are forever beyond your grasp:\\

  * Contacts: Nobody is going to give sensitive information to a random stranger. And as far as these people you know, that's exactly what you are.
  * Allies: Who? I don't know them. They're not a friend of mine.
  * Mentor: Unless this mentor is the most generous person in the world and will teach anyone with a pulse (in which case they're not long for this world), you're not their student.
  * Retainer/Followers/Bystanders/Any equivalent in other splats: For the same reason as the above. You can't be loyal to someone you don't remember.
  * Certification: No paper records means no certification.
  * Rank/Status/Eminence/etc.: I'm supposed to report to who, now?
  * Influence: You can't fear or respect somebody you can't even remember.
  * Fame: Seriously?
  * Chantry: You can't join a group if they can't remember that you're a member. This applies to Chantries as much as it does to Sects, Septs, Courts, etc.


__**The following Backgrounds will require extra justification:**__


**Resources:** You can't have a bank account without paper records of some kind. The only way you can keep a large amount of money is by storing cash somewhere, which is risky for many different reasons. You also can't own property that requires records to be kept, such as a home, a gun, or a car. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't just squat on property or keep a car or firearm illegally...

**Backup/Spies/any equivalent:** Technically, these guys don't have to know their employer to work for them... at least, on a temporary basis. You could always go for a 'shadow broker' route, in which case even they don't know who's paying them in cash, so long as the cash is green. What you won't be able to do is employ them on a permanent (or at least, official) basis.

Note that this will also apply to certain Merits, too, particularly any Merit that relates to another character, whether it be PC or NPC. STs are asked to use common sense when making that judgment call.

**TL;DR:** Yes, Arcane works on everybody and there are no known defenses against it. But is it really worth it? You're objectively harming yourself in the long run by taking this background. Think very carefully before taking it at high levels.

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=== The Certification Background ===
With this Background, your character has official papers that allow her to pursue some regulated activity.
Unless your character has managed to obtain a permit without the proper training, you’ll need at least one dot in a related Ability for each dot in this Background.
One can pursue this ability without it, but Certification grants a bonus on it when related to legal matters
For small permits one can also purchase merits to show a singular permit while certification is a general legal status that your character has X The usual stuff – driver’s license, government ID card, nothing special.\\
• Concealed weapons permit, Hunting license, business license, passport to an open country, Surge Tech \ Aid etc.\\
•• Teaching certificate, bodywork license, PADI certification, CPA, trucker’s or motorcycle license, basic firearms permit, LPN \ Paramedic etc.\\
••• HAZMAT disposal license, church-ordained clergy, lifeguard certification, private investigator’s license, private pilot’s permit, RN, PA, NA etc.\\
•••• Class C weapons permit, board-certified medical or legal professional, professional aircraft pilot’s license, government intelligence operative, Medical Dr,  etc.\\
••••• Diplomatic immunity, license to kill, Surgeon, .\\

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=== The Fame Background ===

First and foremost;; **fame is //not// to be confused with Status**. Fame is how well-known you are amongst //mortals//, not necessarily other supernaturals (though there's a good chance they'd know of you, too, for the same reasons). 

Fame is very much a double-edged sword in the World of Darkness. On one hand, having a high Fame rating is in and of itself justification for Influence, as the two often go hand-in-hand (though not always;; contrary to popular belief, there //is// such a thing as bad publicity). Local politicians will want photo-ops with you, local businesses will want your endorsements (and might even be willing to pay for it, granting justification for Resources), and people will know who you are and love you for it.

On the other hand, of course, that becomes a problem when upholding the Veil/Masquerade is key to your survival. At Fame 1 and 2, the risk of this is relatively low. But once you reach Fame 3, and average people start recognizing you on the streets... well, would //you// want to be caught with your fangs in someone's neck or casting spells, and not only did somebody witness it, the witness recognized who you were?

Basically, the higher your Fame rating, the more opportunities for Influence or Politics-heavy plots become available to your character, at the cost of increased scrutiny from mortals, which means an increased risk of breaking the Veil in public places if you aren't careful. Note, also, that fame breeds haters. If someone doesn't like what you're using your fame and fortune for, it could lead to enemies...


  * **Fame •••**:  Local celebrity. While not everyone will recognize these people on the streets, anyone familiar with their line of work and are active in the local community will, unless they are taking measures to disguise themselves.
  * **Fame ••••**: National celebrity. Anyone who doesn't live under a rock will recognize them or at least know who they are if mentioned in casual conversation. If they are not disguising themselves, they can expect to be swarmed by fans and possibly paparazzi, and thus are at increased risk of breaking the Veil.
  * **Fame •••••**: International celebrity. They WILL be recognized by EVERYONE, and nothing short of supernatural attempts to disguise themselves will prevent swarms of fans and paparazzi everywhere they go. These people are considered by Veil hard-liners to be active Veil risks because of their fame, and really, if you're at this level, it's time to start thinking about retirement. I mean, what are you doing in Florida instead of, say, New York or Hollywood, anyway? Note that while we won't FORCE you to retire, staying in the game at this level is going to make life very, very difficult for you, Veil-wise.
  * **Fame ••••• •+**: NPC level. At this point, there are Umbral entities that unironically love your work, and much like Elvis Presley, Leonardo da Vinci, and Homer, people will be talking about and referencing your work decades, centuries, and possibly even millennia after you're gone. No PC may ever have this without immediate retirement as it would severely unbalance the game (and be all but unplayable for both the player and the STs).

Note that characters with a high Fame rating are //not// automatically known to be supernaturals, even by the supernatural community. If you don't actually know the character personally and they are not breaking the Veil, you may //not// use their Fame rating to know that they're actually a Vampire, Mage, or what have you. **This will be considered metagaming.** Again, Fame is //not// Status.

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=== Resources ===

The cap for resource dots at character creation is 4, and to get 4 dots you have to REALLY sell us.  5 is explicitly impossible at character gen, don't ask, no you can't explain it, no you can't justify it.

Further, keep in mind that increasing Resources in-game becomes exponentially more difficult to justify with each dot. For reference's sake:

  * **No dots**: Below poverty level. You have a roof over your head (cheap rental at best), but not much else. (Note that actual homelessness is resources 0 plus a certain flaw.)
  * **Resources •**: Working class. You can afford a semi-decent apartment and you have a car that runs, but you're living paycheck to paycheck and have few luxuries to speak of.
  * **Resources ••**: Middle class. You can live in a decent neighborhood and can afford to save for retirement, but you'll be saving for quite a long time.
  * **Resources •••**: Upper-middle class. You can easily afford to raise a family and live comfortably. Save for a while, and you can even afford a vacation or two.
  * **Resources ••••**: Affluent. This is where it starts getting very difficult to have justification. You can afford a big house, multiple cars, and unless you do something monumentally dumb, you're probably not at any serious risk of financial ruin. 
  * **Resources •••••**: Welcome to the one percent. At this point you're a millionaire several times over. You didn't just get a good job to get here, you've also made several smart financial decisions and had more than a bit of luck. 
  * **Resources ••••• •+**: There's no point in even recording it anymore. You're in the billionaire class, you have more money than you'll ever be able to spend in your lifetime, and your grandchildren will never have to work a day in their lives. Very, very few characters, if any, will ever have justification for this.

Going from Resources 1 to 2 can be as simple as getting a better job. Going from 2 to 3 will not only require getting a better job, but you'll also need some other dots to justify it, such as Academics, Finance, or some other marketable Ability (Art, Craft, Performance, Computers, etc.), Fame can help with that too but only if your actually selling something. Going from 3 to 4 will require all of the above, plus your character having their 'lucky break;' this can be anything from that big promotion at work to making a few smart financial decisions (hint: take the Finance Knowledge). And finally, going from 4 to 5 will require an even luckier break, and will probably require a plotline in and of itself to get. For reference, one character who reached Resources 5 only did so after not only becoming the CEO of his company and owning a hotel, but having personally negotiated not one, but two contracts with major multinational corporations //in-character//.

Anything above that would require the conclusion of an entire character arc. By the time you get it, you'll probably be close to retirement. Also, keep in mind that having very high Resources is like having high Fame: It can be a double-edged sword in that you may attract attention, make enemies, and breed envy and jealousy. Last but not least, it only reflects your level of 'mundane' resources. As in, U.S. Dollars and other assets, //not// any sort of supernatural currency like Tass.

The Finance and potentially even the Law Knowledges will become increasingly more important the higher your Resources. Financially illiterate people who nonetheless have a lot of money are the favorite target of con artists in real life, and all that money can disappear overnight from just one dumb decision, as has happened numerous times to lottery winners and heirs to vast fortunes who weren’t prepared for the day they’d be handed the keys to the castle.

As the old saying goes, ‘mo money, mo problems,’ and while vast wealth can be a potent asset, it can also be a weakness. Remember, Al Capone was brought down not by the myriad murders he committed or the rackets he was running, but because he evaded taxes and got caught. Don’t be him. Learn how to manage your money, or your wealth will only be used against you by somebody else who knows how. And it’s not just the mundane IRS or the SEC who can make your life miserable: Keep in mind, this is a world in which the Ventrue, Pentex, and the Syndicate exists. In other words, **increase your Resources at your own risk.**

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==== Willpower ====

**Willpower at 6 and Above**\\
Upon this level of Willpower, your character is becoming damn-near unbreakable. So much so that it requires not just a high level of justification, but likely even a change in the way the character is played. As such, we've decided to officially institute House Rules for Willpower at advanced levels (specifically, WP 6+).

**Justification**\\
When taking WP at these levels in Character Creation, you must justify it in your background. What did they do or experience to harden their mind that much? Where did their strong will come from? Not including this in your background is grounds for having it rejected by your ST. The ST is the final arbiter on whether or not the justification provided will suffice.\\
When requesting a high level of WP via purchase with EXP, you can receive your WP one of two ways: Via a 'test' scene in which you can earn the WP, similar to Seeking scenes for Mages or Balance scenes for Mummies, or you can include a scene your character participated in that was particularly trying, stressful, or difficult for them, and demonstrate how they overcame this stressful situation without breaking. Your ST reserves the right to ask the ST who ran this scene whether or not they agree with your assessment when you make the request.\\

**Playing a Character with High Willpower**\\
Your character has been around the block a few times to have WP this high. As such, we will expect a few things from the way you play them, just like we would expect you to play out your character's Demeanor, Nature, and any Merits, Flaws, or Derangements they may have:


   * At 5, you generally react well under pressure.
   * At levels 6-7, they can still become frustrated with certain things, but very rarely will they ever freak out or give up.
   * At levels 8-9, their level of willpower is downright inspirational. They almost never lose their cool, and can approach nearly anything with a clear head, and nothing short of the death of a loved one will crack their stone-faced veneer.
   * At Willpower 10, they're basically a machine. Nothing, and I mean nothing gets under their skin. Even the most powerful psychic abilities have extreme difficulty penetrating their iron-clad will. The death of a loved one, at worst, will only make them even more determined to carry out their goals, in their loved one's honor. Distress is a foreign concept to them. Frustration is unheard of, and at most serves only to make them even more driven to conquer whatever obstacle is in their way. They'd have to be completely mangled to the point of being physically incapable of continuing to even consider giving up, and even then, it's only temporary.


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==== Virtues ====
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==== Lore System ====

Knowledge of the other splats is covered under [[Lore System]].

==== Influence System ====
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==== Status System ====
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==== Energy ====
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===== Justifications and Cost Reductions =====
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==== Journals ====
Journaling can be a valuable part of the game as there are not always instances things need or can RP'ed out.
As such we offer journaling this can just be things that you see for your character or it can be justifications. 

For justifications see the following rules: (some people such as myself do not use it for the XP reduction but rather to express the time exerted by the character in the acquisition of a skill or ability).

-solid journaling (one at least every 3 days) should in itself grant a 1 XP reduction per continued application of oneself to this task. This is up to the player to ask and for an ST to judge and should not occur more than 5 times a month. Note that such journal entries should show more dedication than "gimme xp" and should be an endeavor the player pursues without expecting this reduction to happen. Because if you do, it won't happen

-continued documenting of a process to aquire a certain aspect can in itself also count as a similar discount to get that item. this should stretch to at least 3 posts on it and should need only light justification, such as contacts, influence, lower ratings of resources. Also, this discount applies to the previous rule, should not go more than 5 a month.

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===== Mechanics  =====
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**New Mechanic: Trivial Rolls**

If you have three or more different modifiers all affecting the same roll (for example, two merits and a Wonder, one merit, one Fetish, and one Gift, or no merits, one Apocalyptic Trait, and two Relics) that would have the effect of driving the difficulty of a certain roll below difficulty three (3), you can, with ST approval, declare a roll 'trivial' and automatically succeed at a roll without having to make it. There, however, are a few catches with this:

This will never result in a critical success. Trivial Rolls will be treated as having three successes. Good, but not great. This is because your character is treating this activity as so trivial as to not even really have to try; they just do it, like one would tie their shoes, make their breakfast in the morning, or drive to work. If you want to truly blow someone away with a critical success, then take the risk of failure or botching and actually make the roll with a minimum difficulty of 3.\\

There are certain rolls that cannot ever be declared trivial. These include rolls made in a combat scene, resisted rolls, and crafting rolls. Combat scenes always carry a risk, no matter how minimal, and given the fact that bullets are often flying and stuff is blowing up, there's no such thing as a 'risk-free' action in the heat of battle. Resisted rolls are, well, resisted. Someone is actively trying to prevent you from succeeding, and their successes take away from yours. Aside from the fact that they absolutely could score 4 or more successes to negate your 'automatic' ones, rolls where someone is trying to prevent you from doing what you want to do are, by definition, not trivial. And crafting rolls? Especially supernatural crafting, like with the Prime Sphere, Lore of the Forge, etc.? Making it possible to auto-succeed at those is just begging for abuse. Flooding the market with cheap supernatural gear breaks the game. We're not going there (again).\\

These trivial rolls always require ST approval. Your ST (either of your splat or your scene, with priority going to scene STs) will decide if a roll can be trivial or not. Often they will say yes if it's for the sake of moving something along for the sake of expediency or plot. They might say no if the risk of failure can directly influence the direction of the plot or because of external plot-specific parameters that could make the normally trivial roll not so trivial after all.\\

**The only exception to this is for Knowledge rolls.**\\
Because difficulty modifiers typically cannot apply to a Knowledge Roll, in order to declare an automatic success (equivalent to 1s, **//not//** 3s like a normal Trivial Roll), your total dice pool for the roll (e.g. Intelligence + Lore: X) must **equal** the difficulty of the roll. In other words, if you have six dice, you can assume an automatic success on a roll whose difficulty would have been 6. **This is only for basic knowledge. For anything else, when in doubt, ask your ST.**\\

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==== Rolling the Dice and Specialties  ====
What happens if you roll one or several '1's? Count your total number of successes and remove 1 success for each '1' you rolled. '10's always count as 2 successes IF your specialty applies to the roll (at ST discretion). 
Example: Roll = 10,10,9,6,4,1,1 # Difficulty is 6 and you have a spec that applies (per ST). This is then 4 Successes.  6 success - 2 for the 1's 

Specialties can apply to Soak, Dodge, and Damage rolls as well not just Ability's (ST discretion) 

**Note:** As a reminder, If you rolled at least one success but you rolled enough '1's to push you into the negatives anyway, it's not a botch, it's a fail. If you have one or several '1's and no success, it's a botch (double botch, tripe botch, etc... The record on this server is quadruple botch as of this posting). 

**Successes granted by spending a Willpower point __can__ be cancelled by rolling a 1, but because the Willpower point still counts as a success, the roll is //not// a botch, even if you rolled no other natural successes.**\\

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==== Firearms ====

Fla. Const. art. VIII, § 5(b): Background checks are not required by the state. However, county governments have the authority to require background checks and a 3- to 5-day waiting period for private firearms transfers (holders of concealed carry permits are exempt from any such county requirements).\\
\\
Fla. Statutes § 790.065: May not knowingly transfer a firearm to anyone who is prohibited by federal law.\\
\\
**If you plan to carry the weapon legaly know what transportation rules are or buy dots in the certification background**

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==== Translating foreign languages ====

**The 'linguistic' ability is not used in this game and was replaced for all splats exclusively by the Language merit.**

The go-to method is to purchase one or several dots of the "Language" merit (one pt per dot, one language per dot, in addition to your character's native language which comes for free). You can also purchase the "Natural Linguist" merit which gives you 2 languages instead of 1 per dot of Language merit.\\
(See [[universal_merit]])\\

Some splats might have the ability to learn certain languages (e.g. Ancient Egyptian for Amenti) and teach them to other PCs. This will give your PC justification to purchase a dot of Language merit and now understand or speak the language.

//The Language merit doesn't give you the ability to study languages (their histories, their structures, etc.) This can be achieved via the knowledge 'Academics'.//

So, how to gain temporary understanding of a language?

__Supernatural means__ : Some supernatural abilities (e.g. the Mind Sphere (level 3) for Mages) can allow you to gain temporary understanding of a language. However a Supernatural will still have to learn the language the Mundane way and the player will still have to purchase the Language merit to gain permanent knowledge of the language in question.

__Mundane means__ : In your everyday life, how do you translate a language you don't know? You use a translation app. Well in game, PCs can do that as well.

However there are a few **restrictions**: Only modern languages or sufficiently commonly spoken can be translated by app.\\
**Languages such as Ancient Egyptian spoken by Amenti or the First Tongue spoken by Fallen won't work.**\\
**Likewise codes such as Hunter Code or any code cannot be translated that way because it's not a language.**

There are also a few **conditions** : Your character should have a smart phone with them and at least one dot in 'Computer' knowledge.\\
If those conditions are fulfilled roll Int + Computer (diff 6 for common languages (English, Chinese, French, Spanish...), diff 7 for less common languages (Ancient Greek, Latin,...), diff 8 for rare or regional languages (Numic, Corsican,...). **As a rule of thumb, ask your ST for roll difficulty.**\\
Rolling will have you lose 1 turn but only the first time, then the result of then roll remains valid for the remainder of the scene.\\
As an indication, results of this roll might be (but the actual results will be given by STs):
  * 2+ success : You understand perfectly what's being said and can reply in kind.
  * 1 success : You understand the basics of what's being said and give basic replies.
  * 0 success : Nope, this is just gibberish to you.
  * botch : You think you understand but your app is just feeding you wrong info. In case of multiple botch, the replies you give might be offensive.
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