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setting:vampire_character_creation

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Character Creation Process

The Character Creation Process follows Vampire the Masquerade Core Rulebook v20, pg. 80, any deviation will be noted.

#1 Character Concept

Choose concept, Clan, Nature, and Demeanor.


#2 Attributes

Prioritize the three categories: Physical, Social, Mental (7/5/3). Your character automatically has one dot in each Attribute.

(Change from VtM to accommodate WoD multisplat game.)
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.


#3 Abilities

Prioritize the three categories: Talents, Skills, Knowledges(13/9/5).

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.

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.

Below are the Talents, Skills, and Knowledges offered by the game for all splats/factions. There are some that are not available for Vampire.

Universal Talents | Universal Skills | Universal knowledges


#4 Advantages

Choose Disciplines (3), Backgrounds (5), and rate Virtues (7). Your character automatically has one dot in each Virtue.


#5 Finishing Touches

Record Humanity (equal to Conscience + Self-Control), Willpower (equal to Courage), and Blood Pool.


#6 Freebies, Merits and Flaws

Spend 15 Freebies points

Attribute - 5 per dot
Ability - 2 per dot
Discipline - 7 per dot
Background - 1 per dot
Virtue - 2 per dot
Humanity - 2 per dot
Willpower - 1 per dot

Merits and Flaws

Choose Merits and Flaws (7 point max.)
All merits and flaws both Universal and Vampire specific are here.


Grace period

After a month of playing your character, changes can be made, by ST approval only.
Be prepared to tell me why. Changes will be of equal type and cost, having been chosen prior to Character Creation. Moving a dot(s) from one Talent to another Talent. Moving a dot(s) from one Mental Attribute to another Mental Attribute. I will even allow Backgrounds if they were chosen during Character Creation, prior to Freebies.

setting/vampire_character_creation.txt · Last modified: 2026/Mar/18 23:26 by ramona