Absent-Minded (3pt.) ====
Though you do not forget things such as Knowledges or Skills, you do forget things such as names, addresses, and the last time you gained Glamour. In order to remember anything more than your own name and the location of your freehold, you need to make a Wits roll, or, as a last resort, spend a Willpower point. This Flaw may not be taken with the Merit Concentration.
Addiction (1-3pt.) ====
You are addicted to any one of a variety of things. A one-point Flaw would be a mild addiction to an easily obtained substance, such as caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol. A two-point Flaw would be either a severe addition to any easily obtained substance, or any 'mild' drug, such as painkillers, sleeping pills, or marijuana. A three-point addiction involves the heavy street drugs or hard-to-find drugs. The need for these drugs varies from once a day to two to three times a day for others, depending on the strength of the drug and the addiction. If, for whatever reason, you are denied access to the drug, you lose the number of dice equal to the level of your addiction (one, two, or three) until you receive your 'fix.' If you are deprived of the drugs for an extended length of time, you will be forced to make a Willpower check (difficulty of 4 for the first day, +1 for each additional day). If you fail, you will forgo everything and forcibly go seeking the drug. This would be an easy way for you to be either controlled or forced to do favors for your supplier, especially if the drug is hard to obtain due to its rarity or price.
Abusive Partner (2pt.) ==== (BANNED)
You’re married to or living with someone who routinely abused you physically. Make a stamina roll (difficulty 6) every time you spend a night at home. Failure indicates that you have suffered one level of bashing damage. A botch indicates that you have suffered two levels of bashing damage.
Aging (2-10pt.) ==== (CHANGED)
You ain’t as young as you used to be… or perhaps you’re a little too young. The years have taken their toll on your physical capacities, and while the spirit may be willing, the body most certainly is not. System-wise, this Flaw reflects the diminished capabilities of a body that is either too old or too young to employ its full adult potential. For every two points in this Flaw, the character loses one dot from a Physical Attribute (Strength, Dexterity or Stamina), either because his body is aging past its prime, or because it has not yet developed to mature capacity. Adolescent characters, obviously, have no such physical limitations due to age, although they could have other sorts of health issues, as described elsewhere on this page. Note that a younger character will also have other certain social penalties; for example, forget getting into a bar or nightclub without a valid ID, and you're going to look very suspicious if you're out late at night, or if you're outside during the daylight hours skipping school.
Please see this post in our House Rules thread for more details.
Allergic (1-4pt.) ====
You are allergic to some substance – pollen, animal fur, alcohol, chocolate, etc. For one point, you get hives, sneeze, or become dizzy upon prolonged contact with your bane; for two points, you swell up uncomfortably in the affected area, reducing all Dice Pools by one; for three points, your reaction usually incapacitates you, reducing appropriate Dice Pools by three. If the substance is really common in your chronicle, add an additional point to this Flaw.
Amnesia (2pt.) ====
You are unable to remember anything about your past, yourself, or your family, though your past might well come back to haunt you. Your origins and the circumstances behind your amnesia are for the Storyteller to determine, and she is encouraged to make it as interesting as possible.
Asthma (1pt.) ====
You have difficulty performing strenuous tasks because you cannot breathe properly. With asthma, your lungs only pull in a fraction of the air that normal lungs require. Any time that you exert yourself, you must make a Stamina roll against a difficulty of 6 or be unable to perform any action on the next round while you catch your breath.
Attention-Deficit Disorder (2pt.) ====
You have a hard time sitting still and paying attention to anything for more than a few minutes. If you must sit still and quiet for more than 10 minutes, such as standing guard, you must make a Willpower roll, difficulty 6. On a failure, you lose interest in your task and are distracted from it.
Bad Liar (1pt.) ====
You have tremendous trouble lying. The spontaneous excuses that you come up with are usually unbelievably elaborate or easily refuted with the bare modicum of research. While telling a prefabricated lie, you stutter, stammer, blush or generally look guilty. Increase he difficulty of any roll that involves verbal deception by two.
Bad Sight (1-3pt.) ====
Your sight is defective. The difficulties of any die rolls involving the use of your eyesight are increased by two. As a one-point Flaw, this condition can be corrected with glasses or contacts; as a three-point Flaw, the condition is too severe to be corrected.
Berserker/Stress Atavism (4pt.) ==== (BANNED)
As both a Merit and a Flaw, this Trait has the same effects: under intense stress (combat, injury, disgrace, the death or crippling of a comrade, and so forth), the red haze kicks in. A failed Willpower roll (difficulty 8) leads to a berserk rampage. Your character gains three temporary Bruised health levels, ignores wound penalties, and adds two dice to her Strength and one die to her Stamina until every enemy within easy reach or sight is dead or incapacitated. That’s the good part; the bad part is that everyone becomes your enemy. Allies, enemies, and bystanders alike all look like targets until the blood-trance fades. Magick and strategic thinking become impossible, and your character uses every weapon in her hands for maximum carnage. Unless someone knocks her unconscious, incapacitates or kills her, or simply leaves her alone for several minutes (during which time she destroys everything within reach), she remains stuck in kill mode.
Blind (6pt.) ====
You cannot see. Characters can compensate for the loss of vision by becoming more attuned to other sensory input, but visual cues and images are lost to them. Difficulties of all Dexterity-based rolls are increased by two.
Child (3pt.) ==== (BANNED)
You are a small child (between five and 10 years old), leaving your Physical Attributes underdeveloped and making it difficult to interact with some aspects of mortal society. You may not have more than two dots in Strength or Stamina at character creation, and the difficulties of all die rolls when attempting to direct or lead mortal adults are increased by two. Characters with this Flaw should also take the Short Flaw.
Note: Take the Aging Flaw instead if you want to play a younger character. We do not allow children, but if you absolutely must play someone underage, we allow adolescents/teenagers. See this post in our House Rules thread for details.
Chronic Pessimist (1pt.) ====
You think the glass is half-empty, that the water in the glass is contaminated, and that the glass will probably tip over any second. Others practice pessimism out of habit. For you, it's an art form. Nothing can ever go right, especially plans that others propose. You are the implacable voice of gloom and doom, always ready to point out a potential problem no matter how remote a chance it has of coming to pass. Add two to the difficulty of you Leadership rolls.
Chronically Late (1pt.) ====
You're always running behind schedule. If you agree to meet someone at a particular time, you must make a successful Willpower roll (difficulty 6) to arrive on time. Failure means you arrive between fifteen and thirty minutes late. A botch means you show up an hour late or not at all.
Cold Breeze (1pt.) ====
A chill wind follows you everywhere you go. While it may make for dramatic entrances, this effect also discomforts mortals (+1 difficulty on all appropriate Social rolls) and marks you as obviously supernatural. Cold winds sweeping through executive offices or crowded nightclubs can raise all sorts of questions.
Color Blindness (1pt.) ====
You can only see in black and white. Color means nothing to you, although you are sensitive to color density, which you perceive in shades of gray. Note: color blindness actually indicates an inability to distinguish between two colors, but we fudged a bit for the sake of playability.
Compulsion (1pt.) ====
You have a psychological compulsion of some sort, which can cause you a number of different problems. Your compulsion may be for cleanliness, perfection, bragging, stealing, gaming, exaggeration, or just talking. A compulsion can be temporarily avoided at the cost of a Willpower point, but is in effect at all other times.
Compulsive Liar (2pt.) ====
You feel the need to put your personal spin on the truth. You don't necessarily do so out of spite or malice, and you may come to genuinely believe the tall tales that you tell (especially when you spin them often enough). You might have to spend a Willpower point to force yourself to be honest, especially if it means publicly revealing a previous lie.
Confused (2pt.) ====
You are often confused, and the world seems to be a very disoriented and twisted place. Sometimes you are simply unable to make sense of things. You need to roleplay this behavior all the time to a small degree, but your confusion becomes especially strong whenever stimuli around you (such as when a number of different people talk at once, or you enter a nightclub with loud, pounding music). You may spend Willpower to override the effects of your confusion, but only temporarily.
Conniver (1pt.) ====
There is no honor among thieves, nor trust among liars. You are known as someone whose word cannot be trusted. Whether earned or not, you have a reputation for deceit and treachery, and you lose one die from all Social rolls involving any extension of trust, truth, or believing your words.
Criminal Record (2pt.) ====
Having been convicted for several misdemeanors or perhaps a minor felony, you have a bit of a shady past. You are unable to buy firearms legally, and you receive exceptionally poor treatment from law-enforcement officials who know your record.
Crude (1pt.) ====
You never learned any manners while growing up. You talk with your mouth full, burp loudly and slurp your soup. When interacting with others in any refined or formal environment, increase the difficulty of any Social rolls by two.
Cultural Snob (1pt.) ====
You have nothing but disdain for popular music, TV and movies. You couldn't name any of the current top-10 songs, and you think that knowledge of TV is a sign of poor taste and incorrigible stupidity. Unfortunately, this means you have a hard time relating to people who aren't equally snobbish with things. When dealing with strangers who don't share your allegedly enlightened views, increase the difficulty of any Social rolls by two.
Curiosity (2pt.) ====
You are a naturally curious person, and find mysteries of any sort irresistible. In most circumstances, you find that your curiosity easily overrides your common sense. To resist the temptation, make a Wits roll (difficulty 5) for simple things like “I wonder what is in that cabinet.” Increase the difficulty up to 9 for things like, “I wonder what those strange sounds coming from the Unseelie duke's freehold are. I'll just slip in and check it out – no one will ever know. What could possibly go wrong?”
Cursed (1-5pt.) ====
You are the recipient of a supernatural curse. The strength and pervasiveness of the curse depend upon how many points you wish to incur. Examples follow:
- If you pass on a secret you were entrusted with, your betrayal will come back to harm you in some way. (1 pt.)
- You stutter uncontrollably when you try to describe what you have seen or heard. (2 pts.)
- Tools break or malfunction when you try to use them. (3 pts.)
- You are doomed to make enemies of those whom you most love or admire. (4 pts.)
- Every one of your accomplishments or triumphs will eventually become soiled or fail in some way. (5 pts.)
Dark Fate (5pt.) ====
You are doomed to experience an untimely death or, worse, suffer eternal agony. No matter what you do, you cannot avoid this terrible fate. At some point during the chronicle, your Dark Fate will come upon you. Even more ghastly is the fact that you occasionally have visions of this fate, and the malaise these images inspire requires an expenditure of a temporary Willpower point to avoid, or else you lose a die from all of your actions for the remainder of the session. It is up to the Storyteller to determine the exact nature of this fate, and when it will occur. This is a difficult Flaw to roleplay; ironically, though it may seem as though it removes all free will, the knowledge of one’s death can be quite liberating.
Dark Secret (1pt.) ====
You have some sort of secret that, if uncovered, would be of immense embarrassment to you and would make you a pariah in the local supernatural community.
Deaf (4pt.) ====
You cannot hear. The difficulties of many Perception rolls are increased by three.
Deathsight (2pt.) ====
Everything appears rotted and decayed to you. The world appears to you as a corpse; mortals look diseased or skeletal, buildings seem decrepit. You are at -2 difficulty to resist all rolls based on Appearance, but by the same token you are at +2 difficulty on all Perception-based rolls. In addition, you find social interaction difficult and are at +1 difficulty on all Social-based rolls
Deformity (3pt.) ====
You have some kind of deformity — a misshapen limb, hunchback, or clubfoot, for example — which affects your physical abilities and interactions with others. A hunchback, for instance, would lower a character’s Dexterity by two dots and increase the difficulty of die rolls relating to social skills by one. It is the responsibility of the Storyteller to determine the specific effects of the deformity chosen.
Depression (4pt.) ====
You're mired in a pit of bleak, mind-numbing sorrow. Convinced that your eternally dark mood is completely natural - or deserved - you refuse to seek professional help. You do not regain a point of Willpower per day as most characters do. Instead, you may gain Willpower only through actions, and even those must ardently reaffirm your goals
Deranged (3pt.) ====
You suffer from a permanent form of insanity, either due to a congenital defect or some past trauma. Willpower may allow you to overcome your insanity temporarily, but it always returns.
Disfigured (2pt.) ====
A hideous disfigurement makes your appearance disturbing and memorable. The difficulties of all die rolls relating to social interaction are increased by two. You may not have an Appearance rating greater than 2.
Distinguishing Characteristic (1-2pt.) ====
You have a physical feature that makes you very easy to pick out in crowds, such as elaborate tattoos, a scar or an obvious birthmark. This flaw is worth one point if the characteristic is hidden easily under clothes, two points if it is not.
Dogged by Fringe Media (2pt.) ====
You have somehow attracted the attention of an amateur reporter, one who covers a fringe website or publishes a zine that covers the bizarre or paranormal. This crank occasionally follows you to try to discover any dirt on you. Unfortunately, and in true modern journalism style, he tends to catch you in bizarre circumstances that he simply can't understand. Of course, he tries to interpret them anyway.
Driving Goal (3pt.) ====
You have a personal goal which sometimes compels you and directs you in startling ways. The goal is always limitless in depth, and you can never truly achieve it. Because you must work toward your goal throughout the chronicle (though you can avoid it for short periods by spending Willpower), it will get you into trouble and may jeopardize other actions. Choose your driving goal carefully, as it will direct and focus everything your character does.
Dyslexic (2pt.) ====
Printed information of any sort, from written text to maps, is nearly indecipherable to you. Although you are not necessarily illiterate, you struggle to read the simplest sentences. In order to interpret a map or read anything, you must make a successful Intelligence roll, difficulty 8. On a botch, you interpret the message to have almost it's opposite meaning.
Eccentric Appearance (1pt.) ====
You dye your hair pink, wear clothes that are fashionable only among fringe subcultures such as goths or punks, and otherwise appear nothing like the average citizen. When dealing with people not familiar with your particular subculture, increase the difficulty of any Social rolls by two. Your appearance unnerves mainstream people and makes them wary of you. Furthermore, your appearance is eye-catching, though people tend to focus on your attire rather than your actual physical characteristics, such as eye color.
Eerie Presence (2pt.) ====
Mortals have an unconscious awareness of your supernatural nature, which makes then anxious and ill at ease in your presence. Because of this, difficulties of all rolls relating to social interaction with mortals are increased by two.
Enemy (1-5pt.) ====
You have an enemy, or perhaps a group of enemies, who seek to harm you. The power of the enemy depends upon how many points the player wishes to spend (five points indicate the wrath of an Elder or other potent supernatural foe). Note: Before taking this flaw, please see this post in our House Rules.
Expendable (1pt.) ====
Someone in power doesn’t want you around. What does matter is that she has the power to maneuver you into dangerous situations “for the good of your people,” and has no compunctions about doing so.
Faction Fallout (4pt.) ====
Due to a past incident with a member of a faction of the Council, you are despised by members of said supernatural faction. Perhaps you had a one-night-stand with a Sidhe Duke, called a well-respected Prince or Primogen of the Camarilla a “Leech” in front of the entire Elysium, or stabbed a Sept Elder in the junk with a silver knife. Whatever the reason, the whole faction despises you and actively seeks to ruin your day at worst or inconvenience you at best. All social actions against members of this faction comes with a +2 difficulty, and don't let them catch you alone in a dark alley.
NOTE: This is a custom flaw made for the game. Note that this is not to be confused with the 'Hit List' flaw; this character has not “officially” marked for death or declared an enemy of the council, but that may not stop characters from seeking retribution through less-legitimate means… Also note that PCs who are a member of said faction seen interacting positively with this character risk and are known to be aware of that character's reputation risk damage to their own reputation until this flaw has been bought off, with the necessary justification for doing so. This flaw cannot be taken at character creation. Your character must have earned the dubious honor of gaining it through in-game actions.
Failure (2pt.) ====
You once held status in the city, but failed catastrophically in your duties. Now you are branded incompetent, excluded from circles of power and responsibility, and generally ostracized by those on their way up. Your exclusion may make you a target for recruitment by your people’s enemies (or so the whispers run, making you even more distrusted). Conversely, the consequences of your error might come back to haunt you.
Faint of Heart (3pt.) ====
The sight of gore and blood shocks you to the core. If you witness a gruesome scene, you must make a Willpower roll, difficulty 6, to avoid debilitating nausea for five to 10 minutes. The difficulty of all actions increases by one when you're in this state.
Flashbacks (6pt.) ====
You managed to make it through a traumatic experience, but not wholly intact. The most insignificant thing can throw you into a different mood or state of mind, and as such your behavior is extremely unpredictable. Because of your precarious emotional state, your Willpower fluctuates. At the beginning of each story, make a Willpower roll (you may not spend Willpower for an automatic success). If you succeed, you may participate in the story as normal. If you fail, however, your Willpower score is considered to be 1 for the duration of that session, and you only have one Willpower point to spend. You may roll again at the beginning of the next session to see if you regain your Willpower.
Ghoulish Sense of Humor (1pt.) ====
You find humor in situations that make most people uncomfortable or even nauseated. Your questionable taste doesn't make you particularly resistant to the horror of gruesome sights. Your defense mechanism is simply to belittle the situation or those involved in an inappropriate way. When confronted with a horribly gory scene or otherwise uncomfortable situation such as people trying to console each other, you tend to crack jokes and sling insults. The difficulty of any Social roll you make under such circumstances is increased by two.
Gullible (2pt.) ====
Maybe you’re slow on the uptake, or maybe you just never learned to separate truth from fiction. Whatever the cause, you’re particularly susceptible to lies and halftruths. You lose three dice from all dice pools relating to guile and subterfuge (not stealth), whether perpetrating your own feeble lies or attempting to penetrate someone else’s words to find the truth.
Hard of Hearing (1pt.) ====
Your hearing is defective. The difficulties of any rolls involving the use of hearing are increased by two.
Hatred (3pt.) ====
You have an unreasoning hatred of a certain thing. Your hate is total and largely uncontrollable. You may hate a species of animal, a class of person, a color, a situation, or just about anything else, and you constantly pursue opportunities to harm the hated object or gain power over it.
Haunted (3pt.) ====
You are haunted by an angry and tormented spirit. This spirit actively attempts to hinder you and does its utmost to vent its anguish upon you and anyone in your presence. The Storyteller determines the exact nature of the spirit, its powers, and whether or not it can eventually be laid to rest.
Hit List (4pt.) ====
A rival group wants you dead. You might have been marked for death by the Technocracy, or got on the wrong side of the Camarilla Prince. Whatever the case, it's personal, and extends to the entire group. Social rolls with this group are made at +2 difficulty, if you even get the chance to make such a roll at all. Whether the group actively attacks you on sight or not, its members will go out of their way to make sure you life is solitary, unpleasant, nasty, brutish, and short.
Honest to a Fault (2pt.) ====
You always try to tell the truth, no matter what the situation. You won't stretch it, bend it or manipulate it to take advantage of others, unless human lives are in jeopardy. If you do attempt to lie to someone, the difficulty of any roll involved is increased by two.
Hunted (4pt.) ====
You are pursued by a fanatical witch-hunter who believes (perhaps correctly) that you are a danger to humanity. All those with whom you associate, be they mortal or otherwise, may be hunted as well.
Ignorant (1pt.) ====
You tend to miss common cultural references that others take for granted, such as the knowing that the Statue of Liberty is in New York City. You're not necessarily dumb or uneducated; a cloistered college researcher could just as easily dive so deeply into his field of study that he dismisses anything outside it. You do tend to give people the impression that you're slow and uneducated, however.
Illiterate (4pt.) ====
You never learned to write in your native language. You can understand most traffic signs and warning labels that rely on pictographs, but written instructions and warnings are completely beyond your comprehension.
Immortal Enemy (6-8pt.) ==== (BANNED)
Oh, dear. You’ve pissed off someone whose concept of “eternal grudge” could be taken literally. Essentially, you’ve got the Enemy Flaw with a powerful and more or less immortal entity: a vampire elder, a demon, a demigod, totem spirit, Loa, dragon, or other being who measures its existence in centuries or millennia, with resources and abilities to match. What will you do now?
Impatient (1pt.) ====
You have no patience for standing around and waiting. You want to do things now — fuck those slowpokes trying to hold you back. Every time you are forced to wait around instead of acting, a Self-Control roll is required to see if you go tearing off on your own instead.
Impractical Dresser (1pt.) ====
You tend to dress with an eye toward impressing others rather than personal comfort. Unless you explicitly state that you dress appropriately for physical activity, you wear high heels, tight jeans or something else that hampers physical activity. Increase the difficulty of Athletics rolls by two when you wear such clothes.
Incompetent (3pt.) ====
You are spectacularly bad at something. Unfortunately, you're the only person around who doesn't understand this fact. Pick a single ability. You believe you have the proficiency equal to three dots in that Trait, when in reality you almost always ruin any effort involving it. Whenever you try to use the Ability, treat the outcome as if you rolled a botch.
Ineptitude (1-pt.) ====
Your mage just sucks at one particular Ability. Maybe he can't handle driving worth a damn, or he makes computers burst into flames and emit pink smoke. Pick one Ability in which your charact er has at least one dot — preferably one that will be important to your character in some fashion. (Your Storyteller will know if you do otherwise, and he has nasty ways to make you pay.) You suffer a difficulty penalty of two on all rolls with that Ability.
Insomniac (2pt.) ====
For whatever reason, you have tremendous trouble getting more than a few hours of sleep. You are often groggy and slow as a result. Increase the difficulty of any Alertness, Awareness or Intuition rolls by two.
Intolerance (1pt.) ====
You have an unreasoning dislike of a certain thing. This may be an animal, a class of person, a color, a situation, or just about anything else. The difficulties of all dice rolls involving the subject are increased by two. Note that some dislikes may be too trivial to be reflected here – a dislike of left-handed Lithuanian plumbers or tissue paper, for instance, will have little effect on play in most chronicles. The Storyteller is the file arbiter on what you can pick to dislike.
Lame (3pt.) ====
Your legs are damaged, which prevents you from running or walking easily. You are forced to walk with a cane or possibly leg braces, and you have a pronounced limp to your stride. Your walking speed is one-quarter that of a normal human, and running is impossible.
Lazy (3pt.) ====
You are simply lazy, avoiding anything that requires effort on your part. Preferring to let others do the hard work, you lounge around. For any action that requires preparation, there’s a good chance you didn’t properly prepare. Difficulty rolls for spontaneous Physical actions (including combat, unless it’s part of a planned offensive) increase by one.
Lifesaver (3pt.) ====
You believe that human life is a sacred gift, and will not take a person's life except in the most extreme of circumstances. You may not ever willingly endanger the lives of innocents or in any way participate in a killing. You have no problems with killing animals (for the right reasons), and will kill evil and inhuman creatures to protect others if necessary. (Be very careful, however, with your determination of 'evil'…) Senseless death in all forms repulses you, and you feel that those who commit murder should be punished.
Low Alcohol Tolerance (1pt.) ====
Alcohol goes straight to your head. Double any penalties you suffer from consuming alcohol.
Low Pain Tolerance (2pt.) ====
You have a very low capacity for pain. You turn into a whimpering, blubbering ball of misery at the first sign of it. Although you soak damage normally, you suffer an additional -1 die-pool penalty when you are injured.
Low Self-Esteem (3pt.) ====
You have trouble accepting your own value and worth. You tend to highlight your failures and overlook your triumphs. Whenever you have the opportunity to gain Willpower from accomplishing goals (not resting), make a Willpower roll, difficulty 6. If you fail the roll, you do not gain the bonus. If you botch, you lose a temporary point of Willpower.
Lustful (2pt.) ====
You can't resist the erotic advances of the appropriate gender(s). You are easily seduced and often exhibit very poor judgment when dealing with sexually attractive people. The difficulty of any attempts to seduce you is reduced by two.
Medicated (1-5pt.) ====
You require a daily medication to stay in good health. As a one-point flaw, your medication is important to your long-term health but has little effect on your day-to-day well-being, as with prescription drugs that keep your cholesterol down. The five point version represents insulin shots or something else that is necessary to keep you alive. If you should miss a day's worth of medicine, you automatically suffer a bashing or lethal level of damage for every 12 hours that pass without your medicine, as determined by the Storyteller. The damage is healed at a rate of one level per 12 hours that pass once you resume your regular medication schedule.
Mental Patient (2-5 pt.) ====
Sometime in your life you have run afoul of the mental health authorities. Seeing and talking to beings that no one else can perceive, and hearing voices that may tell you frightening and disturbing things, is far outside the realm of the normal. Anyone who does such things must be crazy! Because you seemed delusional and incoherent you were locked up as a possible danger to yourself and others. Since schizophrenia is the most common diagnosis for such problems you may even have been on powerful antipsychotic drugs for a time. If you managed to convince the officials that you are no longer a danger to yourself or others and you were released this flaw is worth only two points. However if you actually escaped from a mental institution and are on the run from the authorities, then the flaw is worth five points. Even if you were legally released from care the modern mental health system does not consider an illness like schizophrenia curable. Anyone who has ever been institutionalized against his will has this fact noted in his records. Prospective employers, landlords and similar personnel usually look askance at anyone who was crazy. The discrimination and problems for mental cases are much worse if you were not released. Escaped mental patients are regarded in much the same light a escaped convicts. Most people see them as little better than dangerous animals. Everyone, from the police to the general public, will consider you to be a potential killer, even if you have no history of violence. In this age of nation wide databases, and background check using your name social security number or finger prints will reveal your status.
Misinformed (1pt.) ====
You uphold some odd belief, such as a conspiracy theory or UFO visitation, that flies in the face of accepted science or conventional wisdom. You tend to incorporate this misinformation into your worldview. Whenever you test a Knowledge that in some way relates to your belief, increase the difficulty by two. This penalty kicks in when you roll a failure. It represents your tendency to come up with off-the-wall answers that others see as obviously incorrect.
Mistaken Identity (1pt.) ====
You look similar to descriptions of someone else, which cause cases of mistaken identity. This can prompt numerous awkward or even dangerous situations, especially if your “twin” has a terrible reputation or is wanted for some crime.
Moneygrubbing (3pt.) ====
You exist to make money. Family, friends, and other concerns are trivial when compared to the almighty dollar. If someone offers you a bribe, you must make a Willpower roll, difficulty 7, to resist. If the bribe involves something that as far as you know won't directly result in any injuries or lasting damage, increase the difficulty to 8.
Motion Sickness (1pt.) ====
You become queasy and nauseous on board boards, when traveling long distances by car or on amusement park rides. Increase the difficulty of all actions you take by two when dealing with these conditions.
Mute (4pt.) ====
You cannot speak. You may communicate with the Storyteller and describe your actions, but cannot talk to player or Storyteller characters unless everyone concerned purchases a commonly understood sign language or you write down what you wish to say.
Naive (1pt.) ====
You are hopelessly naïve about the nature of reality and see everything through “rose-colored glasses.” You may have been brought up in wealth and privilege or be a survivor of abuse and trauma that you have repressed. You are hesitant to suspect evil or foul play in others, which can be a serious problem. The difficulty for any rolls for you to detect another person’s ill intent, from the Sense Wyrm Gift to Empathy rolls, is raised by 2.
Nightmares (1pt.) ====
You experience horrendous nightmares every time you sleep, and memories of them haunt you during your waking hours. Upon awakening, you must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) or lose a die on all actions for that night. A botched Willpower roll indicates that, even when awake, you still believe that you are locked in a nightmare.
No Sense of Direction (1pt.) ====
You get lost all the time. Maps, compasses and detailed directions do little to help. You have a lot of trouble figuring out where you are in relation to landmarks that aren't immediately obvious, and maps are largely incomprehensible to you. Increase by two the difficulty of any roll that involves following convoluted directions, backtracking a route or navigating a confusing set of city streets.
No Sense of Smell (1pt.) ====
You completely lack a sense of smell. You may have simply been born without it, or perhaps you lost it due to some freak accident. You can't smell anything, no matter how strong the odor might be. Food tastes somewhat bland to you. On the good side, you aren't bothered by the stench of sewers, rotting flesh, or other nasties.
No Sense of Taste (1pt.) ====
Your taste buds simply do not function. You cannot appreciate a fine meal, and you have trouble gauging the difference between good and bad food and drink.
Nonconfrontational (1pt.) ====
You have a hard time bringing up difficult subjects with others. You're willing to make a lot of sacrifices to avoid interpersonal confrontations. You let people have their way simply to avoid fights, and often you step into arguments and attempt to end them without any thought about the outcome of the discussion, as long as it ends. You have a hard time coping with pushy people and find yourself making a lot of compromises that you later wish you hadn't. Add two to the difficulty of any roll that involves debating or arguing with someone who is normally friendly with you.
Obsession (2pt.) ====
There is something you like, love, or are fascinated by to the point where you often disregard common sense to cater to this drive. You react positively to anything related to your obsession, even if it's not in your best interests. For example, if you are obsessed with supernatural creatures, you will go out of your way to talk to and befriend vampires, werewolves, and stranger things, and find out as much as you can about them, disregarding all warnings. If you are obsessed with Elvis, you have your house decorated with black velvet paintings and annoy your friends with your constant talk about the King. You don't necessarily believe that Elvis is still alive, but you buy ever supermarket tabloid that caries an article about him anyway. There are many other obsessions, including British royalty, guns, football, roleplaying games…you know the type.
Old Flame (2pt.) ====
Someone you once cared deeply for is now with the enemy. He still attempts to play on your sympathies “for old times’ sake” while working against you. Unless you succeed on a contested Manipulation + Expression roll against your former friend, you cannot act against him unless the situation becomes life-threatening.
Old Injury (2pt.) ====
You hurt yourself pretty badly back in your younger days and now pay the price with chronic pain and tenderness. Increase the difficulty of any Athletics roll by two.
One Arm (3pt.) ====
You were either born with only one arm or lost your arm through an injury of some sort. You suffer no secondary-hand penalty, since you have adapted to using your one hand for most activities. When you need to use two hands, however, you lose two dice from your dice pool. For Garou, your running speed in Hispo and Lupus form is 1/2 of normal.
One Eye (2pt.) ====
You have only one eye — which eye is missing is up to you. The difficulties of all Perception rolls involving eyesight are increased by two, and the difficulties of all die rolls requiring depth perception are increased by one (this includes ranged combat).
Overconfident (1pt.) ====
You have an exaggerated and unshakable opinion of your own worth and capabilities. You never hesitate to trust your abilities, even if situations where you risk defeat. Because your abilities may not be enough, such overconfidence can be very dangerous. When you do fail, you quickly find someone or something else to blame. If you are convincing enough, you can infect others with your overconfidence.
Pacifist (5pt.) ====
You utterly refuse to use violence against anything, even if your life or the lives of others are in immediate danger. Furthermore, you work hard to prevent others from using violence, though you do not recklessly endanger yourself or others to do so. You never carry weapons and refuse to procure them. A Willpower roll, difficulty 6, may be required to resist the temptation to engage in violence when a gross offense has been committed before or against you, such as a loved one being harmed. If you defy your nature and succumb to violence at some point, you cannot regain Willpower each morning until you come to terms with your lapse or you change your life philosophies altogether.
Paraplegic (6pt.) ====
You can hardly move without assistance, such as a pair of crutches or a wheelchair. Even then it can be painful and cumbersome to do so. The Storyteller and you should take care to roleplay this Flaw correctly, no matter how difficult it makes things. A character may not take this flaw along with the Merit Double-Jointed.
Phobia (2pt.) ====
You have an overpowering fear of something. Spiders, snakes, crowds, and heights are examples of common phobias. You must make a Willpower roll every time you encounter the object of your fear. The difficulty of the roll is determined by the Storyteller. If you fail the roll, you must retreat from the object.
Poor Judge of Character (2pt.) ====
You're the type of person who always ends up hanging out with the wrong crowd. Maybe you just like to date dangerous men or you're a sucker for a woman in trouble (or vice versa). Whatever the reason, you have a very hard time figuring out whom to trust. Increase the difficulty of all Awareness and Intuition rolls you attempt in social circumstances by two. Also, your friends and acquaintances tend to be sponges and other lowlifes.
Poor Night Vision (2pt.) ====
Your eyesight is poor in low-light conditions. Increase the difficulty of any action attempted in dim light, such as what a flashlight might provide or under starlight alone, by two.
Poor Taste (1pt.) ====
You wallow in bathroom humor, lowbrow jokes, and other practices that make more refined people uncomfortable. You've seen movies like Dumb and Dumber dozens of times, and don't plan on giving them up any time soon. Your sense of humor makes you an instant pariah in any reasonably cultured company, and you can't help but let your true colors shine through in even short-term social contacts. Add two to the difficulty of any Social roll that involves people who might not like your brand of humor.
Psychic Vampire (5pt.) ==== (BANNED)
The spark of life is dying within you and must be continually fed from outside forces. You are a psychic vampire. Plants and insect life wither or die in your presence as you feed on their energies, and any person you touch for more than an hour will suffer one non-aggravated Health Level as you siphon away his life. Those already injured (including those whose Bruised Health Level has been sucked away) will not heal while in your presence. You can still be in the same building without harming someone, but sharing a bed is not possible unless you want the other person to slowly die. If you do not feed the emptiness within yourself at least once a day, you will begin to die. The rate at which you take wounds follows the progression for natural healing in reverse: you take a Health Level after one day, a second in three days, a third in a week, a fourth in a month, and, finally, one wound every three months.
Sadism/Masochism (2pt.) ====
You are excited either by causing pain or receiving it. In many situations, you will seek to be hurt or hurt someone for your pleasure. For a masochist (someone who enjoys pain), your soak roll difficulty for physical damage is increased by one because you really want to feel the pain. A sadist (someone who likes to hurt others) must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 5) to stop combat (modified depending on how much you are into the attack and how much you are enjoying hurting the other person). If you fail, you are so caught up in the event that you unaware of anything else happening around you.
Shaky Hands (3pt.) ====
You have a lot of trouble keeping yourself composed under pressure. In an extremely stressful situation such as combat, your hands shake so badly that you have trouble completing any tasks that require a delicate touch and intense concentration. Examples include picking a lock, loading bullets into a revolver or typing at a computer. Increase the difficulty of any rolls for such demanding activities by two.
Short (1pt.) ====
You are well below average height — four and a half feet (1.5 meters) tall or less. You have difficulty reaching or manipulating objects designed for normal adult size, and your running speed is one-half that of an average human.
Short Temper (1pt.) ====
You are easily driven to distraction by what would otherwise be minor failures and other frustrations. If you fail to gain any successes on any single roll during an extended action, increase the difficulty of all subsequent actions by one, cumulatively.
Shy (1pt.) ====
You are distinctly ill at ease when dealing with people and try to avoid social situations whenever possible. Difficulties for all rolls involving social interaction with strangers are increased by two. If the character becomes the center of attention in a large group, difficulties are increased by three.
Slow Learner (3pt.) ====
You always lagged behind in school, and even the most patient people find it frustrating to teach you the simplest concepts. You aren't dumb. It just takes you longer than most to wrap your brain around things. For the purposes of figuring out how many experience points it costs to raise an ability, add one to your current rating. Acquiring a new Ability costs four experience points, not the usual three.
Socially Oblivious (1pt.) ====
You have trouble picking up subtle hints from others. You often overstay your welcome at parties, and you tend to blurt out topics that everyone else takes great pains to avoid in conversation. You aren't a socially repellent person, just occasionally tactless. Add two to the difficulty of any Etiquette rolls you attempt.
Soft-Hearted (1pt.) ====
You cannot stand to watch others suffer. You avoid any situation that involves causing someone physical or emotional pain, unless you make a Willpower roll (difficulty 8).
Speech Impediment (1pt.) ====
You have a stammer or other speech impediment that hampers verbal communication. The difficulties of all die rolls involving verbal communication are increased by two.
Spiritually Noticable (3pt.) ====
Only characters who possess either the Medium or Spirit Sight Merit or a similar power can take this Flaw. Spirits automatically notice that mages with this Flaw can always perceive them. Unlike the Spirit Magnet Merit or Flaw, Spiritually Noticeable characters are known to be able to interact easily with spirits. While most spirits will ignore you, wraiths who need aid in the mortal world, nature spirits who are upset with environmental destruction and odd spirits who merely want to talk to a human will flock to you. These spirits may be annoyed, or they may be honestly friendly, but they all want something from you.
While having spirits frequently hitting you up for favors can be annoying, having them do so when you are involved in some potentially hazardous activity can be extremely dangerous. Many characterss with this Flaw either ward their dwellings against spiritual intrusions or make deals with one or more spirits to act as guardians.
Stubborn (1pt.) ====
Once your mind is made up, there's no changing it. You cling to your beliefs the way a pit bull does a leg, and you're about as pleasantly comported when others challenge you. You hate to be proved wrong and go to extremes to avoid enduring the shame of it. Increase the difficulties of all Social rolls by two when someone challenges your ways.
Superstitious (1pt.) ====
You adhere doggedly to a superstition, such as knocking on wood or tossing salt over your shoulder. Although everyone has foibles, you take your behavior to extremes, often tying misfortune to your inability to abide by some superstition, and crediting any success to your adherence to “the rules.” Your obsession doesn't lead you to risk your life, nor does it have a pervasive sway over you. You do tend to raise warnings and make superstitious suggestions frequently, though. Add two to the difficulty of any Social roll when dealing with people who know about your superstitious bent and who frown upon it.
Technophobe (2pt.) ====
You are severely intimidated by computer and other technology. You never use and ATM if a teller is available, and you get nervous at the sight of a keyboard. You must make an intelligence roll, difficulty 6, to perform even simple tasks on a computer, ATM or similar device. Increase the difficulty of any Computer or Technology roll by two.
Tic/Twitch (1pt.) ====
You have some sort of repetitive motion that you make in times of stress, and it’s a dead giveaway as to your identity. Examples include a nervous cough, constantly wringing your hands, cracking your knuckles, and so on. It costs one Willpower to refrain from engaging in your tic.
Trusting (1pt.) ====
You tend to follow your instincts when dealing with strangers. Sadly, your instincts often tell you that you can trust people. You want to believe the best about everyone you meet and tend to put yourself in situations that could be dangerous, such as accepting a ride home from a recent acquaintance, going home with a person you just met at a bar, or taking a stroll in a poorly patrolled city park after nightfall.
Unlucky (4pt.) ====
You've dealt with bad breaks all your life. From the true love who had to move across the country to the struggling Internet company you quit two months before it's billion-dollar IPO, you seem always to make the wrong moves at the wrong time. Once per game session, the Storyteller may increase the difficulty of a critical roll you make by two. If you fail he roll, it's due to some random, hard-luck factor. Your bad luck seems to crop up at the most inconvenient times.
Vengeful (2pt.) ====
You have a score to settle. You are obsessed with taking your revenge on an individual or group, and it is your overriding priority in any situation where you encounter the object of your revenge. You may temporarily resist your need for vengeance by spending a Willpower point.
Wanted by Law Enforcement (3pt.) ====
You are the prime suspect in a felony crime. The police actively look for you, and you cannot move openly about your usual hangouts. If you encounter cops who know that you're wanted, they'll call in backup and bring you in.
Ward (3pt.) ====
You are devoted to the protection of another. You may describe your ward, though the Storyteller will actually create her. Wards have a talent for getting caught up in the action of stories, and they're frequent targets of a character's enemies.
Weak-Willed (3pt.) ====
Your difficulties to resist Social abilities such as Intimidation or Leadership, as well as mind-altering spells or magic, are increased by two. Your Willpower Trait may never rise above 4.
Wyld Mind (2pt.) ====
Your mind is extremely chaotic and unpredictable. As a result you have difficulty concentrating on any one task. You must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 4) for ever extended action roll after the second.
Youthful Appearance (1pt.) ====
You look like you're still in high school. You always get carded at bars and often have to produce identification even to buy cigarettes. In order to gain entry to concerts, clubs or bars, or to purchase alcohol, you need to present a valid-looking ID.
