The world was once a magical place. Creatures now commonly regarded as myth walked the earth. Unicorns, Manticoras, Harpies. And Mortal Wizards had the power to shape the world to their will, doing with it as they pleased.
These days magic has all but gone from the world. Modern Magi have nothing remotely close to the power their legendary predecessors commanded. They have lost the struggle against science, and it has left them with almost nothing.
They remain, though, trying to prevent the world from stagnating completely. Trying to keep the dying magic alive against the crushing pressure of human apathy, the deadly grip of soulless technology, and the evils using all sides in a war against each other to further its own goals.
Or is that a lie? Has science lifted humanity out of the Dark Ages? Has technology empowered people to achieve a better quality of life? Irrigation, medicine, sanitation, employment. Warring wizards of old never provided these things for the people they shoved aside to harm their enemies. People deliberately ignored how lethal Unicorns were if you weren't a virgin.
So, admittedly, the last century went a bit wrong. The Modern World got overexcited and ran away with itself. But isn't it better to try and fix the damage from the inside than to simply go off the rails and blame progress?
You will find rules for generating Tradition Mages. Craft Magi, and Orphans will be considered, but priority will be given to Tradition character submissions. Technocratic Characters require speaking with the Storyteller beforehand, and agreement on the concept, as well as proven reliability within the mage game. On no account whatsoever will either Nephandi or Marauders ever be approved as Player Characters, so please don't waste your time submitting either.
Currently, the following Groups are not being accepted as Player Characters:
This is NOT meant as a substitute for the main books, but rather a quick guide to getting started. We strongly recommend, for the good of your game and less time going over the basics, that you pick up AND READ Mage: the Ascension (Revised Edition). If you intend to submit a Technocrat, you MUST own Guide to the Technocracy too. They go into a great deal more depth than we have here.
We are following the basic character creation rules as laid down in Mage: The Ascension Revised Edition, but we allow up to 30 freebie points.
It goes like this:
Character Concept: Concept, Tradition/Convention, Essence/Eidolon, Nature and Demeanor
Attributes: 7 / 5 / 3
Abilities: 13 / 9 / 5
Backgrounds: 7
Beginning Ar�te: 1 (Maximum of 3)
Beginning Willpower: 5
Spheres: 5 + 1 (Tradition/Convention Specialty)
Essence/Eidolon: Dynamic/Pattern/Primordial/Questing
Resonance: 1
Freebie Points: Up to 30
Attribute : 5 per dot
Ability : 2 per dot
Sphere : 7 per dot
Background : 1 per dot
Arete : 4 per dot
Willpower : 1 per dot (Maximum beginning Willpower of 8)
Quintessence : 1 for 4 dots (Must have Prime 1 to hold more than your Avatar rating)
Freebie Points:
Starting characters may begin with 15-30 Freebie Points. You may take less, or begin with fewer Spheres, as per the guidelines in Initiates of the Art, if you wish to play a very newly Awakened/Enlightened individual. You can also have up to 7 Freebies from Flaws, but also bear in mind that they are called "flaws" for a reason. Certain Flaws allow you to go beyond the usual 7-point limit. It will say in the description for that flaw in the sourcebook it comes from whether or not that is the case. You may likely find that such flaws have been Restricted or Disallowed for various reasons - check the listing to make sure.
Attributes and Abilities:
One or two Attributes and Abilities may get as high as 4 which shows where a characters primary strengths may lie, but bear in mind during character creation that to get a score of 4 in anything usually requires years of training or study. This would impact on how much time you would have to devote to other areas. It is very rare to have more than one ability at 4, especially if your character is under the age of 25. If you have any stats over 4 in these areas don't forget to pick a specialisation.
Your Spheres should generally reflect your character's outlook on life and his affinities and interests. A mage with a love of the great outdoors is hardly going to pass up the chance to study Life or Forces, and a chemist isn't going to ignore the possibilities Matter opens up to him.
Background information and a character history is vital to keep in mind while creating your character. Dots are easy to quote in a TT game and when you are conversing with your ST, but that is only a skeletal framework of a character. We recommend players to actually follow these basic guidelines before actually allocating dots. This makes for a more well rounded character and helps a player to develop a 'rapport' with the character. A well fleshed out and planned character sheet will engender a more favourable view from the admin staff when it comes to the more 'unique' merits.
A one-sentence character-background is not going to be getting you a cutting edge willworker under any circumstances, especially if you'd like subplots to be created from your character's history.
I'll warn you now that if "I was an abused child", or "I was raped" appears ANYWHERE in your character background, without instilling in me some sense of compassion for your character, you won't get approved with that background. It's cheesy, and people often treat it as a throwaway event that had little impact other than making them aggressive.
Age - How old is your character? How old does your character 'appear' as well? Lower Arete mages will only have the potential to alter this magickally to an extent, but maybe your character looks naturally younger than they are, or possibly even aged as the result of a traumatic awakening?
Motives and Goals - What is your character's current reason for existing? Does the character have any plans, or driving ambitions in his/her new existence? Have they changed since the awakening? What about previous goals - have they changed?
Mortal Family Life - What was your character's childhood and family life like? When/where did he/she grow up, and how did the character live before the awakening? Education, training and anything that would have influenced his/her awakening into a specific tradition, convention or what have you. It is rare to see anyone awaken before they hit puberty, so what happened in the 12-13 years prior to this?
Awakening - How did your character awaken? Was it sudden and traumatic, quiet and almost inevitable? Did they come out of it a better person, or MUCH worse? Bear in mind that all too many people find the awakening something of a shock to say the least. The world around them suddenly opens up to them in ways they could never truly have envisioned. Some are better prepared than others.
Life after the Awakening - Does your character try to lead a normal life or has he been groomed from early on to be the mage he/she is today? What does he/she do as a job, if any? Where do they live, how do they support their 'lifestyle' whatever it may be? Do they still have family and friends or have they lost everything?
Met Mages - When did your character first meet other mages, and how did they do it? After all, they are not the most open individuals walking this earth. Were they sought out by prospective mentors, have they ever met any that they know of, did you end up an orphan in these times of few masters and powerful adepts. Are you the only member of a tradition you know of, or did you grow in magicks surrounded by others? Did you meet them before or after you awoke?
Other Info - Anything else. Don't feel limited by the ideas above.
You must own a Mage Core Rule Book to play a Tradition Mage. Tradition book optional but preferred.
Akashic Brotherhood: Primary Sphere = Mind.
Historically hailing from Asia, these are philosophical martial artists, monks and wanderers, amongst other things. From these roots came the Akashic Brotherhood. By honing the body, the Brothers make a temple for the mind; with the refined mind comes understanding of the spirit. The Brotherhood uses simple tools - exercise, meditation, practice and study - to refine the simple man into a brother of knowledge.
Celestial Chorus: Primary Sphere = Prime.
These guys are looking to renew the faith in the One .the definition of the one being something of a bone of contention, but the aim is the same, restoring the world to a whole and perfect form with their dogmatic faith. Celestial Harmony through 'the song'. Generally their faith is closer to the Catholic faith, but there are those that believe in a more Islamic, Jewish or Anglican approach. There are even some 'pagan' faiths represented. These are rare, and likely to be frowned upon by the majority of this tradition but a belief in 'the One' however, they view it, unites them all in this one Tradition.
Cult of Ecstasy: Primary Sphere = Time.
These guys are out to find a mental state that transcends the physical world. This might sound like the goal of the Akashic's until you realise just how they plan to do this. In stark contrast to the disciplined regime of the Akashic Brotherhood, the cultists espouse the use of drugs, music and sex to achieve the intense 'rush' that lifts then to an altered state. It doesn't HAVE to be pleasurable, but most prefer it that way. They are not a structured Tradition, but easily amongst the most sociable and tend to draw in more new magi than any other Tradition.
Dreamspeakers: Primary Sphere = Spirit.
They are amongst the oldest of orders, and are generally incorrectly viewed as shamans and medicine men. In fairness, a lot of them are, but they needn't be Native American, Aboriginal or Hindu. Every culture has people who can speak to the spirits in one way or another, but the aforementioned groups tend to get more press in movies and books. It is, however, a very solitary Tradition, who rarely gather. They have a united goal in trying to lower the strengthening gauntlet, but by and large it is a personal path they tread.
Euthanatos: Primary Sphere = Entropy.
The Euthanatoi are not universally loved. This is due to their preoccupation with death and has it's roots in thanatoic sects of Indian, Greek and Arabic culture. They know death intimately, and are considered by many to be the opposite side of the same coin to the Verbena. They believe that death is not the end, though it is an end. Like many of the other Traditions, they believe in the reincarnation of the Avatar and so they are not too worried about death. They just want to make sure that the cycle of Life and Death is attended to and the wheel kept turning. If that means helping others out of this world when their time comes, then that is just as it should be, the Good Death is carefully administered. This order frown upon unnaturally extending one's lifespan beyond that which should be.
Order of Hermes: Primary Sphere = Forces.
This order is responsible for some of the greatest contributions to the Traditions and some of it's greatest failings. They have roots in ancient Egypt, and achieved heights that most of the Traditions would have done most anything to achieve .but that time is gone. Their Chantries are largely destroyed, their numbers dwindling and most of their masters trapped away from Earth more so than the other Traditions. They desire perfection, and by exploring the different facets of the Word, a divine imperative in each Hermetic, the mage hopes to pass beyond humanity to becoming cosmically divine.
Sons of Ether: Primary Sphere = Matter.
These Technomancers reject the theories of the Technocrats which suggest the universe can be codified and catalogued, bagged, tagged and classified. They accept that the universe cannot be quantified, but that doesn't mean that it cannot provide inspiration for personal discoveries. Their avenue of choice is science, and they like nothing more to re-create the more primordial magicks in their own unique images, and innovate utterly new gizmos, gadgets and machines. This aside, they are also prominent explorers of other realms, space, the oceans and the Umbra. They do however have something of a reputation of instability and earn the misnomer of 'Mad Scientists'. Their information on the Technocracy has proved invaluable to the Traditions.
Verbena: Primary Sphere = Life.
Arguably the most ancient of the Traditions. These primordial mages claim an ancestry dating back to Lilith. They are they witches and druids of legend. As such they tend to group in covens and may encompass whole families. Wisdom and age mean a great deal to these practitioners of Life magicks. They are the caretakers, not just of the natural world, but also of the mythic threads, but their path is not an easy one. They believe in Life, but don't think that they are a bunch of tree hugging hippies .their magicks and practices can be quite disturbing for the non-initiated. Not content to just curl up and die in this modern, urban jungle, they protect that which is left of nature, and take advantage of the N.W.O's attempts to undermine their magicks by encouraging the belief in crystal magicks, Herbalism, aromatherapy and other 'occult/pagan' attitudes. It is not ideal but allows them to keep a foothold in an increasingly apathetic world.
Virtual Adepts: Primary Sphere = Correspondence.
This is a very innovative Tradition. They believe that information is the key to success and power, and few other mages would disagree. The difference is that where the others may look to divinations in tarot, runes, conversations with the spirits or quests in the umbra, these mages have built up a niche in the World Wide Web. They excel in all things computerised and adapt and focus their magicks for information gathering, hacking, systems design and web exploration. They are, sadly, a chaotic lot with little real structure. They are not organised in the same respect as the other traditions, recognising each other by 'eliteness' not race, creed, colour and even physical state. Get yourselves a domain and head on in there.
Tradition Allies -
Hollow Ones: Primary Sphere = None.
A major Craft that are not part of the Traditions, but they are allied with them in these days of static reality. They gather themselves in cliques and draw their influences from a myriad of sources - The romantic and Metaphysical poets, the Victorian spiritualists, 1920's 'flappers' and modern Goth culture. As a result of such a mix of influences, this is reflected throughout every aspects of their lives, trying to escape the urban decay and modern life for a more civilised time. This includes their magicks as well. There is no real hierarchy, just fiercely guarded cliques, who may quite often compete with other cliques. There are advantages to being attached to none of the Traditions, but it has it's drawbacks too. They have no speciality sphere, and they are viewed with scepticism by most of the Traditions, making it difficult to get any help from them in learning new magicks and the like. Not that they would ever admit to needing or wanting help.
You must own a Mage Core Rule Book and Guide to the Technocracy to play a Technocrat. Convention Book optional but preferred.
N.B.: Convention Primary Spheres depend on Methodology.
Iteration X: Primary Sphere = Life, Entropy/Time, or Forces/Matter.
Iteration X are a confused, terrified muddle. Without the Central Computer which has been guiding them (some say controlling them) for a hundred years, some of the more experienced members have grown dazed and disorientated, lost in a world without the voices in their minds. New members are joining who disdain the very notion of grafting cybernetics into their body without reasonable cause. They've become disjointed - the Machine is breaking down and letting Humanity gain a foothold, and the other Conventions are worried - worried that this could be the beginning of the end for the Union, and worried that this change to Iteration X has come too late to save them.
To play an Iterator who joined the Convention before January 1999, you must spend 3 of your background points on a DEI. To play an Iterator who joined between January 1999 and September 2000, you must spend 5 points on an Anode DEI instead. For an Iterator who has joined since September 2000, you may either buy an Anode DEI, or have none at all. Whilst the Central Computer had control, DEI's were fitted to every recruit. Now that it is no longer, it's not strictly the case, as people begin to wonder why they've been ripping out half their brains and replacing them with computers. Especially with new BioMechanics research that shows worrying hints at what the replaced parts of the brain were responsible for.
New World Order: Primary Sphere = Mind, Mind/Forces or Forces/Matter.
Here are the people who have control over what the Virtual Adepts merely play with - Information. They find it, they teach it, they disseminate it, or they remove it, depending on what it is and how deadly it could be. This Convention is a mixed bag of people - journalists, teachers, librarians, administrators, psychiatrists, spies, inventors, photographers. The Traditions conveniently forget that it takes passion to do these jobs. It takes hope for the future to be able to teach children. It takes loyalty and faith to put your life on the line and spy on the enemy. It takes courage and bravery to investigate the most horrible depths the World of Darkness has to offer, just to tell the world what is happening. And it takes guts to do all this when no-one seems to care either way any more.
Progenitors: Primary Sphere = Life, Life/Entropy, or Life/Mind.
Researchers, doctors, scientists, teachers. The Progenitors are all these. With the loss of a lot of their Nearspace Laboratories, research into the non-essential things in life has been drastically cut back. The Convention as remains on Earth today are devoting all of their time and energies into cures for cancer, AIDS, ebola, Meningitis, and other conditions that have plagued the human race for too long. Cloning has been introduced to the Consensus, but Luddites still exist, so, for the moment, and much to the anger of the Progenitors, a child who needs a new heart still has to wait for another child to die. Some Progenitors have taken their research to the media, disgusted by such barbaric opinions, and campaign daily to lift the ban on cloning human parts. Some others have gone into Universities, teaching new generations of biologists and geneticists. Some go through hell on the front lines, working day after day in Mundane hospitals, saving as many lives as they can. But it's not enough. People are still dying, and the Progenitors are still driven to prevent it.
Syndicate: Primary Sphere = Correspondence/Mind, Forces/Mind, Entropy/Mind, Mind/Life, or Dimensional Science/Life.
Money. It corrupts even the purest of hearts. Some in the Syndicate know this. Some rely on it. And some have fallen prey to it. If any one Convention could have been least affected by the Reckoning, why oh why, say some, did it have to be this one? Oh, there are some within the Syndicate, of course, who have noble motives. Somewhere. And there are some who realise that money is merely a tool - a method of getting what one needs, not what one wants. But the higher up the scale you go, the greedier you get, it seems. Some of the Convention's newest recruits are looking up, and they're not liking what they are seeing. Fat, Corporate Cats who have grown to love their own bank balances so much that they couldn't care less about poverty or homeless people or anyone without two pound coins to rub together. The younger ones realise the danger - money is for the Masses. If the Masses don't have money, it won't be important any more.
Void Engineers: Primary Sphere = Dimensional Science, Correspondence/Forces, Correspondence/Dimensional Science/Time.
The Void Engineers are a diverse lot. Cut off from their Deep Space fleets, stranded on Earth, more than a handful have gone just a little round the bend. The Engineers who were always Earthbound, though, have fared very well for themselves. The Border Defence Corps have found life far easier now that the Gauntlet is tougher. Fewer Nephandi or Marauders are seeping through the cracks. The Exploratory Corps are happy wherever they are, be it deep in the oceans, trawling the polar ice caps, delving into the heart of the jungles, digging up ancient temples, or discovering the latest two-for-one offer at McDonalds. Q-Division are still happily churning out gadgets for all the Conventions. Life is almost normal. Well, as normal as Void Engineers get. Every now and again, though, they just can't resist getting into those orange jumpsuits and scaring the willies off everyone else.
Backgrounds
Backgrounds are a major part of your character. You start with seven dots, and they represent things that are both intrinsic to your character as well as many of your external ties. Several of them are restricted or disallowed, often due to rarity or to the nature of online gaming. All backgrounds must be justified, but the restricted ones require better justification than most.
Some Backgrounds are Adversarial, though most are Advantageous. Adversarial backgrounds are essentially flaws that have rankings on a 5 point scale, and are directly opposed to a specific advantageous background. They count as flaws for the purposes of freebie point allocation (ie, you can have 4 flaws and 3 adversarial backgrounds, and get your 7 flaw points)
Backgrounds following the form Name/Name are backgrounds with different names among Tradition Mages and Technocrats, the Tradition name is first, then the Technocratic name. Differences are noted in the summary.
Name | Type | Book | Restrictions | Summary |
Allies | Advantageous | Mage Revised | Allowed | Aides and Friends |
Alternate Identity | Advantageous | Bitter Road | Restricted | You have a fully documented alter ego |
Apprentice | Adversarial | Guide to the Traditions | Restricted | You have a student to deal with |
Arcane/Cloaking | Advantageous | Mage Revised | Restricted | Mystical ability to go about unnoticed. Maximum Rating of 2 |
Avatar/Genius | Advantageous | Mage Revised | Allowed | The power of your mystic soul |
Backup | Advantageous | Guide to the Technocracy | Technocrats Only | When things go bad, you can call for help |
Blacklisted | Adversarial | Guide to the Traditions | Allowed | You have restrictions on your behavior based on what you've done in the past |
Blessing | Advantageous | Guide to the Traditions | Restricted | A wonder that is part of your body. |
Certification | Advantageous | Bitter Road | Allowed | You have a license to do things most people arent allowed to do |
Chantry/Construct | Advantageous | Guide to the Traditions | Banned | You can only get this membership ICly. |
Contacts | Advantageous | Mage Revised | Allowed | Sources of Information |
Cult | Advantageous | Guide to the Traditions | Restricted | A group of people who believe in your magical style |
Debts | Adversarial | Guide to the Traditions | Allowed | You owe someone money |
Demesne | Advantageous | Guide to the Traditions | Restricted | A dreamworld under your mage's control |
Destiny | Advantageous | Mage Revised | Allowed | Your greater purpose within the Tapestry |
Dream/Hypercram | Advantageous | Mage Revised | Allowed | The ability to get abilities you don't normally have on a temporary basis. Dream gives you what the universe things you need, Hypercram gives you what you study |
Enemies | Adversarial | Guide to the Traditions | Allowed | Someone hates you, and would rather like to hurt you. |
Enhancements | Advantageous | Guide to the Technocracy | Technocrats Only | Built in devices or genetic enhancements |
Fame | Advantageous | Bitter Road | Allowed | Youre well known among a small or large group |
Familiar/Companion | Advantageous | Guide to the Traditions | Allowed | A creature/robot/whatever that has a special connection to the mage |
Gremlin | Adversarial | Guide to the Traditions | Restricted | A creature/robot/whatever who doesnt like your mage |
Infamy | Adversarial | Guide to the Traditions | Allowed | Youre well known. But not in the good way. |
Influence | Advantageous | Mage Revised | Allowed | Pull within mundane organizations, should be a major part of background |
Jinx | Adversarial | Guide to the Traditions | Restricted | A wonder, but with problems |
Legend | Advantageous | Guide to the Traditions | Banned | You are a reincarnation of a legend (and can act as a limited node) |
Library | Advantageous | Mage Revised | Allowed | A collection of mystic works |
Mentor | Advantageous | Mage Revised | Allowed | A teacher who knows magic better than you. |
Node | Advantageous | Mage Revised | Restricted | Place of magical power |
Notoriety | Adversarial | Guide to the Traditions | Allowed | You arent very popular in magical circles. |
Past Lives | Advantageous | Guide to the Traditions | Allowed | You have memories of your past lives |
Patron | Advantageous | Guide to the Technocracy | Technocrats Only | Your patron will help you, but will expect help in return |
Rank | Advantageous | Bitter Road | Restricted | You have a rank in some Sleeper organization |
Requisitions | Advantageous | Guide to the Technocracy | Technocrats Only | You can borrow things for use on missions |
Resources | Advantageous | Mage Revised | Allowed | Cold hard cash. |
Retainers | Advantageous | Bitter Road | Allowed | You have servants. Good for you. |
Rival House | Adversarial | Guide to the Traditions | Banned | Piss off the local chantries ICly. |
Sanctum/Laboratory | Advantageous | Guide to the Traditions | Allowed | A safe place for you to work your magic |
Secret Weapons | Advantageous | Guide to the Technocracy | Technocrats Only | You can borrow experimental devices for use on missions |
Skeptics | Adversarial | Guide to the Traditions | Restricted | You have a group of people following you around who think youre a fraud |
Spies | Advantageous | Guide to the Technocracy | Restricted | You have access to a spy network |
Spirit Allies | Advantageous | Dreamspeakers Revised | Restricted | You have friends among the spirits |
Throwback | Adversarial | Guide to the Traditions | Allowed | You relive the painful parts of your past lives |
Totem | Advantageous | Dreamspeakers Revised, The Spirt Ways | Restricted | Your mage has a totem spirit, similar to the one a werewolf might have |
Uncanny | Adversarial | Guide to the Traditions | Allowed | Youre VERY noticeable dont even try to take Arcane |
Wards | Adversarial | Guide to the Traditions | Allowed | There are mundanes that you are responsible for taking care of |
Wonder/Device | Advantageous | Mage Revised | Restricted | A magical item or technomantic device |
Merits and Flaws are here to add depth to your character. You don't actually have to take any of them - after all, just because your character does not have the Curiosity flaw does not mean that he can't be naturally inquisitive; it just means that he's not driven by his curiosity. It doesn't overwhelm him. Similarly one doesn't have to have the Nightmares flaw to have the occasional bad dream, but a character should have it if he spends night after night in wakeful, restless terror.
I have pooled as many Merits and Flaws as possible from the Mage books, and listed them here, along with their major benefits or drawbacks (as a system reference). More will be added as I get access to more books (i.e. Tradition/Convention Books) This is in no way a comprehensive list of what those Merits and Flaws do to your characters' personality or life - for that level of information, please refer to the books they are drawn from.
Due to the nature of online gaming, there are certain Merits or Flaws that are restricted or even outright disallowed for one reason or another. If so, it will state that in the notes section for the Merit/Flaw below. These reasons can include anything from the difficulty of maintaining such a Merit/Flaw online (such as Strangeness, a Flaw which requires constant ST supervision) to the outright unnecessary twinkiness of such an addition (Medium, for example, which would give you -2 to the difficulty of all Spirit Magick).
Merits/Flaws listed as "Restricted" are available to characters whose players provide a reasonable or good explanation for it. Those listed as "Disallowed" are not available to any PC, no matter how you plead. Some Merits or Flaws have been altered slightly from their printed version for the sake of realism (e.g. Colour Blindness), game balance (e.g. Masochism), or clarity (e.g. Lightning Calculator)
If you uncover any errors, or find new Merits/Flaws not listed here, please email me and I shall set it straight. Also just because a Merit/Flaw is not listed here does not mean that you cannot take it - if you find a Merit or Flaw in any White Wolf sourcebook that is suitable for your character, you may submit it and we can discuss allowing it for you, but I warn now that "Enchanting Voice" comes under "Restricted", and "Unbondable" is right there under "Disallowed".
Physical Merits and Flaws
Acute Sense (1pt. Merit)
-2 diff to all rolls involving selected sense. +1 success to sensory Magick involving selected sense.
Mage Revised
See also: Acute Senses
Ambidextrous (1 pt. Merit)
May perform tasks with either hand and suffer no dice penalty.
Mage Revised
Catlike Balance (1 pt. Merit)
-2 diff to all balance-related rolls.
Mage Revised
This is newer than Perfect Balance, but Perfect Balance is still available, at the extra cost.
Double-Jointed (1 pt. Merit)
-2 diff to dice rolls involving body flexibility.
Book of Shadows
Acute Senses (3 pt. Merit)
All your senses are incredibly accurate. -2 diff to all sensory dice rolls.
Mage Revised
Don't forget that this will make bright, noisy, smelly places very uncomfortable for you.
Daredevil (3 pt. Merit)
+3 dice to all significantly dangerous roll, ignore a single 1 on said roll. Must be a diff 8 task with ability to deal 3+ lethal or aggravated damage
Mage Revised
Restricted - Open to SERIOUS abuse. For vulgar rituals, the bonus only applies at the end of the roll.
Huge Size (4 pt. Merit)
You're LARGE. Approximately 400 lbs. in weight and around 7' tall. Most people this size die in their 30's when their metabolism fails. +1 "OK" Health Level.
Mage Revised
Insensible to Pain (5 pt. Merit)
Your character feels no pain. Ignore all wound penalties until he is dead.
Mage Revised
Restricted - Combat Wombats won't be allowed to take this one.
Addiction (1 to 3 pt. Flaw)
If denied access to addiction, down number of dice equal to Flaw level (1, 2 or 3) until you obtain next fix. If deprived for period of time take Flaw's worth in points as die penalties to all rolls
Mage Revised
Allergic (1 to 4 pt. Flaw)
An allergy to a substance, the commonality and danger of which affects the value of the Flaw.
Book of Shadows
This includes Asthma, Hay Fever, and other such Flaws. No, allergies to Werewolf Body Odour will not be approved.
Defective Sense (1 pt. Flaw)
One of your senses is dulled or slightly defective. -2 dice for all rolls involving the impaired sense.
Mage Revised
If it's your hearing or sight, you may have an aid or glasses. Other senses may not be improved by modern mundane technology. This is newer than Hard of Hearing or Bad sight - take whichever you feel applies.
Short (1 pt. Flaw)
-2 dice to all pursuit rolls. Other penalties to height may occur at the ST's discretion.
Mage Revised
No, you can't take this with Huge Size.
Disfigured (2 pt. Flaw)
You have a hideous deformity which makes you ugly and startling, easy to remember. Your Appearance can be no greater than 2.
Mage Revised
Supercedes version found in The Book of Shadows.
One Ear/Eye (2 pt. Flaw)
Your character either lacks and ear/eye, or suffers some disability that renders the organ useless. +2 diff to all rolls using the affected sense. +1 diff to depth perception for one eye, or +1 diff to locating sound direction for one ear.
Mage Revised
Primal Marks (2 pt. Flaw)
Either you strongly resemble your Avatar, which is some type of highly recognizable legend (spirit, a God or hero) or you are the descendant of some great of infamous house (Pendragon, Bathory, La Vey, etc. Whatever the case, you aren't too subtle.
Mage Revised
Bad Sight (3 pt. Flaw)
+2 diff to all rolls involving vision. This is a minor form of blindness, and not correctable by lenses.
Mage Revised
May not take Acute Vision. This is not negated by the Vision bonus from Acute Senses. Supercedes version found in The Book of Shadows.
Deformity (3 pt. Flaw)
You have a misshapen limb, hunched back, etc. +2 diff to all dice rolls involving your physical appearance. +2 diff to all dexterity rolls that involve your deformity.
Book of Shadows
Give a reason for your deformity.
Degeneration (3, 6, or 9 pt. Flaw)
Your character is constantly dying. at 3F, he has no natural healing ability. At 6F he begins deteriorating at a set rate. At 9F all wounds from deterioration are Aggravated.
Mage Revised
You must own Mage Revised, where this Flaw is correctly detailed. You must provide suitable explanation for this Flaw.
Diminished Attributes (Variable)
Lose 1 dot in an attribute. Gain 3 Freebie Points in exchange.
Mage Revised
You may take this more than once, with GOOD reason. You must roleplay the deficiency.
Lame (3 pt. Flaw)
Your legs either are injured or otherwise disabled. -2 dice to all rolls related to movement. No running.
Book of Shadows
Give reason. Cannot take Double-Jointed Merit.
Monstrous (3 pt. Flaw)
Appearance of 0.
Mage Revised
Don't expect to pull the girlies with this one.
Permanent Wound (3 pt. Flaw)
You have a wound that never heals.
Mage Revised
Details, details, details.
Slow Healing (3 pt. Flaw)
Your natural healing rate is twice as slow as everyone elses. Life Magick heals half the damage it should (rounded down).
Mage Revised
Deaf (4 pt. Flaw)
Automatically fail any rolls that involve hearing. +3 diff to most Alertness rolls.
Mage Revised
Cannot take Hard of Hearing, Acute Hearing, or any Hearing bonus from Acute Senses.
Mute (4 pt. Flaw)
You can't talk.
Book of Shadows
Aging (5 pt. Flaw)
You're getting old. Lower one Physical Attribute by 1 dot for every 10 years over 40, or once for each age bracket under 15.
Mage Revised
I won't force people over the age of 40 to take this, but I will once you reach 60. Aging affects different people in different ways. Likewise if you want it to affect your Mental attribures, just say so :)
Blind (6 pt. Flaw)
Automatically fail any rolls that involve vision and sight. +3 diff to Alertness unless sight is thoroughly unnecessary. +2 diff to Dexterity-related rolls.
Mage Revised
Cannot take Bad Sight, Acute Vision, or any sight bonus from Acute Senses. Supercedes version in The Book of Shadows.
Mayfly Curse (5 or 10 pt. Flaw)
You're aging far, FAR too fast.
Mage Revised
If you take the 10pt version, you'll be dead within a year, so think carefully whether or not you really want this.
Paraplegic (6 pt. Flaw)
You can barely move without assistance.
Mage Revised
Uh. If you really want this one, be my guest!
Horrifying (7 pt. Flaw)
Something about your appearance inspires horror, like the man-beast for of werewolves or raw circuitry & wires of a HIT Mark. You may not use Social Traits except Intimidation.
Bitter Road
Social Merits and Flaws
Unobtrusive (1 pt. Merit)
Anyone who tries to remember you must make a Perception roll (vs. 6) to recall your features or name. +2 diff to ANY social roll you make.
Guide to the Technocracy
License to. (1 to 5 pt. Merit)
Through some means, you have legal permission to do certain things.
Guide to the Technocracy
BANNED - There is a Background that covers this.
Confidence (2 pt. Merit)
You posess an untouchable air of superiority that makes others instincively realise you're in charge. -2 to all your Social difficulties. +2 to the difficulty of any Social attempt to mislead or intimidate you.
Guide to the Technocracy
Officially Dead (2 pt. Merit)
You are, well, officially dead as far as the government, family, friends, et cetera.
Guide to the Technocracy
Poker Face (2 pt. Merit)
You're totally unflappable, on the outside. No-one knows what you're thinking or how you feel. This can sometimes be a bad thing.
Guide to the Technocracy
Tradition Herald (2 pt. Merit)
You are recognized as a Herald of the Traditions, and are granted safe passage in all Chantries and Nodes, as well as getting hosiptality from other Tradition mages.
Bitter Road
Restricted - Not many Heralds out there. Also, this hospitality and safe passage will not last if you abuse it.
Perfect Liar (3 pt. Merit)
All casual deceptions automatically succeed. -2 diff to any roll that involves fooling someone about something important. Will fool all mundane methods of lie-detection but will not fool Magick, Disciplines, Gifts, etc.
Guide to the Technocracy
Restricted - Need to be damn good on the Manipulation+Subterfuge too, you know.
Ties (3 pt. Merit)
Non-permanent connections with people.
Guide to the Technocracy
Please refer to GttT for full details.
Faction Founder (4 pt. Merit)
You have broken with your Tradition and founded your own faction. +1 to Social rolls within your faction
Bitter Road
Master of Red Tape (4 pt. Merit)
-2 diff to all rolls that involve procuring equipment, aid or favours through a bureucracy (which the character MUST be a part of).
Guide to the Technocracy
You need to work at keeping this merit. Overuse without giving in return will cause it to be rescinded.
True Love (4 pt. Merit)
+1 automatic success on all Willpower rolls, which can be negated only by a botch die. .
Mage Revised
Your True Love must be DETAILED. Not "I have a gf, I lik her a lot.".
Mistaken Identity (1 pt. Flaw)
You look like someone else, be they modern day or hero of legend.
Mage Revised
Roque Apprentice (1 pt. Flaw)
You left a Tradition during your Apprenticeship, and they ain't happy. +2 diff to Social rolls with that former Tradition.
Initiates of the Art
Child (1-3 pt. Flaw)
You are legally a child at the time of your Awakening. You can't get into most pubs, even with an adult, and you cannot enter nightclubs. Point value = how young your mage is (1 pt. 16-18, 2 pts. 10-15, 3 pts. 7-9.)
Mage Revised
Restricted: Background must ROCK MY WORLD before I allow this one. 3 pt. verision must also take the Flaw: Short.
Dark Secret (1 pt. Flaw)
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 mage community.
Mage Revised
Dark Secrets are DARK. Not "I have a tattoo that my parents don't like." We're talking "I love a Widderslainte" level.
Shy (1 pt. Flaw)
+2 diff for social dealings with strangers. +3 diff for any social situation in which you are the center of attention. Shy characters may take longer to get involved.
Mage Revised
Technobabbler (1 pt. Flaw)
+1 or +2 diff to some social rolls (most notably when trying to discuss a "normal", i.e. non-technical, subject).
Guide to the Technocracy
Bigot (2 pt. Flaw)
You hate "them", whether they're black, gay, disabled, cyborg, whatever.
Guide to the Technocracy
The Technocracy don't tolerate this kind of misguided attitude. Disguise it or prepare to be. persuaded to think otherwise.
Construct (2 pt. Flaw)
You're an artificial construct and you feel like a second-class citizen because of it. Not all Constructs need to take this. only the ones who feel diminished by it.
Guide to the Technocracy
Disfigured (2 pt. Flaw)
You have a hideous deformity which makes you ugly and startling, easy to remember. Your Appearance can be no greater than 2.
Mage Revised
Icy (2 pt. Flaw)
You show no reaction to anything. To the Union, people as soulless as you are a liability. You won't be popular
Guide to the Technocracy.
Rose-Coloured Mirrorshades (2 pt. Flaw)
Technology is the be-all and end-all. It'll cure all the world's ills, and make everything better. Your faith in this is utterly unshakeable. If you ever face a terrible situation that technology can't resolve, you're in for a nasty shock.
Guide to the Technocracy
Probationary Member (4 pt. Flaw)
You recently (re?)joined your sect, and aren't fully trusted, A recent defector to the Technocracy, a former Tradition Exile, or some other kind of person.
Mage Revised
Don't expect everyone to try to be your friend. Or at least, be wary of them if they do.
Witch-Hunted (4 pt. Flaw)
For some reason, a mortal hunter is after you, and won't stop until you're dead.
Mage Revised
Mental Merits and Flaws
Ability Aptitude (1 pt. Merit)
-2 diff to all rolls involving chosen ability. May NOT chose aptitudes for combat abilities.
Mage Revised
Common Sense (1 pt. Merit)
May ask ST for advice on everyday things.
Book of Shadows
Restricted - High Maintenance
Concentration (1pt. Merit)
Dice pool penalties due to distraction or poor circumstance are limited to 2 dice.
Book of Shadows
ST may make other allowances (such as negating difficulty modifiers due to broken leg) under certain circumstances, at their discretion.
Light Sleeper (1 to 3 pt. Merit)
For 1pt you only need 4hrs sleep a night. For 2pts you only need 2. For 3pts you never need sleep.
Mage Revised
You need a reason for this one (or take it with Amnesia *heh heh heh*).
Lightning Calculator (1 pt. Merit)
-2 diff when working with numbers.
Mage Revised
Time Sense (1 pt. Merit)
You're always spot on with the time, to within a few seconds.
Mage Revised
Berserker (2 pt. Merit)
When injured in combat, make WP roll, diff 6. If you fail, you go beserk and ignore all wound penalties whilst in fury, and lose the ability to differentiate between friend and foe. WP roll vs. diff 6 to end the fury.
Mage Revised
Well you'll get a lot of friends if you start killing your Cabal-mates. NOT
Code of Honour (2 pt. Merit)
+2 dice to resist mental control that violates your Code. Code must be clearly detailed in character submission.
Mage Revised
Driven (2 pt. Merit)
You're one of the few mages with the spiritual resilience to endure the punishment being heaped on the Traditions in these End Times. Once per week, when the survival of your character's Tradition is at stake, you gain an additional free point of temporary Willpower to spend on any one roll in defense of your mage's Tradition.
Blood Treachery
Restricted - Difficult to track
Eidetic Memory (2 pt. Merit)
Your memory is perfect. In extreme situations, a Per+Alertness roll (vs. 6) allows you to memorize quickly.
Mage Revised
Iron Will (3 pt. Merit)
+3 dice to resist any attempts at mental (not emotional) control. Can resist Dominate the cost of 1 WP.
Mage Revised
Restricted - requires min WP of 7, and MUST be clearly explained.
Anachronism (1 to 3 pt. Flaw)
Your mage was raised in another time. 1 pt: 1900-1990 or 2010-2100. 2 pt: 18th, 19th, 22nd or 23rd century. 3 pt: pre 18th century
Guide to the Traditions; Bitter Road
Restricted - Requires killer background
Deep Sleeper (1 pt. Flaw)
+2 difficulty on rolls to wake up suddenly, and +1 to all rolls for rest of scene due to bleary-eyed mental fuzziness.
Mage Revised
Ineptitude (1 pt. Flaw)
+2 difficulty on rolls relating to one ability in which you have at least one dot.
Mage Revised
Nightmares (1 pt. Flaw)
Hideous dreams. Make a WP roll each day, or take a -1 die difficulty on rolls for the day.
Mage Revised
Sleepwalker (1 to 4 pt. Flaw)
You don't believe in Magick (if you're a Tradition mage), or in Enlightened Science (if a Technocrat).
Mage Revised
Restricted - also, please do not take this Flaw without consulting Mage Revised.
Soft-Hearted (1 pt. Flaw)
You hate to watch others suffer. Roll WP vs. 8 or avoid any situation withinvolving the causing of physical or emotional pain.
Mage Revised
Speech Impediment (1 pt. Flaw)
You stutter, lisp, have Tourette's, or something similar. Must be RP'd out; -2 penalty to all verbal communication rolls.
Mage Revised
Amnesia (2 pt. Flaw)
May take another 5 points from Flaws without stating what the Flaws are. You have no knowledge of your past, friends, family, enemies, etc.
Mage Revised
The ST will use this one against you. Only for roleplayers who like to live dangerously.
Deranged (2 pt. Flaw)
You are permanently insane.
Mage Revised
Work this out with the ST before-hand.
Phobia (2 pt. Flaw)
You have a morbid fear of something. Make a WP roll whenever confronted by it; otherwise, you panick and flee. +2 diff to all rolls if forced to stand ground.
Mage Revised
Do not expect to be afraid of African wombats. However, fear of butterflies is currently allowed.
Short Fuse (2 pt. Flaw)
You're quick to anger. Make a WP roll vs. 6 not to go on the offensive..
Mage Revised
Cannot be taken with Berserker Merit
Territorial (2 pt. Flaw)
You're extremely protective of your Chantry/home, sanctum, and everything else that is yours. You will be guarded with them, taking extra security measures and the like. If your stuff is violated (broken into, stolen, etc.), spend WP or fly into a mood for retribution.
Bitter Road
Vengeful (2 pt. Flaw)
Someone pissed you off, and you want payback. Must spend WP each turn not to wreak vengeance when the opportunity presents itself.
Mage Revised
Ability Deficit (5 pt. Flaw)
You have five fewer points to spend in one ability catagory (Talents, Skills, or Knowledges). No ability in that catagory can be over 3, even after Freebies, for character creation
Mage Revised
Protean Psyche (7 pt. Merit)
Being in different bodies (incl. Life shapechanging forms, Digital Web icons, body-snatching, so on) is perfectly natural to you.
Bitter Road
Supernatural Merits and Flaws
Claws/Fangs/Horn/Hooves/Barbed Tail (Variable Pt. Merit)
You have some form of natural weaponry that does lethal damage
Guide to the Traditions
Restricted - You MUST have the Guide to the Traditions for this one; it's complex
Supernatural: Invulnerability (Variable Pt. Merit)
You are invulnerable to certain forms of damage
BANNED - Words can't de-SCRIBE how banned this is
Conditional Mage (1 to 6 pt. Merit or Flaw)
One thing in the world is a bane/boon to your magic. Under said condition, you have +/- 3 difficulty to Arete rolls.
Mage Revised
You MUST have access the book to take this.
Green Thumb (1 pt. Merit)
You're very good with plants. Common among Verbena.
Mage Revised
Hollow Soul (1pt. Merit)
Despite being part of a Tradition, you have no specialty sphere, and learn Spheres like an Orphan or Hollow One, XP-wise.
Initiates of the Art
Parlor Trick (1 pt. Merit)
You can do one small, pretty, or useful trick at will.
Mage Revised
Will not add to combat rolls
Circumspect Avatar (2 pt. Merit)
Your Avatar is exceptionally subtle; your subconscious at most
Mage Revised
Medium (2 pt. Merit)
May sense and communicate with Wraiths.
Mage Revised
Pushy Avatar (2 pt. Merit)
Your Avatar doesn't let you give up. In seekings, you may reroll one failed roll of any kind.
Initiates of the Art
Unaging (2 pt. Merit)
For whatever reason, you don't age.
Mage Revised
An explanation is expected as to why
Oracular Ability (3 pt. Merit)
With an ST present, you may make a Perception + Occult roll to discern an omen, then an Intelligence + Occult to understand it. Only to be used in the presence of an ST at their request (not yours).
Mage Revised
Celestial Affinity (3 pt. Merit)
Your mage has an exceptional instinct when it comes to dealing with High Umbrood and Angels (or Demons). +2 to all rolls to summon, compel, etc. with such creatures.
Blood Treachery
Cyclic Magic (3 pt. Merit)
Your magic is tied to some regular and repeating cycle. Your difficulties for magic fluctuate with the cycle, up to a max of +/- 3.
Mage Revised
Restricted - Must be CLEARLY explained what cycle, and why.
Manifest Avatar (3 pt. Merit)
Your Avatar manifests to you (but no one else, unless Allies is bought).
Mage Revised
BANNED - Logistics Issues.
Natural Channel (3 pt. Merit)
-1 difficulty to cross the Gauntlet; can step through if Gauntlet is weak enough w/o magic.
Mage Revised
Stormwarder (3 or 5 pt. Merit)
You take no damage crossing the Gauntlet. For 5 points, you cam protect all you touch (incl. through Correspondance).
Mage Revised
Unbondable (3 pt. Merit)
You cannot be Blood Bound by Vampires.
Mage Revised
Restricted - Gimme a DAMN good reason. Must be approved by Vampire ST, too
Fae Blood (3 pt. Merit)
Your PC is kinain.
Mage Revised
BANNED- At this time, we have no Changeling Game.
Lucky (3 pt. Merit)
3 times per week, you can re-roll a failed or botched roll.
Mage Revised
Resitricted - Logistically difficult to track.
Shapechanger Kin (4 pt. Merit)
Your PC is kin to a Shapeshifter breed.
Mage Revised
Restricted - Requires approval of Shifter ST, as well.
Twin Souls (4 pt. Merit)
You have a twin of sorts, with the samae Avatar in both of you. You gain info based on what Spheres you have; Is soulmate dies, roll WP vs. 8 or enter shock.
Mage Revised
Cross-Training (5 pt. Merit)
You've learned a little from each Mentor you've had. One of your Spheres can be use another Tradition's standard Foci.
Initiates of the Art
Ghoul (5 pt. Merit)
You are a Ghoul to a vampire. You gain a dot in Potence and one other Discipline of your domitor, and get 1 point each of Static & Entropic Resonance. Seekings become difficult.
Mage Revised
Restricted - Requires approval from Mage AND Vampire ST, and a DAMN good story.
Inner Knight (5 pt. Merit)
You have a "past life". you are the reincarnated Avatar of a Daedalean. Various Benefits
Guide to the Technocracy
BANNED - Overpowered and potential for Abuse.
Legendary Attribute (5 pt. Merit)
One Attribute has the potential to go to six. The dots must still be spent to GET the Attribute to six.
Mage Revised
Restricted - Potential for Abuse
Shattered Avatar (5 pt. Merit)
Your Avatar has broken to pieces. You have a splinter; you can find the others and increase your Avatar rating AFTER character creation.
Mage Revised
The cricumstances behind this MUST be detailed (and preferably worked out beforehand).
Sphere Natural (5 pt. Merit)
You're able to use one Sphere easier then others. XP cost is 3/4 normal cost.
Mage Revised
Avatar Companion (7 pt. Merit)
Your Avatar has a lesser Avatar connected to it, meaning you have a companion. .
Mage Revised
Restricted
Blended Technique (7 pt. Merit)
You are a true Orphan, and can learn from any Tradition..
Initiates of the Art
Dual Traditions (7 pt. Merit)
You have been educated by two Traditions, giving you both Spheres as "Specialty Spheres" for XP purposes. Foci may be used from either Tradition list..
Mage Revised
Nephilim (7 pt. Merit)
You are the child of an Angel/Demon and a human.
Blood Treachery
BANNED - Does not work with Demon. At ALL.
True Faith (7 pt. Merit)
You have True Faith..
Mage Revised
BANNED - Abuse Central here.
Bard's Tongue (1 pt. Flaw)
At ST discretion, you will say some sort of uncomfortable truth regarding the current situation. Spend a WP and take 1 Bashing Damage to not say it.
Mage Revised
Devil's Mark (1 pt. Flaw)
You have a "Witch's Nipple" as a result of a demonic familiar or the like. Unsightly.
Mage Revised
Echoes (1 to 5 pt. Flaw)
You manifest some of the traditional stereotypes of Witches. Value depends on severity.
Mage Revised
Geasa (1 to 5 pt. Flaw)
You have a prohibition on your magic somehow.
Mage Revised
Must own the Mage Revised book to take this flaw. It's complex-ish.
No Shadow/Reflection (1 pt. Flaw)
Choose your shadow or your reflection. You don't have it.
Guide to the Traditions
Distorted Image (1 pt. Flaw)
Your image doesn't look or act like you, including all audi-visual equpment and talented artist's renditions.
Bitter Road
Vulnerability (1 to 7 pt. Flaw)
You are vulnerable to a certain substance, element or power, take 1 Agg or 3 Agg per turn of contact
Restricted - You MUST have the Guide to the Traditions for this one; it's complex
Crucial Component (2 to 5 pt. Flaw)
There is some raw ingrediant you need to owrk your magic, besides magic itself; a metrial compnent befoes Foci.
Mage Revised
Fausts Burden (3 to 6 pt. Flaw)
You owe an Umbrood. Big. The more points to worse the debt.
Blood Treachery
Detail, detail, detail.
Nephandic Taint (3 pt. Flaw)
Somewhere in your training, you accidentally trained with a Nephandi. You're not Nephandic, but you carry Nephandic taint in your Resonance.
Intitiates of the Art
Fresh Meat (4 pt. Flaw)
You're newly Awakened, and another (non-Mage) supernatural likes you. A lot. Gooood little pawn.
Intitiates of the Art
BANNED - Problematic within our setting
Beast Within (5 pt. Flaw)
Your Beast is awake, somehow. 1 extra dot Dynamic Resonance; in stress situations, roll Dynamic Resonance vs. 6. Success means you fly into berserk rage.
Guide to the Traditions
Dark Fate (5 pt. Flaw)
You're, like, doomed, dude.
BANNED: WOD-NYC has enough angst at the moment.
Sphere Inept (5 pt. Flaw)
You're able to use one Sphere easier then others. XP cost is 5/4 normal cost.
Mage Revised
Bedeviled (6 pt. Flaw)
Your life truly. TRULY. sucks. Someone is watching you and ruining your life. Everything goes wrong. EVERYTHING
Guide to the Traditions
Phylactery (7 pt. Flaw)
Your Avatar exists inside a phyiscal object, and you must be in physical contact with it in order to work magic.
Mage Revised
Restricted - Work this out with the ST before-hand. Being intimately familiar with the flaw is necessary.
Akashic Brotherhood Merits & Flaws
Akashic Awareness (1 to 5 pt. Merit)
You have a greater understanding of the Akashic Record than normal. You get dice equal to your rating in this merit, with each success (difficulty 6) reducing the difficulty of Akashic Mind magic by 1(maximum of 3). A botch causes you to be trapped in the Akashic Record.
Akashic Brotherhood Revised
Folk Hero (3 pt. Merit)
The people in your community love you; you stood up for them. -2 to social rolls within that community, and you will always be able to rely on them.
Akashic Brotherhood Revised
Drahma's Voice (4 or 6 pt. Merit)
You speak with more wisdom then you possess. You are a 1 pt. or 3 pt. Mentor for Akashics; more may be added through Freebie, one per dot.
Akashic Brotherhood Revised
Restricted - Being a Mentor is serious business
Judge's Wisdom (4 pt. Merit)
You aren't swayed by emotion. Immune to all Mind Effects that work the emotions, Presence, and the like. Cannot take Iron Will as well.
Akashic Brotherhood Revised
Restricted - Gimme a good reason
Ontological Pacifist (3 or 5 pt. Flaw)
You are a pacifist. For 3 pts, non self-defence violence causes you to lose all Foci benefits. For 5 pts, .any violence at ALL causes you to lose all Foci benefits
Akashic Brotherhood Revised
Celestial Chorus Merits & Flaws
Ecumenist
(5 Point Social Merit)
Youre a member of multiple Chorus factions. You get both sets of specialty spheres, and both sets of obligations.
Celestial Chorus Revised
Techgnosi
(2 or 6 Point Social Merit)
The lesser version lets you use Son of Ether and Virtual Adept foci as long as there is a mystical component to them. The greater version gives you both Prime and either Matter or Correspondence as your specialty spheres.
Celestial Chorus Revised
Discordant
(1 or 3 Point Supernatural Flaw)
You suffer penalties trying to work magic with others. The lesser gives you a one point penalty, the greater a 3 point penalty and you must spend a willpower point to try.
Celestial Chorus Revised
Dogmatic
(2 Point Social Flaw)
You are so religious that you cant put up with other faiths.
Celestial Chorus Revised
Cult of Ecstacy Merits & Flaws
Hypersensitivity (3 pt. Merit)
You can perform any foci relating to taste, touch, or similar sensation without going "all the way." Per+Alert can tell you extreme details about things.
Cult of Ecstacy Revised
Resonant Passion (3 pt. Merit)
Choose a Resonance Trait. -2 difficulty for that Resonance, as opposed to the usual -1.
Cult of Ecstacy Revised
Vice Grip (2 pt. Flaw)
One of your Specialty Foci is a vice so severe, you cannot perform magic without it. Only when you are at -2 due to intoxication can you do magic.
Cult of Ecstacy Revised
Dead Passion (4 pt. Flaw)
Pick one of the Nine Sacred Passions. You've been scarred there, and cannot perform magic while experiencing that passion in any way w/o WP spending.
Cult of Ecstacy Revised
Euthanatos Merits & Flaws
Mourners Chant
(3 Point Social Merit)
Youre good at helping people deal with death. 2 difficulty on all social rolls when youre trying to help someone deal with death.
Euthanatos Revised
Deathwalker
(4 Point Supernatural Merit)
You can use Spirit 3 to enter the underworld. This bypasses the Avatar Storm, though the Underworld has it's own risks.
Euthanatos Revised
Calling Card
(2 Point Mental/Supernatural Flaw)
Wherever you go, theres a trace of you left behind. This overrules Arcane.
Euthanatos Revised
Touch of Chaos
(1 Point Supernatural Flaw)
When youre around, crazy things happen. This is a mark of entropy and is negative, like plants dying when youre near them.
Euthanatos Revised
Order of Hermes Merits & Flaws
Inglorious Pedigree (1 pt. Flaw)
You are of a minor house in Ex Miscellania of little regard. +2 diff to Social rolls vs. all Hermetics of larger Houses when trying to impress or be taken seriously.
Blood Treachery
Renunciate (1 pt. Flaw)
You were indoctrinated from without, and are looked down upon because of it. +2 difficulty for Social rolls dealing with traditionalist Houses.
Blood Treachery
Blood-Hungry Soul (2 to 5 pt. Flaw)
One of your prior incarnations was a ghoul, and you were born an addict to vitae, which was awakened along with you. Roll WP vs. 6 (2 pt), 8 (3 pt), or 10 (5 pt) to avoid seizing on the opportunity to imbibe Kindred vitae
Blood Treachery
Massassa Contact (3 pt. Flaw)
You have a massassa (vampire) contact, and will not terminate the friendship. For it to be useful, it must be an Ally (Background) as well, otherwise, it's just a BAD secret.
Blood Treachery
Sons of Ether Merits & Flaws
Scientific Mystic (3 pt. Merit)
As long as you can fit it into your paradigm, you can use a standard foci from another (mystic) Tradition for one sphere.
Sons of Ether Revised
Mad Science (2 pt. Merit)
You've risked your mental stability at the price of unique insights. -1 diff to Arete, Awareness, Cosmology, Enigmas, Occult, Science, and Technology rolls when under effects of Quiet or an Active Derangement.
Sons of Ether Revised
Must take the Deranged flaw as well.
Discredited (1 pt. Flaw)
Your name has been dragged through the mud from a bad theory. +2 to all Social & Background rolls involving the scientific community.
Sons of Ether Revised
Verbena Merits & Flaws
Long Lives (1 pt Merit)
Youre gonna live a long time naturally, perhaps even more than 200 years.
Verbena Revised
Honored Lineage (2 pt Merit)
You get bonuses for social rolls involving people who respect lineage, but a lot is expected of you.
Verbena Revised
Cloak of the Seasons (3 pt Merit)
You are magically protected from the environment
Verbena Revised
Natural Shapeshifter (3 pt Merit)
You never lose yourself in a new form, and difficulty of effects that change your shape are 2 less
Verbena Revised
Touch of Life (3 pt Merit)
You heal as though one health level less injured, as do those in your care. However, Vampires gain double blood points from you
Verbena Revised
Witchs Bane (3 to 5 pt Flaw)
Iron is bad for you. 3 pt.: Your enemies get countermagic dice or you take bashing damage. 4pt. Both of the above or does lethal damage 5 pt. Countermagic and does lethal damage
Verbena Revised
Bound by the Law of Three (5 pt Flaw)
If you harm someone, you get three times as much harm back. Using magic to harm someone is always vulgar with witnesses for you.
Verbena Revised
Virtual Adept Merits & Flaws
Well Connected (3 pt. Merit)
Your name is known throughout virtual space, and you can expect help from others online, Sleeper and Awakened.
Virtual Adepts Revised
Prone to Quiet (4 to 5 pt. Flaw)
You are more prone to Quiet them most others for one of various reasons. ST may impose a Quiet roll (Int+Enigmas) on you during times of stress, diff 6 for 4 pt., diff 7 for 5 pt.
Virtual Adepts Revised