Psychological

Berserker

2 Point Merit

You feel the rage burning inside you, and you know how to use and direct it against your enemies. You have the ability to frenzy at will and, thus, are able to ignore your wound penalties. However, any acts you commit during frenzy have consequences, just as they would otherwise. Also, you have the same chance of going into frenzy even when you don't wish to do so.

Code of Honor

1 Point Merit

You have a personal code of ethics to which you strictly adhere. You can automatically resist most temptations that would bring you in conflict with your code. When battling supernatural persuasion (Mind magic, vampiric Dominate or Chicanery) that would make you violate your code, you either gain three extra dice to resist or your opponent's difficulties are increased by two (Storyteller's choice). You must construct your own personal code of honor in as much detail as you can, outlining the general rules of conduct by which you abide.

Gall

2 Point Merit

Audacity, guts, pluck - whatever it's called, you've got it. You aren't afraid to stand up to anyone, from naughty children to tribal leaders. This isn't brash, foolhardy behavior; you're still polite, after all. You simply don't get the shakes when the Silver Fang Ahroun comes over to speak to you. Many respect you for your honesty and forthrightness. Add an extra die to any Social roll involving a display of backbone.

Higher Purpose

1 Point Merit

All creatures have some vision of their path, but you have a special commitment to it. Your chosen goal drives and directs you in everything. You do not concern yourself with petty matters and casual concerns, because your higher purpose is everything. Though you may sometimes be driven by this purpose and find yourself forced to behave in ways contrary to the needs of personal survival, it can also grant you great personal strength. You gain two extra dice on any roll that has something to do with this higher purpose. Decide what your higher purpose is, and make sure you discuss it with the Storyteller. You may not take this Merit if you have the Flaw Driving Goal.

Mental

Calm Heart

3 Point Merit

You are naturally calm and well composed, and you rarely fly off the handle. Raise the difficulty on all your frenzy rolls by 2, no matter how any incident is provoked.

Brujah may not take this trait.

 

Common Sense

1 Point Merit

You have a significant amount of practical, everyday wisdom. Whenever you are about to do something contrary to common sense, the Storyteller should alert you to how your potential action might violate practicality. This is an ideal Merit if you are a novice player because it allows you to receive advice from the Storyteller concerning what you can and cannot do, and (even more importantly) what you should and should not do.

 

Concentration

2 Point Merit

You have the ability to focus your mind and shut out any distractions or annoyances, above and beyond the norm. Any penalty to a difficulty or Dice Pool arising from a distraction or other inauspicious circumstance is limited to two dice, though no extra benefits are gained if only one penalty die is imposed.

 

Eidetic Memory

2 Point Merit

You can remember things seen and heard with perfect detail. By gaining at least one success on an Intelligence + Alertness roll, you can recall any sight or sound accurately, even if you heard it or glanced at it only once (although the difficulty of such a feat would be high). Five successes enable you to recall an event perfectly: The Storyteller relates to you exactly what was seen or heard.

 

Iron Will

3 Point Merit

When you are determined and your mind is set, nothing can divert you from your goals. You cannot be Dominated, and wraiths, mages and changelings using mental attacks against you gain an additional + 3 to their difficulties if you are aware of them and resisting. However, the additional mental defense costs you one Willpower per turn. Even if you are unaware of the attempt, anyone attempting to magically influence you must add + 1 to their difficulty.

 

Lightning Calculator

1 Point Merit

You have a natural affinity with numbers and a talent for mental arithmetic, making you a natural when working with computers or betting at the racetracks. The difficulties of all relevant rolls are decreased by two. Another possible use for this ability, assuming you have numbers on which to base your conclusions, is the ability to calculate the difficulty of certain tasks. In appropriate situations, you may ask the Storyteller to estimate the difficulty rating of a task you are about to perform.

 

Self-Confident

5 Point Merit

When you spend a point of Willpower to gain an automatic success, your self-confidence may allow you to gain the benefit of that expenditure without actually losing the Willpower point. When you declare that you are using a point of Willpower and roll for successes, you do not lose the point of Willpower unless you fail. This will also prevent you from botching, but only if you declare that you are spending the Willpower point before you roll. This Merit may only be used when you need confidence in your abilities in order to succeed. You can use it only when the difficulty of your roll is 6 or higher. You may spend Willpower at other times; however, if the difficulty is 5 or less, the Merit will not help you.

 

Time Sense

1 Point Merit

You have an innate sense of time and are able to estimate the passage of time accurately without using a watch or other mechanical device.

 

Wolf-Sense

1 Point Merit

This merit is a blend of folk wisdom, practical sense and animal instincts. If you have Wolf-sense and make a successful Intelligence roll, the Storyteller can opt to give you advice on whether you're about to do something stupid. It doesn't mean she'll tell you what you should or shouldn't do, but at least you'll have some warning.

Awareness

Acute Senses

1 Point Merit

You have exceptionally sharp hearing, smell, vision or taste. The difficulties of all dice rolls that relate to the sense in question (e.g., Perception + Awareness to hear a faint noise, taste poison in food or see an oncoming attacker) are decreased by two.

 

Aptitudes

Ambidextrous

1 Point Merit

You have a high degree of off-hand dexterity and can perform tasks with the "wrong" hand at no penalty. The normal penalty for using both hands at once to perform different tasks (e.g., fighting with a weapon in each hand) is at a + 1 difficulty for the "right" hand and a + 3 difficulty for the other hand.

2 point Merit

You have a high degree of secondary-hand dexterity and can perform tasks with the "wrong" hand at no penalty. The normal penalty for using both hands at once to perform different tasks (such as fighting with a weapon in each hand) is +1 difficulty for the "right" hand and +3 difficulty for the other hand; with this Merit, the penalty is at +1 for each hand.

 

Animal Magnetism

1 Point Merit

You are especially attractive to others. You receive a - 2 to your difficulty on Seduction or Subterfuge rolls. However, this will aggravate others of your gender.

 

Computer Aptitude

1 Point Merit

You have a natural affinity with computers, so the difficulties of all rolls to repair, construct or operate them are reduced by two.

 

 

 

Crack Driver

1 Point Merit

You have a natural affinity with driving motorized wheeled vehicles, such as cars, 18-wheelers and even tractors. The difficulties of all rolls requiring risky or especially difficult driving maneuvers are reduced by two.

 

Daredevil

3 Point Merit

You are good at taking risks, and are even better at surviving them. All difficulties are - 1 whenever you try something particularly dangerous, and you can ignore one botch result when you roll "ones" on such actions (you can cancel a single "one" that is rolled, as if you have an extra success).

 

Electronic Aptitude

1 point Merit

You are naturally adept with all kinds of electrical and electronic devices, save those covered under Computer Aptitude. The difficulties of all dice rolls to understand, repair, construct, or operate any of these electronic device are reduced by two.

 

Fast Learner

3 Point Merit

You learn very quickly, and pick up on new things faster than most do. Your +learns are completed faster than usual, as per Wiz discretion. (Remember to note your Fast Learner merit in your @mail to your Wiz.)

 

Jack of All Trades

5 Point Merit

You have a large pool of miscellaneous skills and knowledge obtained through your extensive travels, the jobs you've held, or just all-around know-how. You automatically have one dot in all Skill and Knowledge Dice Pools. This is an illusory level, used only to simulate a wide range of abilities. If you train or spend experience in the Skill or Knowledge, you must pay the point cost for the first level a "second time" before raising the Skill or Knowledge to two dots.

 

 

Mechanical Aptitude

1 Point Merit

You are naturally adept with all kinds of mechanical devices (note that this aptitude does not extend to electronic devices, such as computers). The difficulties of all dice rolls to understand, repair or operate any kind of mechanical device are reduced by two. However, this Merit doesn't help you drive any sort of vehicle. This Merit affects a characters aptitude with chimerical mechanical objects just as well as the mundane.

 

Natural Leadership

1 Point Merit

You are gifted with a certain magnetism to which others naturally defer. You receive two extra dice when making Leadership rolls. You must have a Charisma rating of 3 or greater to purchase this merit.

 

Natural Linguist

1 Point Merit

You have a flair for languages. This Merit does not allow you to learn more languages than the number permitted by your Linguistics score, but you may add three dice to any Dice Pool involving languages (both written and spoken).

 

Perfect Balance

3 Point Merit

Your sense of balance has achieved great heights by constant training or inherited traits. It is very unlikely that you will ever fall during your life. You may trip, but you will always catch yourself before you fully lose your footing or handhold. This Merit functions for such actions as tightrope walking, crossing ice and climbing mountains. All difficulties involving such feats are reduced by three. It would take a lot to push or shove a character off his feet if he has this Merit.

 

Poison Resistance

1 Point Merit

You have, for some reason or another, become resistant to poisons. It could be that you are somehow naturally resistant, or that you have spent years building up your resistance against all known types of poisons. Any time you need to make a soak roll against the effects of a poison or toxin, reduce your difficulty by three.

 

Supernatural

Ancestor Ally

1 Point Merit

You are strongly linked to one particular Past Life; the difficulty to channel him is 2 less. Create the ancestor; give him a name, abilities for which he was known (and which you can easily channel) and decide how renowned he was among other Garou. You must have the Background: Ancestors to purchase this Merit.

 

Charmed Existence

5 Point Merit

Your life is somehow protected, and you do not face the perils that others must. It could be that you are simply lucky. Because of this Merit, you may ignore a single one on every roll you make, as though you had an extra success. This Merit makes it far more unlikely that you will ever botch and grants you more successes than others might obtain.

 

Danger Sense

2 Point Merit

You have a sixth sense that warns you of danger. When you are in danger, the Storyteller should make a secret roll against your Perception + Alertness; the difficulty depends on the remoteness of the danger. If the roll succeeds, the Storyteller tells you that you have a sense of foreboding. Multiple successes may refine the feeling and give an indication of direction, distance or nature.

Guardian Angel

6 Point Merit

Someone or something watches over you and protects you from harm. You have no idea who or what it is, but you have an idea that someone is looking out for you. In times of great need, you may be supernaturally protected. However, one can never count upon a guardian angel. The Storyteller must decide why you are being watched and what is watching you (not necessarily an angel, despite the name).

 

Immune to Wyrm Emanations

6 Point Merit

You have a special boon from Gaia: You are immune to the toxins of the Wyrm. You receive no penalty from supernatural radiation, balefire, Wyrm elementals and the like (although you still suffer damage from such attacks). Likewise, you are immune to Bane possession. Your sept recognizes this invulnerability and thrusts you into many dangerous perils with the expectation that you will use your immunity for the good of others.

 

Luck

3 Point Merit

You were born lucky; either you have a guardian angel, or maybe the Devil looks after his own. Either way, you can repeat three failed non-magical rolls per story. Only one repeat attempt may be made on any single roll.

 

Magic Resistance

2 Point Merit

You have an inherent resistance to the rituals of the Tremere and the spells of the mages of other creeds and orders. The difficulty of all such magic, both malicious and beneficent, is two higher when directed at you. You may never learn the Discipline of Thaumaturgy.

 

Medium

2 Point Merit

You possess the natural affinity to sense and hear spirits, ghosts and shades. Though you cannot see them, you feel their presence and are able to speak with them when they are in the vicinity. It is even possible for you to summon them (through pleading and cajoling) to your presence. Spirits will not simply aid you or give you advice for free — they will always want something in return.

 

Moon-Bound

2 Point Merit

You are especially tied to your auspice, and when Luna is in the waxing phase of your auspice, you receive an extra die on all rolls. However, when your moon phase is waning, you lose one die on all rolls.

 

Natural Channel

3 Point Merit

You find the Gauntlet between worlds thinner than most Garou do. Your difficulty to step sideways is one less, and spirits react a bit more favorably to you. Even if you aren't a Theurge, you won't find it difficult to obtain training from the Garou shamans.

 

Nine Lives

6 Point Merit

Fate has granted you the opportunity to come as close to Final Death as anyone can get and still survive. When a roll occurs that would results in your death, the roll is made again. If the next roll succeeds, then you live and one of your nine lives is used up. If that subsequent roll fails, then another reroll is made, until either a successful roll occurs or your nine lives are used up. The Storyteller should keep careful count of how many lives the character has remaining.

 

Oracular Ability

3 Point Merit

You can see and interpret signs and omens. You are able to draw advice from these omens, for they provide hints of the future and warnings of the present. When the Storyteller feels that you are in position to see an omen, you will be required to make a perception + Occult roll, with the difficulty relative to how well the omen is concealed. If successful, you may then roll Intelligence + Occult to interpret what you have seen, the difficulty again relative to the complexity of the omen.

 

Silver Tolerance

7 Point Merit

You have an immunity of sorts to silver. You are able to soak silver, although it still causes you aggravated damage. Also, any Gnosis loss from carrying silver items is halved for Garou with this Merit. Instead of losing one Gnosis for every silver item you possess, you lose one Gnosis for every pair of silver items you carry (always round up to the nearest number).

Spirit Mentor

3 Point Merit

You have a ghostly companion and guide. This spirit is able to employ a number of minor powers when it really struggles to exert itself (see Haunted, below), but for the most part, its benefit to you is through the advice it can give. This ghost is the incorporeal spirit of someone who was once living, perhaps even someone particularly famous or wise. The Storyteller will create the ghost character, but will not reveal to you its full powers and potencies. Mentors of this sort are not true Mentors of the Arts, but might give special insights into aspects of mortal life that changelings have missed or forgotten. (Further ideas for this Merit can be obtained from Wraith: The Oblivion.)

 

Supernatural Companion

3 Point Merit

You have a friend and ally who happens to be a vampire, mage, wraith or changeling. Although you may call upon her in time of need, she also has the right to call upon you (after all, you are friends). However, neither your fellows nor hers are likely to appreciate such a relationship, and they'll punish both of you if you are found out (especially if you're slumming with a Leech). Meeting places and methods of communication are always risky. The Storyteller creates your companion, but doesn't reveal to you her full powers and potencies.

 

True Faith

7 Point Merit

An additional 7 points needed for each extra dot/rating. Yes, taking True Faith means you may take no other merits out of chargen (regardless of rank or age) without tacit Wizard approval.

You have a deep-seated faith in (and love for) Gaia, God or whatever it is you consider the Almighty. You begin the game with one point of Faith (a Trait that ranges from 1-10; Jesus or Siddhartha would have been Faith 9-10). This Faith provides you with an inner strength and comfort that continues to support you when all else betrays you. The exact effects of Faith can vary from person to person, and some are almost never obvious; some of the most saintly people never perform miracles greater than managing to ease an injured soul's suffering. The nature of any miracles you might perform is usually tied to your own auspice or Nature, and you may never realize that you receive aid from a force beyond yourself. True Faith is a rare and powerful attribute in this day and age. All characters may add their Faith to any appropriate Willpower roll in addition to such effects as discussed below.

Remember that Faith represents a person's total commitment to her beliefs. That person will act accordingly. Those with high Faith ratings may seem fanatical, even insane to those not of their religion.

• Note: No one may start the game with more than one Faith point. Additional points are only awarded at Wizard discretion, which is usually based on an examination of appropriate behavior and deeds.

• Further Note: For Vampires wishing to take this advantage, you must have a Humanity of 9 or higher to choose this merit, and if you lose even one Humanity point, all your Faith points are lost and my be regained only when the lost Humanity is recovered.

True Love

1 Point Merit

You have discovered, and possibly lost (at least temporarily) a true love. Nonetheless, this love provides joy in an arid existence usually devoid of such enlightened emotions. Whenever you are suffering, in danger or dejected, the thought of your true love is enough to give you the strength to persevere. In game terms, this love allows you to succeed automatically on any Willpower roll, but only when you are actively striving to protect or come closer to your true love. Also, the power of your love may be powerful enough to protect you from other supernatural forces (Storyteller's discretion). However, your true love may also be a hindrance and require aid (or even rescue) from time to time. Be forewarned: this is a most exacting Merit to play over the course of a chronicle.

 

Unbondable

4 Point Merit

You are immune to being Blood Bound. No matter how much vampire blood you drink, you will never be Bound to one. This is exceedingly rare, and the Merit should be carefully considered by Storytellers before it is allowed into the game.

Community Ties

Boon

1-3 Point Merit

A noble or an Elder owes you a favor because of something either you or your mentor once did for him. The extent of the boon owed to you depends on how many points you spend. One point would indicate a relatively minor boon, while three points would indicate that the noble probably owes you his life (or unlife, as it were).

 

Good Old Boy (Or Girl)

2 Point Merit

For either gender, this merit means the same thing: You're an intrinsically nice person, and you genuinely care about your fellows. Depending upon the setting, werewolves and other Kin (both human and wolf) tend to like you and confide in you. Even lupus Garou may approach you in a friendly manner; something about you just seems trustworthy and inviting. Take an extra die on all Social rolls involving interaction with Garou or Kinfolk.

 

Reputation

2 Point Merit

You have a good reputation among the your peers of your Race. This may be your own reputation, or it may be derived from your mentor. Add three dice to any Dice Pools involving social dealings with others of your Race. A character with this Merit may not take the Flaw: Notoriety.

 

Mortal Society

Black Market Ties

1-5 Point Merit

You have special ties to the underground shopping network, ties that help you acquire hard-to-find equipment. This Merit adds one die per point to your Streetwise roll when trying, for instance, to obtain black market weaponry. Difficulties for such rolls are left up to the Storyteller (typically 7 or higher). The point cost reflects how "connected" you may be. The Storyteller may allow you to use your black market connections during the game to provide you with needed or useful equipment. Such connections will not simply hand you whatever you want — these things don't come cheap! It is up to the Storyteller to determine the quantity, quality and availability of the equipment. He may feel free to disallow it entirely if such connections would unbalance the game.

One point — Small items: ammo, low-clearance ID badges, good software

Two points — Average items: guns, hi-tech software, special ammo

Three points — Fancy items: antique cars, explosives, automatic weapons

Four points — Hefty items: heavy weapons, high-security IDs or access codes

Five points — "Yeah, right. Maybe next game.": hi-tech military weapons, high explosives, military vehicles

 

Church Ties

3 Point Merit

You have influence and contacts in some local churches, and have the means to create protest rallies, help the needy or raise money. The more you use your ties, of course, the greater your risk of being discovered.

 

 

Corporate CEO

5 Point Merit

You have a particular influence and sway over a major corporation and associated companies, just as if you were its chief executive officer. Indeed, you might have owned this company before your Chrysalis, and you have retained your control. Through this corporation, you know much that takes place in the corporate community and have the means to wage economic warfare. This Merit provides you with some informal allies and Resources, the exact extent of which is determined by the Storyteller.

 

Entertainment Ties

3 Point Merit

You have a degree of fame and influence in the local entertainment scene (music, theater, dance, S.C.A., etc.). Either you own or manage a good venue or site, or you have some notoriety among both peers and fans. You can exert this influence to ferret out information or buy favors. For five points, this fame can become nationwide.

 

Judicial Ties

2 Point Merit

You have both influence over and contacts in the justice system. You know most of the judges as well as the attorneys in the prosecutor's department, and can affect the progress of various cases and trials with limited difficulty. Though it is difficult to intervene in a case, you can influence it in one direction or another. These ties can also make it easy to acquire search warrants.

 

Local Ties

1-3 Point Merit

You have influence and/or contacts in an important local institution, though the more you use these ties, the weaker they may become. Samples and their point levels include ties with the following:

Park Department (1), Judicial (2), Church (2), Media (3), Corporate (3), Police (3), Political (3), and Underworld (3).

 

Mansion

3 Point Merit

You own a large mansion — a home with 25 or more rooms — as well as the surrounding estate. The servants, if you have any, are provided for if you choose this Merit, although they cannot be used as Dreamers or Retainers unless you purchase the appropriate Background. The mansion is assumed to have the most current electronic security available and a fence around the perimeter. While the mansion can be in as poor or as good a shape as you wish, the more inhabited it appears to be, the more attention it will garner. A ghost house won't attract IRS audits, but it may attract police scrutiny if bands of strange kids hang out there.

 

Media Ties

2 Point Merit

You have both influence over and contacts in the local media. You can suppress and create news stories (though not always with 100 percent efficiency; journalists are an unruly bunch), and you have access to the files and gossip of the staffs of newspapers and TV stations.

 

Nightclub

2 Point Merit

You own a moderate-sized nightclub, perhaps one of the hottest nightspots in the city. This club brings in enough money to support you in moderate luxury ($1000 a month, but it can grow), but more important than the money is the prestige. You may use the nightclub as your freehold (though you must purchase the Background Trait to do so), or you may simply hang out there. The name of the nightclub, its style, design and its regular patrons are all up to you. Variations on this theme could include a restaurant, theater, comedy club, sports arena or retail store.

 

Police Ties

3 Point Merit

You have both influence over and contacts in the local police department. You can, with a single phone call, cause an APB to be issued. However, the more often you use your ties with the police department, the weaker they become, and the more attention you attract toward yourself. Your influence is not solid (that can be achieved only through game play), and it can let you down at times.

 

Political Ties

3 Point Merit

You have both influence over and contacts among the politicians and bureaucrats of the city. In times of need, you can shut off the power and water to a building or neighborhood, and can unleash many different means of harassment against your enemies. The more you use your political ties, the weaker they become. Total control can only be achieved through game play.

 

Underworld Ties

3 Point Merit

You have both influence over and contacts in the local Mafia and organized street gangs. This provides you with limited access to large numbers of "soldiers," as well as extensive links to the underworld of crime. The more often you use your ties with the criminal element, the weaker they grow.

 

Physical

Bad Taste

2 Point Merit

You're just plain nasty. Your flesh exudes oils tasting so bad that anyone whose mouth parts touch you (Garou, fomori, Wyrm monsters) becomes nauseated. The would-be biter must make a successful Willpower roll each turn for the remainder of the scene or be unable to act while he is retching. Lupus and wolves may react poorly to you; they obviously won't lick you. These oils aren't odorous in any way, but you must constantly wipe oily sweat from yourself.

 

Catlike Balance

1 Point Merit

You possess and innately perfect sense of balance. Characters with this merit reduce difficulties of all balance-related rolls (e.g., Dexterity + Athletics to walk along a narrow ledge) by two.

 

Double-Jointed

1 Point Merit

You are unusually supple. Reduce the difficulty of any Dexterity roll involving body flexibility by two. Squeezing through a tiny space is one example of a use for this Merit.

 

Enchanting Voice

2 Point Merit

There is something about your voice that others cannot ignore. When you command, they are cowed. When you seduce, they swoon. Whether thunderous, gentle, persuading or simply talking, your voice commands attention. The difficulties of all die rolls involving the use of the voice to persuade, charm or command are reduced by two.

 

Fair Glabro

2 Point Merit

Your Glabro form can pass for Homid, albeit a large and bulky one. You lose no Social Attributes when in Glabro.

 

Feral Appearance

1 Point Merit

Whether you're more hirsute than the average person or have a lean, hungry look to your features, the werewolves like what they see. It isn't a matter of physical beauty; there's just something about you that stirs their animal natures. You get an extra die on all rolls involving Appearance when dealing with homid Garou, and you are considered to have an extra dot of Charisma among lupus Garou (although it can't exceed 5).

 

Huge Size

4 Point Merit

You are (or your mortal seeming is) abnormally large in size, possibly over seven feet tall and 400 pounds in weight. You therefore have one additional Health Level, and are able to suffer more harm before you are incapacitated. Treat this as an extra Health Level, with no penalties to rolls.

Trolls can take this Merit since the extra Health Level gained through Huge Size affects only the mortal seeming. The extra Health Level is added to those a troll gets from his Birthright for the purposes of chimerical damage, however, or real damage if the troll has called upon the Wyrd.

 

Lack of Scent

2 Point Merit

You produce no scent, or your scent is extremely faint. You are hard to track by Garou or other hunters who use scent. Any attempts to track you are at +2 difficulty.

 

Longevity

2 Point Merit

Gaia has blessed you with long life. You do not suffer aging effects until you are 90 years old or more (rather than 70 and up). You can expect to reach 120 to 130 years of age, barring death in combat.

 

Metamorph

6 Point Merit

You find it extremely easy to change forms and can do it even in your sleep. You do not need to roll to shift forms (you are considered to have an automatic five successes); nor do you need to spend a Rage point to instantly assume a desired form. In addition, if you are ever knocked unconscious (due to wounds, etc.), you can make a roll of Wits + Primal-Urge, difficulty 8, to assume whatever form you wish instead of reverting to your breed form.

 

Mixed-Morph

1 Point Merit

It is easy for you to transform certain body parts only, such as a hand to a claw while you remain in Homid form or changing your Lupus vocal cords into a human voicebox. Your difficulty for such changes is only a 6.

 

Flaws

Psychological

Addiction

1-3 Point Flaw

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 addiction 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 for some 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.

 

Compulsion

1 Point Flaw

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 it is in effect at all other times.

 

Curiosity

2 Point Flaw

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?"

 

Dark Secret

1 Point Flaw

You have some sort of secret that, if uncovered, would be of immense embarrassment to you and would make you a pariah among your peers. While this secret weighs on your mind at all times, it will only surface in occasional stories. Otherwise, it will begin to lose its impact.

 

Deranged

3 Point Flaw

Due to circumstances beyond your control, you are permanently insane. You may have a congenital brain disorder, or perhaps you saw things you weren't meant to see, and the experience drove you mad. Choose a Derangement for your character; although you can temporarily overcome this insanity with Willpower, you can never permanently rid yourself of its grip. Metis can take this Flaw as their deformity.

 

Driving Goal

3 Point Flaw

You have a personal goal, which sometimes compels 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.

 

Flashbacks

3 Point Flaw

You are prone to flashbacks if you are in either high pressure situations or circumstances that are similar to the event that caused the flashback itself. Flashbacks can be caused by almost any trauma—torture, extended combat or repeated drug experimentation. Either positive or negative stimulation could result in an episode. Emotional anxiety and stress are the usual catalysts for the flashbacks to begin. Returning to a good and happy vision can be just as dangerous or distracting as suddenly being surrounded by demonic hallucinations. During the flashback, you are not aware of what is really around you. Even people speaking to you will be viewed as people or objects from the vision. You can mistake men for women, people for animals and even inanimate objects for people. To you, reality has shifted, and you are back there again.

 

Hatred

3 Point Flaw

You have an unreasoning hatred of a certain thing. This 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 to gain power over it.

 

Inferiority Complex

1 Point Flaw

Nope, you're not worthy. never have been, never will be. You'll keep trying, and tackle whatever task your superiors, the garou, the nobles, etc. set you to, but even if you succeed and make a good job of it, it still won't be good enough for you. In situations requiring you to take charge and strut your stuff, all your difficulties are raised by one.

 

Intolerance

1 Point Flaw

You have an unreasonable 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 final arbiter on what you can pick to dislike.

 

Lifesaver

3 Point Flaw

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 definition of "evil"....) Senseless death in all forms repulses you, and you feel that those who commit murder should be punished.

 

Low Self Image

2 Point Flaw

You just don't believe in yourself. You have two fewer dice in situations where you don't expect to succeed (at the Storyteller's discretion, although he might limit this penalty to one die if you do the brave thing and point out times when this Flaw could affect you). At the Storyteller's option, you may have to make Willpower rolls to do things that require self-confidence, or even to use a Willpower point when other players would not be obliged to do so.

 

Mild Phobia

1 Point Flaw

You have an overpowering fear of something. You instinctively and illogically retreat from and avoid the object of your fear. Common objects of phobias include certain animals, insects, crowds, open spaces, confined spaces and heights. You must make a Willpower roll whenever you encounter the object of your fear. The difficulty of this roll is determined by the Storyteller. If you fail the roll, you must retreat from the object.

 

Nightmares

1 Point Flaw

You experience horrendous nightmares every time you sleep, and memories of them haunt you during your waking hours. Sometimes the nightmares are so bad they cause you to lose one die on all your actions for the next night (Storyteller's discretion). Some of the nightmares may be so intense that you mistake them for reality. A crafty Storyteller will be quick to take advantage of this.

 

Obsession

2 Point Flaw

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 every supermarket tabloid that carries an article about him anyway. There are many other obsessions, including British royalty, guns, football, roleplaying games...you know the type.

 

Overconfident

1 Point Flaw

You have an exaggerated and unshakable opinion of your own worth and capabilities. You never hesitate to trust your abilities, even in 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.

 

Pack Mentality

2 Point Flaw

The pack is your life; without it, you are nothing. Your identity is so tied to that of your pack that you always think in terms of "us" rather than "me." When in the presence of at least one packmate, you receive a -1 on all pack tactics difficulties; when alone, you receive a +1 to all difficulties. You are so dependent on your pack that sometimes you can't make decisions without them — even if you are the alpha! The Storyteller may decide that you have to make a Willpower roll or even spend a Willpower point to act on your own in a stressful situation.

 

Sadism or Masochism

2 Point Flaw

You are excited either by causing pain or receiving it. In many situations, you will seek either to be hurt or hurt someone for your pleasure. For a masochist (someone who enjoys pain), your soak roll for actual 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 are unaware of anything else happening around you.

 

Severe Phobia

3 Point Flaw

You have an overpowering fear of something. Common objects of fear include certain animals, insects, crowds, open spaces, confined spaces, heights and so on. You must make a Willpower roll not to freak out when faced with the object of your fear. The difficulty depends on the circumstances. If you fail the roll, you must retreat in terror from the object of fear. If you score less than three successes, you will not approach it. The Storyteller has final say over which phobias are allowed in a chronicle.

 

Short Fuse

2 Point Flaw

The difficulty of your frenzy rolls is always 2 lower, no matter how you might be provoked. The Wyrm's touch on you is stronger than normal, and you naturally fall more easily into the "thrall of the Wyrm." This Flaw is a dangerous one; don't choose it lightly.

 

Shy

1 Point Flaw

You are distinctly ill at ease when dealing with people and try to avoid social situations whenever possible. The difficulties of all rolls concerned with social interactions are increased by one; the difficulties of any rolls made while you are the center of attention are increased by two. Don't expect your character to make a public speech.

 

Soft-Hearted

1 Point Flaw

You cannot stand to see others suffer; maybe you're truly compassionate, or maybe you just dislike the intensity of their emotion. If you directly cause someone's suffering while that person is with you, you experience days of nausea and sleepless grief. You avoid situations in which you might have to observe suffering, and you will do anything possible to protect others from it as well. Whenever you must witness true suffering, difficulties for all your rolls are at +2 for the next hour.

 

Speech Impediment

1 Point Flaw

You have a stammer or some other speech impediment that hampers verbal communication. The difficulties of all relevant rolls are increased by two. Do not feel obliged to roleplay this impediment all the time, but in times of stress, or when dealing with outsiders, you should attempt to simulate it. Sluagh may not purchase this Flaw in respect to their Frailty.

 

Territorial

3 Point Flaw

You don't like to leave your territory, nor do you like to have strangers enter it. In fact, you get so nervous and disoriented while outside your territory that you are + 1 on all difficulties. In addition, you must make a frenzy roll to keep yourself from attacking intruders who enter your territory, unless they obtain your permission to do so.

 

Vengeance

2 Point Flaw

You have a score to settle — a freehold was wiped out, a friend was corrupted, a parent was slain, your caern was destroyed.... You are obsessed with wreaking vengeance on the guilty party. Revenge is your first priority in all situations. The need for vengeance can only be overcome by spending Willpower points, and even then, it only temporarily subsides. Someday you may have your revenge, but the Storyteller won't make it easy.

 

Wyld Mind

2 Point Flaw

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 every extended action roll after the second.

Mental

Absent-Minded

3 Point Flaw

Though you do not forget such things as Knowledges or Skills, you do forget such things 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 home/caern/freehold/etc., 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.

Airhead

1 Point Flaw

You're so wrapped up in your own little world, you don't have a clue about reality! Perhaps you retreat into yourself because you're afraid or avoiding a problem, but more likely, you simply aren't using your gray cells. Maybe you fall in and out of conversations and spout non sequiturs. Whatever the case, the Garou and other Kin snicker at you behind your back. This can result in Perception and Wits penalties at a GM's discretion.

 

Amnesia

2 Point Flaw

You are unable to remember anything about your past, yourself or your family. Your life is a blank slate. However, your past may some day come back to haunt you, and the Storyteller is under no obligation to be merciful. (You can, if you wish, take up to five points of other Flaws without specifying what they are. The Storyteller can supply the details. Over the course of the chronicle, you and your character will slowly discover them.)

 

Confused

2 Point Flaw

You are often confused, and the world seems to be a very distorted 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 surround you (such as when a number of different people talk all 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.

 

Weak-Willed

2 Point Flaw

You are highly susceptible to domination and intimidation; you are, in fact, unable to use your Willpower freely. You can roll or spend Willpower only when survival is at stake or when it is appropriate to your auspice or Nature (see the Archetypes section).

Awareness

Color Blindness

1 point Flaw

You can only see in black and white. Color means nothing to you, although you are sensitive to color density, which you perceive as 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.

 

Bad Sight

2 point Flaw

Your sight is defective. The difficulties of all dice rolls related to vision are increased by two. This Flaw is neither nearsightedness nor farsightedness — it is a minor form of blindness. The impairment is not correctable.

 

Blind

6 point Flaw

You automatically fail all dice rolls involving vision. You cannot see — the world of color and light is lost to you.

 

Deaf

4 point Flaw

You cannot hear sound, and automatically fail any rolls that require hearing.

 

Hard of Hearing

1 point Flaw

Your hearing is defective, but not entirely missing. The difficulties of all dice rolls related to hearing are increased by two.

 

Anosmia

2 point Flaw

You cannot smell anything, plus your sense of taste is severely diminished.

Aptitudes

Inept

5 point Flaw

You are not attuned to your natural aptitudes and, therefore, have 5 fewer points to spend on your Talents (so the most you could take on your talents would be 8, and the least would be 0). Of course, you can still spend freebie points to take Talents. However, you cannot, at the start of the game, have any Talent at level 3 or higher.

 

Uneducated

5 point Flaw

Because you have never been to school, you have 5 fewer points to spend on your Knowledge abilities (so the most you could take would be 8, and the least would be 0). Of course, you can still spend freebie points to take Knowledges. However, you cannot, at the start of the game, have any Knowledge at level 3 or higher. Lupus cannot take this Flaw, and the Storyteller should allow it only in games that have the characters interact often with human society.

 

Unskilled

5 point Flaw

You have never trained extensively in any skill or craft and, therefore, have 5 fewer points to spend on your Skills (so the most you could take on your Skills would be 8, and the least would be 0). Of course, you can still spend freebie points to take Skills. However, you cannot, at the start of the game, have any Skills at level 3 or higher.

Supernatural

Banned Transformation

1-6 point Flaw

Some event prevents you from changing, except back to your breed form. Choose one from below or create your own. You must spend a Willpower point and make a Willpower roll to change forms successfully when the restricting circumstance occurs.

• Soothing music (1 point)

• When wolfsbane is near (2 points)

• Without spending a Rage point (3 points)

• When silver is near (4 points)

• During the day (5 points)

• When the moon cannot be seen (6 points)

The Bard's Tongue

1 point Flaw

You speak the truth, uncannily so. Things you say tend to come true. This is not a facility for blessing or cursing, or an Effect that can be ruled by any conscious control. However, at least once per story, an uncomfortable truth regarding any current situation will appear in your head and through your lips. To avoid speaking prophecy, you must expend a Willpower point and take a Health Level from the strain of resisting (especially if you bite a hole in your tongue).

 

Cursed

1-5 point Flaw

You have been cursed by someone or something with supernatural or magical powers. This curse is specific and detailed. It cannot be dispelled without extreme effort, and it can be life-threatening. Some examples follow:

• If you pass on a secret that was told to you, your betrayal will later harm you in some way. Your fur falls out in clumps from time to time, lowering your Appearance to 1 for days at a stretch. (1 point)

• You stutter uncontrollably when you try to describe what you have seen or heard. You always wind up losing something very important to you — your keys, a minor fetish or that strategic memo from the Pentex board of directors. (2 points)

• Tools often break or malfunction when you attempt to use them. (3 points)

• You are doomed to make enemies of those to whom you become most attached (so whatever you do, don't get too close to the other characters!). (4 points)

• Every one of your accomplishments or achievements will eventually, inevitably, become soiled and fail in some way. Any fetishes you use have a fifty-fifty chance of not working even if you manage to successfully activate them. (5 points)

 

Dark Fate

5 point Flaw

You are doomed to experience a most horrible demise or, worse, suffer eternal agony. No matter what you do, someday you will be out of the picture. In the end, all your efforts, your struggles and your dreams will come to naught. Your fate is certain, and there is nothing you can do about it. Even more ghastly, you have partial knowledge of this, for you occasionally have visions of your fate — and they are most disturbing. The malaise these visions inspire in you can only be overcome through the use of Willpower, and the malaise will return after each vision. At some point in the chronicle, you will indeed face your fate, but when and how is completely up to the Storyteller.

Though you can't do anything about your fate, you can still attempt to reach some goal before it occurs, or at least try to make sure that your friends are not destroyed as well. This is a difficult Flaw to roleplay; though it may seem as if it takes away all free will, we have found that, ironically, it grants freedom. Combining this Flaw with the Destiny Background is very appropriate — Elric and Vanyel are classic literary examples.

Foe From the Past

1-3 point Flaw

An enemy of one of your ancestors still seeks revenge — through you. If the enemy is supernatural, such as a vampire, mage, wraith, changeling or spirit, this Flaw is worth three points; if you are being stalked by a fanatical werewolf hunter or other nonsupernatural human, it is worth one or two points, depending on how powerful your foe is. (Such a mortal probably isn't the same person that pursued your ancestor, but rather a descendant or heir of one of your ancestor's enemies.) She doesn't necessarily pursue you all the time. She is out for revenge against your ancestor, and you are simply the best path to that vengeance. You must have the Background Background: Ancestors to purchase this Flaw.

 

Forced Transformation

1-4 point Flaw

Some event or condition forces you to shapeshift uncontrollably. You must spend a Willpower point each turn to resist the change. Once changed, you cannot shift back until the condition forcing the change has passed. Choose one event from below or create your own.

• Every full moon you must assume Crinos form (2 points)

• When your auspice waxes you assume Crinos form (2 points)

• You change under influence of alcohol: to Glabro (1 point), to Crinos (2 points)

• When you are sexually aroused: to Glabro (1 point), to Crinos (2 points); if you are a lupus: to Homid (2 points)

• When you get angry (just short of a Rage roll): to Glabro (1 point), to Crinos (2 points)

• When you frenzy, you take a form other than Crinos: to Glabro or Hispo (2 points), to Lupus (3 points), to Homid (4 points)

• When entering the Umbra: to Glabro, Crinos, Hispo (1 point), to Homid or Lupus (2 points)

• At the sight of wolfsbane: to Homid (1 point)

• At the sight of a vampire: to Crinos (1 point), to Homid (3 points)

• When you sense Wyrm-taint: to Crinos (1 point), to Homid (2 points)

•  

Geas

1-5 point Flaw

You are under some kind of geas at the beginning of play, most likely a Ban, but possibly a long-term quest. This geas may be a family curse or duty that you have inherited, or it may have been imposed on you by a changeling using the Sovereign Art. The difficulty of the geas determines how great a Flaw it is. Something minor, such as a Ban against harming animals or a requirement to give occasionally to charity, would only be worth one point. More difficult geas are worth more points. A five-point geas is something that rules your entire life, like a Ban against sleeping in the same place more than one night or a quest that requires you to render aid to anyone in need you encounter. The Storyteller decides the exact value of whatever geas you choose.

 

Haunted

3 point Flaw

You are haunted by a ghost that only you (and mediums) can see and hear. It actively dislikes you and enjoys making your life miserable by insulting, berating and distracting you, especially when you need to keep your cool. It also has a number of minor powers it can use against you (once per story for each power): hiding small objects; bringing a "chill" over others, making them very ill at ease with you; causing a loud buzzing in your ear or the ears of others; moving a small object such as a knife or pen; breaking a fragile item such as a bottle or mirror; tripping you or making eerie noises, such as chains rattling. Yelling at the ghost can sometimes drive it away, but it will confuse those who are around you. The Storyteller will likely personify the ghost in order to make things all the more frustrating for you. (More ideas for this Flaw can be obtained from Wraith: The Oblivion.)

 

Insane Past Life

1 point Flaw

One of your ancestors was mad. This Past Life takes over during certain situations and is quite a hindrance. Choose the situation; it can be anything from "whenever Black Spiral Dancers appear" to "whenever the Litany law is read at a moot." Create the ancestor; give him a name and some abilities and define the nature of his madness. Play it to the hilt. If the Storyteller deems you aren't playing the ancestor well, he can declare that you've spent a Willpower point to suppress your Past Life. You must have the Background: Backgrounds: Ancestors to purchase this Flaw.

Jackal's Blood

5 point Flaw

You're cursed. In fact, you make the average Bone Gnawer look lucky. Once per session, something you attempt will go horribly, horribly wrong. It may be something as minor as spilling a drink, or as major as swinging at a foe in combat and hitting your best friend. The moment your Jackal's Blood kicks in, the action you've attempted doesn't just fail, but fails dramatically. Rules-minded troupes can interpret this as an automatic botch on any one dice roll. Drama hounds will prefer sudden story complications or a dramatic reversal of the hero's biggest success that evening.

 

 

Mark of the Predator

2 point Flaw

Herbivores fear you, and carnivores see you as a threat. You cannot posses the Skill: Skill: Animal Ken.

 

Mystical Prohibition or Imperative

1-5 point Flaw

There is something you must or must not do, and your life, your luck, your magic and perhaps your very soul depends on it. It may be something that has always been upon you, a geas prophesied by Druids at your birth, a sacred oath or vow you swore, or a promise or bargain you made. Someone (with a capital S) witnessed it and is going to hold you to it. If you disobey, the consequences will be dire, if not deadly.

Characters may have several magical prohibitions or imperatives, and these may come into conflict. In Celtic myth, Cuchulainn had the geas to "Never refuse hospitality" and "Never eat dog meat." Three hags once offered him roast dog for dinner, and Cuchulainn died soon after. Consequently, most changelings keep their magical prohibitions and imperatives secret, lest they be used against them by enemies.

Storytellers should examine each prohibition or imperative and assign a point value to it, as well as to the punishment for violating it. Easily avoided circumstances, such as "Never break bread with a red-haired man," are worth one point, while more common, or difficult, things, such as "Stop and pet every cat you see," are worth two points, and particularly drastic or dangerous circumstances, such as "Never back down from a fight," are worth three (or more) points. Consequences are worth points as well. Automatically botching the next major cantrip you do is worth one point, having bad luck for the rest of your life is worth two, losing all your friends and worldly possessions is worth three, dying is worth four, and being deserted by your faerie soul five. Characters and Storytellers may come up with variants of these.

Traditionally, there is very little that may be done about geas, which are simply facets of one's destiny, and curses are devilishly hard to lift (and the Flaw must be bought off if they are). Characters who accidentally violate them may attempt to atone for their crime, fixing whatever they did wrong. A witch who has vowed to never eat any red meat, and then suddenly finds beef in her soup, might be able to atone for the trespass by fasting and sending checks to PETA. However, if a changeling violates an oath willingly and with full knowledge — and survives — he becomes an oathbreaker, one of the foulest epithets among changelings. Oathbreakers are psychically marked. It is virtually impossible for them to find a tutor or any sort of aid.

Characters who wish to begin as oath-breakers should take the Flaw Dark Fate or some curse, as well as Oathbreaker, worth four points.

 

Nature Bound

2 point Flaw

Legends are full of incidents concerning the connection to nature and strength; this Flaw represents the negative side of that link. Characters with this Flaw take their strength from contact with nature, and weaken when removed from it. In game terms, characters are at no penalty when in natural surroundings, yet subtract one die from all actions when in unnatural settings. For purposes of this Flaw, cities, wastelands and the like are not considered natural. Characters with this Flaw should consider careers as park rangers, farmers and the like, or live as close as possible to a large park.

 

Pierced Veil

3 point Flaw

Your Crinos form doesn't trigger the Delirium in mortals. This Flaw can be a dangerous one, as werewolf hunters find it easier to trace you and perhaps find your caern.

 

Psychic Vampire

5 point Flaw

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.

 

Sign of the Wolf

2 point Flaw

You find it difficult to hide your werewolf heritage. In fact, your Homid form has all the folkloric signs of werewolves. Your eyebrows have grown together, there is hair on your palms, your second and third digits are the same length — you exhibit all manner of embarrassing conditions, in other words. In extreme cases, a pentagram may appear on your palm just before and during your auspice's phase of the moon. Obviously, it's difficult for you to hide from werewolf hunters.

 

Slip Sideways

1 point Flaw

You can't always control your passage to the Umbra. If, during a stressful situation, you should confront a highly reflective surface, roll Wits + Occult, difficulty 7, to avoid making the shift. You must still make a Gnosis roll to pass the Gauntlet in this instance, though your difficulty is 1 less — but only when you accidentally step sideways. If you want to go through, you're at normal difficulty.

 

Taint of Corruption

7 point Flaw

You are touched by the Wyrm and corrupt in the eyes of other Garou. You appear as a Wyrm creature to others using the Gift: Sense Wyrm. You suffer bad dreams, as manifestations of the Wyrm come to you in your sleep to lure you to their side. Your only hope may be your pack, if it will stand beside you. Ridding yourself of this corruption should be a major undertaking; such a quest would certainly inspire many stories.

 

Throwback

1-5 point Flaw

One or more of your past lives still affects you... badly. Their fears come back to haunt you in your dreams, and you have flashbacks of their worst memories (such as their death, or, even worse, a personality that encroaches on your own). For bad dreams or flashbacks, take one to two points depending on the severity of the condition and how much it will affect your studies or performance in dangerous situations. For a "roommate in your head," take three points (whether you know he exists or not). For the package deal and a truly miserable existence, take five points, but expect the Storyteller to take every opportunity to use these against you. This Flaw can be "worked off during the course of play, but only with difficulty.

 

 

Wyrm Tainted

4 point Flaw

Whether through your own twisted service to the Wyrm, an unfortunate quirk of heredity or just because of a supernatural accident, you reek of the enemy's blight. A number of Gifts allow shapechangers to notice your foul stench and most may want to kill you outright. This is a risky flaw. (Don't say we didn't warn you!)

Community Ties

Diabolical Mentor

2 point Flaw

Your mentor is engaged in acts that could cause a tremendous uproar. Plenty of folks are after your mentor's hide, and you may be tarred with the same brush.

 

Enemy

1-5 point Flaw

You have an enemy, or perhaps a group of enemies. Someone wants to harm you. The value of the Flaw determines how powerful these enemies are. The most powerful enemies (kings or elder vampires) would be five-point Flaws, while someone nearer to your own power would be worth only one point. You must decide who your enemy is and how you earned such enmity in the first place.

 

Infamous Mentor

1 point Flaw

Your mentor was, and perhaps still is, distrusted and disliked by many of your peers. As a result, you are distrusted and disliked as well. This is a heavy load, and one not easily shed.

 

Insane Mentor

1 point Flaw

Your mentor has completely lost his grip on reality, and has become lost to Bedlam or dangerously insane. Any wrong committed by your mentor may affect your reputation, and some of your mentor's dangerous schemes may somehow involve you.

 

Mentor's Resentment

1 point Flaw

Your mentor dislikes you and wishes you ill. Given the smallest opportunity, your mentor will seek to do you harm, and may even attack you if provoked. Your mentor's friends will also work against you. Good luck!

 

Notoriety

3 point Flaw

You have a bad reputation among your peers; perhaps you violated the protocols once too often, or belong to an unpopular freehold, pack, etc. There is a two dice penalty to all dice rolls for social dealings with associated changelings. A character with this Flaw may not take the Merit Reputation.

 

Twisted Upbringing

1 point Flaw

The pack that nabbed you and took you away for your Rite of Passage taught you all the wrong things about Garou society. Everything you believe about how Garou interact is wrong, and your faulty beliefs are likely to get you into a great deal of trouble. Over time, after many hard lessons, you can overcome this bad start (the Storyteller will tell you when). But until then, you continue to believe what you first heard, no matter how others try to trick you into thinking otherwise.

Mortal Society

Ward

3 point Flaw

You are devoted to the protection of a mortal. You may describe your ward, though the Storyteller will actually create her. This character may be a friend or relative from your pre-Chrysalis/pre-Change days, or just a good friend. Wards have a talent for getting caught up in the action of stories, and they're frequent targets of a character's enemies. If the ward is Kinfolk, then she must be one the character has a particularly special relationship with (lover, childhood friend, etc.).

 

Hunted

3 point Flaw

You are pursued by a fanatical werewolf hunter who believes you are a dangerous, slavering beast inimical to humanity (whether you are or not). All your companions may be hunted by the same individual as well. Although this hunter seeks the destruction of all Garou, there is something about you that impassions this killer. The hunter is, for some reason, immune to the Delirium.

 

Persistent Parents

2 point Flaw

Your parents refuse to let your memory lie, and they actively run a missing teens program to search for you. They also use hired detectives to hunt for you. How close they are to your trail is the Storyteller's decision. You cannot simply tell them what has become of you for some reason: Maybe your father is a loyal Pentex employee, or perhaps your parents are fundamentalists who just wouldn't understand your new life.

Physical

Allergic

1-4 point Flaw

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 actually incapacitates you, reducing appropriate Dice Pools by three. If the substance is really common in your chronicle, add an additional point to this Flaw.

 

Animal Musk

1 point Flaw

You smell like an animal even in Homid form. You suffer +2 difficulty on Social rolls in a situation where your smell is obvious (indoors, at a party; but not at a dump, etc.). This scent does not bother wolves, only humans.

Garou Flaw

 

Asthma

1 point Flaw

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.

 

Deformity

3 point Flaw

You have some kind of deformity — such as a misshapen limb, a hunchback — that affects your interactions with others and may inconvenience you physically. The difficulties of all dice rolls related to physical appearance are raised by two. Your deformity will also raise the difficulty of some Dexterity rolls by two, depending on the type of deformity you possess.

Sidhe characters cannot take this Flaw.

 

Disfigured

2 point Flaw

A hideous disfigurement makes you ugly and easy to notice or remember. You therefore have a zero Appearance.

Sidhe characters cannot take this Flaw.

 

Lame

3 point Flaw

Your legs are injured or otherwise prevented from working effectively. You suffer a two dice penalty to all dice rolls related to movement. A character may not take this Flaw along with the Merit Merit: Double-jointed.

Sidhe who are members of House Dougal cannot take this as their handicap, though it can be taken if they have a different handicap as their House Flaw.

 

Monstrous

3 point Flaw

There is something wholly monstrous about you, something that makes you hideous in the eyes of fellow Garou. Your Homid form scarcely looks human and your Crinos and Lupus forms look horrendous; in what manner you differ from the norm is up to you. Perhaps you have taken on the features of a reptilian animal and resemble a creature of the Wyrm to certain literal-minded Garou. Your Appearance is 0. Metis characters may take this Flaw as their metis disfigurement.

 

Mute

4 point Flaw

Your vocal apparatus does not function, and you cannot speak at all. You can communicate through other means — typically through writing or signing.

Sidhe who are members of House Dougal cannot take this as their handicap, though it can be taken if they have a different handicap as their House Flaw.

No Partial Transformation

1 point Flaw

You cannot take any mixed forms at all (such as Crinos paws while in Hispo) — only the full forms.

 

One Arm

3 point Flaw

You have only one arm — choose which, or determine randomly at character creation. This could be a battle scar, birth defect or other form of injury. It is assumed that you are accustomed to using your remaining hand, so you suffer no off-hand penalty. However, you do suffer a two dice penalty to any Dice Pool where two hands would normally be needed to perform a task. A character may not take this Flaw along with the Merit Merit: Ambidextrous.

Sidhe who are members of House Dougal cannot take this as their handicap, though it can be taken if they have a different handicap as their House Flaw.

 

Paraplegic

6 point Flaw

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 Merit: Double-jointed.

Sidhe who are members of House Dougal cannot take this as their handicap, though it can be taken if they have a different handicap as their House Flaw.

 

Short

1 point Flaw

You are well below average height, and have trouble seeing over high objects and moving quickly. You suffer a two dice penalty to all pursuit rolls, and you and the Storyteller should make sure your height is taken into account in all situations. In some circumstances, this will give you a concealment bonus. For Garou, your Crinos form doesn't gain as much mass and size as it normally would; you are just under average human height in this form. Only childling trolls can take this Flaw, other seemings of Trolls cannot.

 

 

Strict Carnivore

1 point Flaw

You derive no nourishment from vegetables, and you must rely solely on meat — preferably raw. It is hard for you to subsist in a desolate landscape where prey is scarce.

 

 

Wolf Years

5 point Flaw

Your life span is that of a wolf, rather than that of a normal Garou. In other words, you've got 12 to 20 years at most. You begin to take aging effects at eight years if you are lupus or within five years of the Change for a homid character. Naturally, homids with this Flaw begin aging quickly only after the Change.