☥ MERITS ☥ Gettin’ Up (•): Your character can read the signs

Acute Senses (• to ••• ) when she sees them. With an Intelligence + Streetwise
roll, she can identify the intended message. She can
Effect: The vampire can see, smell, and hear at twice identify further details, including the messenger’s clan,
the distance and with twice the accuracy of an average, covenant, favored herd, and city of origin by taking a –
healthy mortal. The vampire’s senses of taste and touch 1 die penalty for every detail she wishes to discern.
are also twice as sensitive as those of the same
Additional details come at Storyteller discretion.
hypothetical person. The vampire can see in pitch dark. If the area surveyed is part of someone’s Feeding
Dots beyond the first only increases the distance your
Grounds Merit, you can add their dot rating to your roll,
vampire can see in the darkness. and discern things the owner didn’t mean to
The vampire can perfectly identify any sensory
communicate. For example, particularly pale junkies in
stimulus she has experienced before; for example, the
the neighborhood might suggest that the owner feeds
smell of a lover’s sweat, the texture of a rare fabric, or
from addicts.
the sound of an individual’s scream. Backpacker (••): Your character is privy to all the
Add her Blood Potency to any roll to use her senses.
personal ads, magazine codes, tracts, and tagging
This includes any rolls to remember and identify
locations to find the latest Kindred news. Any time new
sensory details.
Kindred come to town, your character knows their
Grid Benefit: Your character gains 3 extra meters
favored feeding grounds and their common aliases
of Darkvision per dot, up to 18 meters (The standard
within a week. Using Gettin’ Up, she can discern more
darkvision for kindred is 9 meters)
personal information about them from the grapevine.
Drawback: Her senses sometimes overwhelm her.
Wearing a Hat (•••): Your character embodies
Any time you roll an exceptional success on a roll
honor among thieves. She’s a highly respected part of
relating to her senses, she gains the Obsession
the Cacophony, and as a result, nothing happens
Condition for the stimulus, but instead of being
without her knowledge. She’s a hub of local culture,
Persistent, it lasts for a number of nights equal to your
and the first line of defense against vampire hunters by
successes.
extension. Once per chapter, roll Wits + Politics. For
Bloodhound (••) each success, you can ask the Storyteller one of the
following questions about the current state of affairs:
Prerequisites: Wits •••
Who is on the way up?
Effect: Your character can discern the intricacies of Who is on the way out?
blood by smelling it, as if he had tasted it. When using Where in the city is the Masquerade thinnest?
his Kindred senses to detect blood, to track by blood, or What mortal is closest to uncovering Kindred?
to pick out the details of blood, he only needs to smell a Where’s the best feeding in town?
blood source.
When acting on the answer, consider all rolls
exceptional successes on three successes instead of five.
Cacophony Savvy (• to ••• )
Prerequisites: City Status • Computer Aptitude (•)
Effect: You have your finger on the pulse of the Effect: You are familiar with and talented in the uses
Kindred underground. You’re adept with the codes and of computer equipment. Other Kindred may not
cants that allow Kindred culture to flourish despite the understand computers, but to you they are intuitive. You
Masquerade. Each level of Cacophony Savvy builds on have +2 on All rolls involving computers.
the previous. This Merit assumes the character can read
and deliver Cacophony messages.
Drawback:
The Cacophony is not a spectator sport. You can’t
just consume; you must create. If your character does
not regularly contribute news and gossip to the
Cacophony, she falls out of touch. To become an active
part of the Cacophony again, she must add something
of value.
 Patriarch/Matriarch (•••): You’re acknowledged
Claws of the Unholy (•) as a head of your dynasty. Once per chapter, you may
Prerequisites: Protean •••• make a demand of a dynasty member. They gain the
Tasked Condition. If they fulfill the demand, gain a
Effect: A Gangrel’s claws are deadly and bestial; yours Beat. The task must be something that would take a full
are downright unnatural. The vampire allows the Beast night’s work, or put the recipient in danger.
out of its cage and lets it punish all those around her.
When wielding claws borne of Unnatural Aspect while Feeding Grounds (• to •••••)
in frenzy, this Merit takes effect. The weapon modifier
for the claws becomes +0 aggravated. These claws Effect: Your character has fertile feeding grounds,
ignore all armor not generated by Resilience. whether officially granted or not. Dots in this Merit
Drawback: represent the ease of hunting in that territory. Add the
You may only use Claws of the Unholy while in dot rating to any hunting rolls, and to starting Vitae rolls
frenzy or riding the wave. Once purchased, this (see p. 95). In addition, add the dot rating to any
modification is not optional; the character manifests predatory aura conflicts on her territory.
Claws of the Unholy any time she’s frenzied. Drawback:
Territory doesn’t maintain itself. Trespassers must
Close Family (•) not go uncontested, or your hold on the area falters.

Effect: Your character feels blood sympathy more Haven (• to •••••)

keenly than most of her kind. Add +1 to all blood Prerequisites: Safe Place •
sympathy bonuses, and apply the 8-again quality to all
blood sympathy rolls. As well, treat all relations as one Effect:
step closer for the purposes of sympathy distances. A good haven is not only safe from the sun, but also
Drawback: familiar and comforting. The dot rating reflects your
When you feel sympathy, you feel it hard. Any time character’s affinity for his home and its defenses
you succeed on a blood sympathy roll, your character against the sun’s intrusion.
loses the ability to spend Willpower for bonus dice for A low rating might mean an unreliable apartment
the remainder of the scene, due to the distraction. with boarded windows. A high rating may mean an
ancestral home with no windows and an extensive
Dynasty Membership (• to •••) system of vaults.
Prerequisites: Clan Status • Add your Haven dots to any Humanity rolls to notice
danger while sleeping, and any Stamina + Resolve rolls
Effect: Your character claims membership to a long- to remain awake. As well, add it to any Kindred senses
standing dynasty of Kindred. Her clan and city know (see p. 90) rolls within.
her family’s exploits, and they often precede her. Each Drawback:
level of this Merit builds on the earlier abilities. Losing a Haven is a breaking point at Humanity 8,
Drawback: minus its dot rating. A Haven must be tied to a Safe
You must make your association known to take Place Merit (see p. 123). Like a Safe Place, a coterie
advantage of this Merit. Within certain crowds, may share a Haven Merit. Each member that wishes to
throwing around a lineage could be more trouble than benefit must invest Merit dots in both the Safe Place
it’s worth. The dynasty must have at least three and the Haven.
members.
New Kid (•): You’re recognized within the dynasty, Herd (• to •••••)
but not in an influential position. Once per chapter, you
may add the Clan Status of the dynasty’s most senior Effect: Your character cultivates cliques of mortals
member to a Social dice pool instead of your own. willing and eager for the Kiss. Each week, you can
Exemplar (••): You’re afforded sway and respect draw on a number of Vitae equal to twice the Merit’s
within the dynasty. Against any who would respect or dot rating. This requires no roll, only a quick interlude.
fear your dynasty, you may ignore the first Door in any Taking more than that amount requires normal hunting
Social engagement. rolls.
Drawback: Her combined dots in one type of Status (City, Clan,
Addicts need their fix. Sometimes, they demand or Covenant) cannot exceed five, and she may never
attention. If neglected, they’ll withdraw. Your character have as many dots in her affiliated group as she does to
must have at least minor interactions with her Herd the group to which she belongs.
before they’ll give blood freely.
Kiss of the Succubus (•)
Honey Trap (•) Prerequisites: Must be Toreador
Prerequisites: Non Tremere
Effect: All Kindred can evoke lustful, passionate
Effect: Your character’s blood not only bonds, but it reactions with a bite. The Daeva’s bite is downright
invigorates. When a vampire tastes your character’s addicting. Her Kiss causes the Addicted Condition in
Vitae for the first time in a night, she regains a point of mortals as well as the Swooning Condition (for
Willpower. If this results in a new bond, or steps up an Addicted, see Vampire 2E Requiem p. 301; for
existing bond, she also takes a Beat. Swooning, see p. 306).
Drawback:
Kindred Status This gift is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it
keeps blood dolls coming back. On the other, they
Within Kindred society, there exist three types of won’t stay away.
Status: City, Clan, and Covenant. Each functions as the
Status Merit on p. 123, within its purview. City Status Lineage (•)
allows its advantages within the scope of the assigned Prerequisites: Clan Status •
city. Clan Status only functions within its designated
clan, and Covenant Status similarly within the chosen Effect: You come from strong stock. Your sire’s well
covenant. known, and his influence bleeds onto your interactions.
City Status reflects a vampire’s sway in the city, Once per chapter, this Merit can represent a single dot
whether official or unofficial. There’s no specific dot
of one of the following Merits: Allies, Contacts,
rating tied to a given position. For instance, a Prince Mentor, Resources, or Status. The Merit must be one
may have three dots of City Status, if the city doesn’t your sire may have possessed.
respect his authority as much as the Sheriff with five Drawback:
dots. Calling on your sire’s reputation taxes his social
Clan Status reflects notoriety and recognition within capital. He may ask for repayment for using his name.
the clan. Typically, a character with high Clan Status is
iconic within the clan. A character with five dots of Pack Alpha (•)
Ventrue Status is whom most Kindred think of when
Prerequisites: Must be Gangrel
they speak of the clan Ventrue. Kindred recognize a
low-Status character as a frequent collaborator within
clan circles. A character may not gain Status in a clan to Effect: You’re pack-minded. Your blood draws to
which she does not belong. blood. You may designate a coterie of Kindred and
Covenant Status is generally tied to positions and ghouls as your pack. Every Gangrel has a different
direct authority within covenant structure. A character method for the designation. Some anoint with blood.
with five dots of Covenant Status is a regional leader Some have hazing rituals.
within the covenant, a character with one dot has minor When the pack takes teamwork actions, the
responsibilities to their organization of choice. supporting characters gain the 8-again quality on their
Additionally, each covenant has available Merits that rolls. The anchor character does not, but still adds dice
scale depending on Covenant Status dots. equal to the others’ successes. Removing a pack
A character could theoretically gain Status within member must be done by force. You must cause lethal
multiple covenants. Most of the covenants will allow damage in one of their last three Health boxes, then
members to dabble in other organizations, so long as exile them from your presence for at least a week.
they don’t share secrets. The Ordo Dracul, for example, Drawback:
will not stop a member from attending Sanctified mass. Drawback:
When a member of your pack defies you, you must
But the moment she shares her knowledge of the Coils,
make an example of them or lose a point of Willpower.
she’ll find her Requiem cut abruptly short.
Unnatural Affinity (• to •••••) Touchstone (• to •••••)
Effect: Your character can take nourishment from the Effect: Your character has multiple Touchstones. Each
blood of some of the stranger creatures of the World of dot in the Touchstone Merit allows for an additional
Darkness. Each dot of this Merit allows your character Touchstone. Look to the Touchstone chart for which
to gain sustenance from one type of supernatural Humanity dot each new Touchstone is applied to. For
creature. This may mean werewolves, ghosts, more on Touchstones, see p. 87.
mummies, zombies, or stranger things still. This blood Drawback:
counts as Kindred Vitae for the purposes of feeding Losing attachment with Touchstones will speed the
restrictions. loss of Humanity. As well, if your character’s last
Drawback: Touchstone dies or is destroyed, your character will feel
This advantage does not inherently mean the the call of torpor.
character is (more) able to feed from the chosen subject.
For example, ghosts exist in an ethereal state, and don’t Unsettling Gaze (•)
have physical blood. Werewolves are notoriously Prerequisites: Must be Nosferatu
difficult to feed from for more practical reasons that
often end in Final Death. If you take this Merit, work Effect: All Haunts have an unsettling effect. Your
with your Storyteller to determine how your character character’s Beast oozes with terror. When she evokes
might feed from these monsters. the monstrous Beast (see p. 91), she unsettles her target
deeply and makes him question himself. Any time she
Swarm Form (••) infects a victim with the Bestial Condition and scores
Prerequisites: Protean ••• an exceptional success, she also forces a breaking point
if the victim has a higher Humanity (or Integrity) than
Effect: When taking the Beast’s Skin, some Gangrel hers.
can instead become a swarm of small creatures: Size 0 Drawback:
or Size 1 animals. The character may perceive through Forcing a breaking point in another is also a breaking
any of the senses of any individual creature in the point for your character if her Humanity is 3 or higher.
swarm, but the swarm acts as a single entity.
The swarm may spread over five yards or meters per
dot of Blood Potency. Creatures beyond that range die
and rapidly decompose. The swarm moves at the
vampire’s Speed, modified for the creatures’ Size, in
any logical direction.
The swarm limits visibility and hearing, and causes
panic in all those present. Everyone within the swarm’s
area suffers the persistent Distracted Condition (see
p.302) until they get away. With Storyteller discretion, a
swarm may have other features suited to the swarm
animal. For example, rats should be better at biting
through barricades.
The swarm resists most harm. Roll attacks against
the swarm as normal, but after factoring armor and
other modifiers, the swarm only takes one point of
damage of the appropriate type at most, or two points of
damage with an exceptional success. Fire, sunlight,
explosions, and other large-scale threats cause normal
harm to the swarm, which is affected by banes as
normal. To attack those within her swarm, roll Strength
+ Brawl, ignoring Defense. Divide the damage however
you wish among those inside. Apply a victim’s armor to
the damage normally. The damage is lethal (bashing to
Kindred). Alternately, a success may instead allow the
vampire to take one Vitae from a victim.
 COVENANT SPECIFIC MERITS
This stolen knowledge is imperfect at best. Any
Carthians failures with the stolen knowledge are automatically
considered dramatic failures. Any Experience costs
Army of One (• to •••••) apply normally; this Merit functionally adds one
Prerequisites: Carthian Status at equal or higher level Experience to the cost.
This Merit may not be taken multiple times. The dot
of covenant advantage cannot be used as a prerequisite
Effect: Carthians always have each other’s backs. A
for another purchased Merit or ability.
ranking member of the Movement is never alone.
To activate Army of One, the character must make a
call or otherwise contact her allies in the Movement.
Mobilize Outrage (• to •••,
This takes an instant action. Style)
Roll Presence + Politics + Carthian Status. In ten Prerequisites: Carthian Status •••, Brawl ••, Resolve
minutes minus the successes rolled, her backup arrives. ••••
She receives one backup Carthian per dot in Army of
One. They will fight for her, or contribute to teamwork
Effect: Your character has the hands of a revolutionary.
actions. If faced with a deadly or overwhelming threat, She fights with the passion of the oppressed. She breaks
they may run if they fail a Resolve + Composure roll.
skulls the way a slave breaks his bondage.
A character may only use Army of One once Your character gains access to the following effects
per story.
at each subsequent level of this Merit.
Devotion Experimenter (•••) Strike to Preempt (•): Against an overwhelming
Prerequisites: Carthian Status ••, Science •• opponent, a revolutionary’s only choice is to strike
first and to strike so hard the opponent cannot strike
Effect: Since, in many cities, the Carthian Movement back. Your character puts everything into a single
has the fewest elders of any covenant, some Carthians attack to end things quickly. When spending
specialize in studying Devotions, in order to make the Willpower on your character’s attack, add her
most of their lower-level Disciplines. A Devotion Willpower dots to the attack roll instead of the
Experimenter’s task is to research new Devotions and normal +3. This technique may only be used in the
teach their effects to her fellow Carthians. first turn of combat. She cannot take an action in the
A Devotion Experimenter is better at learning and next turn, and loses her Defense.
utilizing Devotions than your average vampire is. She Unbreakable (••): When resisting Mental or
subtracts one Experience from the cost of any Social coercion, including from Disciplines,
Devotion, to a minimum of one Experience. spending Willpower adds your character’s Resolve
Additionally, it is easier for the vampire to develop dots to a contested roll, or subtracts from the
devotions and if she teaches a devotion to someone, her opponent’s roll on a resisted roll. This occurs
student enjoys her cost break on the power. instead of the normal +3 or -2 from spending
Willpower. Unbreakable may only be used when
Fucking Thief (•) your character is actively engaged in combat, or will
be initiating combat in the next turn. This includes
Prerequisites: Carthian Status • , Subterfuge •••
use of Strike to Preempt.
Effect: Fucking Thieves, or Magpies to the less
resentful, are Carthians that specialize in stealing the
secrets of other organizations. While they can’t dig in
deep enough to master these tricks, they can learn
enough to approximate them.
A Carthian with this Merit can buy a single covenant
advantage reserved for another group, at one dot. For
example, she might steal a first level Mystery of the
Dragon, a Theban Sorcery, or Crúac ritual, or an
Invictus Merit.
 Dying On Your Feet (•••): The Carthian with this
ability remains standing and fighting long after most I Know a Guy (•)
vampires would fall. Her will forces her forward Prerequisites: Carthian Status •
despite crippling injuries. While in combat, your
character suffers no wound penalties, and is not Effect: When Carthians make Allies (see p. 118), their
subject to torpor when her Health boxes are full of covenant acts as a sort of support network that bolsters
lethal damage. Only aggravated damage, and thus the efficiency of those allies. Once per story, a Carthian
Final Death, may stop her. At the end of the combat may access temporary Retainer dots equal to their
scene, she will fall into torpor if her Health boxes Allies. These Retainers act in the Carthian’s interest,
are still full of lethal damage. just like any other Retainers. (Since Allies gained with
Carthian Pull don’t really belong to the character as a
Carthian Pull (•) Merit, they don’t count for purposes of I Know A Guy.)
Drawback:
Prerequisites: Carthian Status •
These Retainers represent the Allies group in
question, and will serve its interests first and foremost.
Effect: Carthians know people. Being the covenant
If the Carthian wants them to do something contrary to
arguably most in touch with humanity, they tend to
the group’s interest, she’ll need to manipulate, threaten,
have the most numerous connections. Membership in
or otherwise risk her relationship with her Allies.
the Movement can mean leveraging those connections.
Each month, you can access a number of dots of the
Allies, Contacts, Haven, and Herd Merits equal to your Carthian Law
Carthian Status.
Carthian Law Merits stand as the Carthian Movement’s
Drawback:
edge in Kindred society. Each affords the Carthian
These Merits are not yours. They’re very temporary,
certain advantages pertaining to the recognized law of
very superficial. You don’t get a house from Haven
the city. In many cases, this law did not come from the
dots; you get crash space for a couple days. Each use is
Carthians, but that doesn’t mean they can’t use it to
a favor, and the Movement expects members to repay
their advantage. Carthian Law gives Kindred law a sort
their favors.
of metaphysical weight which prevents a city’s
Night Doctor Surgery (•••) residents from breaching protocol. Carthians have
learned to leverage that, making them valuable to even
Prerequisites: Carthian Status •• cities without a Carthian government.

Effect: Lex Terrae (••)

Carthians have adapted a bit of real-world surgery
Prerequisites: Carthian Status ••, Feeding Ground •
and a little body horror into a series of morbid
reconstruction techniques to help injured Kindred heal.
Effect: Territory is bond. Feeding ground is sacrosanct.
Night Doctor Surgery helps bones reset, and speeds the
knitting of flesh. With an hour of treatment, roll Any blood poached from your character’s Feeding
Ground is tainted for Kindred she has not specifically
Intelligence + Medicine. Each success converts one
allowed. When next a poacher sleeps, the blood
point of lethal damage to bashing. Alternatively, three
successes can convert one point of aggravated damage dissolves in his gullet. When he wakes, he violently
retches, taking one bashing damage per Vitae lost. As
to lethal damage. Failure means the wounds remain;
dramatic failure upgrades three points of bashing to well, his lips and mouth stain with black streaks that
paint him as a poacher. These marks last for one week.
lethal, or two lethal to aggravated. With Storyteller
Drawback:
discretion, this Merit and Willpower expenditure may
This Merit requires a clearly-defined and publicly
be used over time to make changes to facial appearance.
announced feeding ground.
Drawback:
Knowledge of Night Doctor Surgery affords a great
responsibility. If your identity is known, the Movement
will call on your services frequently. For this reason,
most Night Doctors use pseudonyms (usually a letter,
like Doctor H), performing their services while masked.
You cannot perform Night Doctor Surgery on yourself.
You may only make one attempt to treat a given injury.
Mandate from the Masses Right of Return (••)
(•••••) Prerequisites: Carthian Status ••, City Status •
Prerequisites: Carthian Status •••••
Effect: This somewhat rare Merit allows a Carthian to
work within another covenant without fear of her
Effect: Carthians wield consensus the way a cop
covenant’s ostracism. After all, Carthians aim for
wields a baton. With the power of the Movement
human solutions, and nothing is more human than the
behind her, a ranking Carthian can call on the will of
ability to adapt and socialize. With this Merit, the
her people to strike weakness into the Movement’s
character’s Carthian Status does not count toward her
opposition. With her words and the mandate, she strips
normal limitations on multiple Covenant Status Merits.
a Kindred enemy’s blood down to nothingness.
To enact this law, your character must make a clear She can have as many as five dots of the Covenant
and direct admonishment against one of the Status Merit, not counting her Carthian Status.
While individual characters may oppose your
Movement’s enemies. Cross a dot of Willpower off the
character’s cosmopolitan membership practices, she’s
Carthian’s sheet. She must also garner the support of
adept at defending them. In any Social Maneuvering
others of the Movement for a vote — from both
with members of a covenant she claims Status in, treat
Storyteller characters and players’ characters.
her impressions as one step better (see p. 173 for more
If the vote favors the admonishment, add the total
dots of Carthian Status in support (including the user’s on Social Actions).
Drawback:
five). For every five dots, reduce the victim’s Blood
Kindred remain ever paranoid, particularly with a
Potency by one dot. If this reduces him to zero dots, he
Carthian in their midst. Every step she takes receives
effectively becomes a revenant (see p. 94 for rules on
the utmost scrutiny. Your character loses the 10-again
revenants).
quality on rolls to hide suspicious behavior from
Drawback:
The Willpower dot (belonging to the vampire who members of her other covenants.
invoked the mandate) and Blood Potency (belonging to
the victim) only come back if the victim flees the city
Strength of Resolution (•)
or meets Final Death. If the Carthian meets Final Death, Prerequisites: Carthian Status •
the victim immediately regains his lost Blood Potency.
A single vampire may only be victim to one instance of Effect: A Carthian stands resolute in the face of that
this Merit at a time. which would force her to violate the law. Add her
Carthian Status to any dice pool to contest a Discipline
Plausible Deniability (••••) or other supernatural power which would coax her to
Prerequisites: Carthian Status ••• violate acknowledged city law.

Effect: Carthians don’t break laws; they defy laws.

Influential Carthians can throw law to the wind, then
laugh it off with an argument about the definition of the
word “is.” Any attempt to use a Discipline or other
supernatural power to prove your character’s guilt in
breach of city law or Tradition automatically fails. She
cannot be forced to confess by any means, and attempts
to detect her honesty through mundane means suffer her
Carthian Status as a penalty. She exhibits no stains on
her aura from diablerie.
Drawback:
It’s one thing to deny the truth. It’s another to deny
the truth to witnesses. You lose the ability to use your
City Status and Carthian Status dots in any Social rolls
against anyone who knows for certain of your
character’s guilt, and opposes her.
Coda Against Sorcery (• to
•••••)
Prerequisites: Carthian Status •

Effect: The largely secular Carthian Movement

maintains this ancient practice as a defense against
sorcery. Precedent for this Law goes back as far as the
Code of Ur-Nammu, over four thousand years ago. In
essence, it constructs a set of rules for the way sorcery
works or doesn’t work, and shuts down anything
violating those rules. The Carthian sets a sort of “rules
of engagement” for the mystical, and the word of law
enforces them.
When adopting the Coda Against Sorcery, the
character signifies whether the Coda applies to all
sorceries, a specific variety of blood sorcery, or a single
defined ritual. This requires the character to have seen
the power in effect, or at least be versed in the basic
way it works. Note that this does apply to non-Kindred
magics if the character wishes.
Changing the definitions requires the character
abandon his current Coda under the Sanctity of Merits
rule (see Vampire: The Requiem, p. 109) and
purchasing a new instance of the Merit. Characters
using a defined sorcery against the character suffer his
Merit dots as a penalty on any roll to activate or wield
said sorcery against him.
If Defense applies against the sorcery, add his Merit
dots to his Defense against attacks made with
weaponized sorceries.
Circle of Crones Temple Guardian (• to •••,
Members of the Circle of the Crone have access to the
Style)
following Merits. Unless otherwise noted, they have an Prerequisites: Athletics ••, Brawl ••, Weaponry ••
additional prerequisite of Status (Circle of the Crone) •
or higher. Effect: The Circle of the Crone is no stranger to
persecution. Some of the Circle’s predecessors
Mandragora Garden (• to developed this Fighting Style in ancient times, so its
Gorgons could defend the group from the newly
•••••) ascendant Lancea et Sanctum’s purge of all pagan
Prerequisites: Prerequisites: Safe Place (same level), traditions.
Crúac • Your character gains access to the following abilities
at their respective dot levels.
Effect: Your character maintains a garden of ghouled
Athena’s Armor (•): Your character stands her
plants. They move and act on their own in slow, almost
ground for her temple, and remains unshaken.
imperceptible fashion. As well, they act as a vector for
During any turn where your character is not
your character’s Crúac.
Your character’s rating in Mandragora Garden attacking, ignore the first level of damage from any
attack that hits her.
determines the rough size, which must correspond with
Enyo’s Defense (••): Your character defends her
an equal or greater Safe Place. An Acolyte can use
Mandragora she’s created herself as if they were her sisters at all costs. So long as your character has
access to her Defense, she can reflexively move up
own hands and eyes for the purposes of Crúac rituals.
to half her Speed in yards to intercept an attack
This allows her to use her rituals at a distance. If she’s
against another character. The attack roll is made
standing amidst her garden, she may add her
against your character’s Defense (multiple attacker
Mandragora Garden dots to any Crúac ritual rolls.
Additionally, the Acolyte may cast rituals on her garden penalties apply normally), and she suffers any
resulting damage.
that would normally last a scene. The magic of the
Eris’s Glory (•••): Your character’s relentless
garden sustains these rituals indefinitely. She may have
defense of her sisters inspires them to greatness.
a number of such rituals active equal to her dots in this
Any turn where your character takes lethal or
Merit. Mandragoras transplanted elsewhere wither and
die if not cared for by a character with this Merit. aggravated damage from a successful attack, choose
While she must feed her garden one Vitae per month an ally to gain the Inspired Condition. Additionally,
equal to her dots in Mandragora Garden, the garden will any wound penalties your character suffers add to
produce twice that quantity in sap, nectar, or other her allies’ Crúac rolls. Since Crúac takes time, this
fluids, which serve as animal blood, on which Kindred barely helps in a fight. But your character’s blood
may feed. Lastly, because of the intimate association a and suffering bolsters her allies off the battlefield.
vampire must keep with such a garden, it becomes an
extension of her body. Anyone attacking or otherwise Altar (•••)
harming the garden provokes her to frenzy as if they Prerequisites: Circle of the Crone Status •
attacked her directly. Note: A vampire’s Mandragora
take on qualities of her blood. They will bear fruit Effect: Your character is attuned to a mystical, bloody
symbolic of her clan, for example. Some Toreador altar. She may have crafted it herself, or a covenmate
plants produce pomegranate-like fruits, for example, may have designed it. In the presence of the altar,
and Gangrel sometimes create Indian figs. If the Acolytes may use the teamwork rules (see p. 173) when
character has a Crúac style, this will show up in her using Crúac rituals.
plants. However, double the time necessary to make the roll,
and determine the time per roll by the lowest Crúac dots
of the collective group. This allows vampires
uninitiated in the secrets of Crúac to participate in
rituals. Characters do not need dots in Crúac to act as
supporting performers with the Altar Merit, but double
the time between rolls if any participants have no Crúac
dots whatsoever.
Drawback: Unlike most Merits, three or more If the character fails her Crúac roll, the effects
characters must purchase this Merit to gain its benefits. become a burden at least, but more commonly an
Each character contributes a single Merit dot to the total outright problem for her. With Dramatic Failure, they
cost. Additional characters may purchase dots in the become a persistent menace. Crúac Styles use a feature
Altar, but to use the teamwork advantages, they must called “Magnitude.” The ritual level used, or the
contribute. character’s Style dots determine a Style’s Magnitude,
whichever is lower. Therefore, a character with a four-
Mother-Daughter Bond (•) dot Style casting a third level ritual has a Magnitude of
Prerequisites: Circle of the Crone Status • 3. The following three Styles are the most common
exhibited by Crúac users. Other, rarer kinds exist.
Effect: The Circle exists through tribulation and
mentorship. Without tight-knit bonds, the Circle would Crúac Style: Unbridled
never have survived its tumultuous early years. When a Chaos (• to •••••, Style)
member of the Circle with this Merit purchases the Prerequisites: Crúac •
Mentor Merit, that Mentor is protected by the True
Friend Merit (see p. 124). The vampire does not have to
Effect: Your character’s Crúac exhibits unbridled
purchase True Friend to take this advantage.
chaos. When she enacts her rituals, things warp and
Drawback:
change around her. The weather shifts suddenly in her
Strong bonds go both ways. The mentor is likely to
vicinity. At higher levels of the Style and of Crúac, this
have stronger requirements than most teachers, and will
may summon forth a natural disaster. Additionally,
require a substantial amount of the vampire’s time.
More importantly, she’ll demand loyalty, if not objects around her change on a molecular level to other
substances.
monogamy.
When activating Crúac, objects around your
character will increase or decrease in Structure and
Crúac Style Merits Durability equal to her Magnitude, as the Storyteller
sees fit. If the Crúac succeeds, the changes should be
Crúac Style Merits reflect the inner fuel, the bloody distinctly favorable, but not entirely controllable. If the
fertilizer within your character that fuels her Crúac. Crúac ritual fails, the changes should be wildly
They not only flavor the results, but they bring an inconvenient and undesirable. At levels three and
additional layer to the ritual’s effect. higher, this can warp and mutate animals, forcing
Think of the casting of Crúac as a vine, and the unnatural, rapid evolutions. This might include adding
desired effect the fruit. Crúac Styles are a flower that or removing limbs, or other animals’ features (use
grows along that vine. Adding a Style’s effect is Protean for a guideline). At level five, this can affect
optional; you choose before making the Crúac ritual mortals.
rolls whether or not your character wishes the With the expenditure of a point of Willpower, this
additional effect. Style also causes a violent shift in the local weather.
Your character may only have one Crúac Style. She This is determined by the Magnitude. One dot might
may eventually shed one and adopt another, but this is a mean minor fog, whereas five could cause a hurricane.
redefining moment in her life that must accompany a Your character remains immune to any Tilts caused by
loss in Humanity as she faces the truth of her mystical the weather effect, as she maintains a primal, intimate
Vitae and a rebirth of person. connection with it.
In addition to their basic mechanical effects, these
Styles should be reflected in narration and effect.
Higher-level Styles have more dramatic effects. While
the effects may not always be obvious, they should be
present in the story.
Crúac Style: Primal Creation Crúac Style: Opening the
(• to •••••, Style) Void (• to •••••, Style)
Prerequisites: Crúac • Prerequisites: Crúac •

Effect: Your character’s Crúac is attuned to a force of Effect: Your character’s affinity for the Void shows in
primal creation. When she casts her rituals, life blooms her magic; when she casts Crúac, she opens a tiny gate
rampant around her. Plants multiply in size. Infertile to somewhere unknown. This allows the Acolyte to
characters become remarkably fertile. Animals grow. birth a familiar of sorts.
When activating Crúac, all plants within her Crúac When activating Crúac, your character summons
dots in yards (meters) rapidly grow in size, gaining an forth a creature of unknown origins. It appears as a
additional Size level for each level of Magnitude. Any strange conglomeration of darkness and animal parts;
plant, animal, or person that’s likely to bear offspring in the Acolyte can force it into a humanoid or animal
the next year will bear twice the normal amount, or shape with a Size equal to Magnitude. Make the
three times at Magnitude 4 or 5. creature using the Retainer rules (see Vampire: The
A particular plant, animal, or person can only be Requiem, p. 123). Its effective dot rating is equal to the
subject to one Primal Creation at a time. With a point of Magnitude. It has Health levels equal to two plus the
Willpower, the Style forces immediate, violent, rapid vampire’s Crúac dots.
cloning. Any living creatures of Size equal to or lower The creature will follow basic commands blindly, but
than the Magnitude begin growing additional limbs and will attempt minor rebellions to make the vampire’s
features. Within one minute’s time, they forcibly divide life… interesting. It fades from existence after one hour
into two distinct creatures. Both are near-identical per dot of the ritual used, and only one such monster
copies, losing one dot of each Mental and Social will be present at a given time; no matter how many
Attribute, to a minimum zero. This halves the normal times the vampire uses Crúac.
expected lifespan of each creature. However, the vampire may buy the monster as a
Retainer, rendering it permanently earthbound. This
adds one dot of a Discipline per dot in the Retainer
Merit. The monster may learn the vampire’s
Disciplines, and Celerity, Resilience, and Vigor.
Creatures purchased with the Retainer Merit do not
count as the one creature allowed at a given time.
With a point of Willpower, the gateway, which
allows the oddity through, can also absorb others and
drag them into a dark place of no return. This only
works on living things; the other world doesn’t want for
Kindred blood. Choose a victim when using this ability.
The victim feels the pull of the unearthly, and must
resist or be obliterated. The victim rolls Resolve +
Composure as an extended action. Each roll requires a
point of Willpower. The required number of successes
is equal to the Magnitude. While fighting this
otherworldly absorption, the character suffers
Magnitude as a penalty to all other actions.
Army of One (• to •••••) **** (• to ••• )****
Prerequisites: Carthian Status at equal or higher level Prerequisites: Wits •••

Effect: Effect:
Grid Benefit:
Army of One (• to •••••) Drawback:

Prerequisites: Carthian Status at equal or higher level **** (• to ••• )****

Prerequisites: Wits •••
Effect:

Army of One (• to •••••) Effect:

Grid Benefit:
Prerequisites: Carthian Status at equal or higher level Drawback:

Effect: **** (• to ••• )****

Prerequisites: Wits •••
Army of One (• to •••••)
Prerequisites: Carthian Status at equal or higher level Effect:
Grid Benefit:
Effect: Drawback:

Army of One (• to •••••) **** (• to ••• )****

Prerequisites: Carthian Status at equal or higher level Prerequisites: Wits •••

Effect: Effect:
Grid Benefit:
Army of One (• to •••••) Drawback:
Prerequisites: Carthian Status at equal or higher level

Effect:

**** (• to ••• )****

Prerequisites: Wits •••

Effect:
Grid Benefit:
Drawback:

**** (• to ••• )****

Prerequisites: Wits •••

Effect:
Grid Benefit:
Drawback:

**** (• to ••• )****

Prerequisites: Wits •••

Effect:
Grid Benefit:
Drawback:
Invictus Where the Bodies Are Buried
(••)
Information Network (•) Prerequisites: Invictus Status ••
Prerequisites: Contacts •, Invictus Status ••
Effect: Effect: The Conspiracy of Silence covers up a
As a member of the Invictus, your character has support lot of secrets… and your character’s been quietly
to investigate, maintain, and motivate her connections. keeping track. A number of times equal to your Invictus
Effect: Every Contact your character counts as a Status per story, you can ask one of the following
Skill Specialty related to the information he provides. questions about another vampire whose name and
However, she may only use that Specialty when covenant affiliation you know:
utilizing information gained from the Contact. If she
loses the Contact for whatever reason, she also loses the Who would this vampire run to if he were in
Specialty. trouble?
Who is this vampire’s most frequent vessel?
Invested (•) What is this vampire’s main source of income?
Who is this vampire’s closest living family
Prerequisites: Invictus Status • member?
Has this vampire covered up the murder of a
Effect: In the Invictus, you get out what you put in. human?
Through doing favors and making herself noticed, your
character has gotten back plenty. Divide dots equal to Drawback:
your Invictus status in the Herd, Mentor, Resources, Digging into this information attracts attention. At
and Retainers Merits. You may distribute them as you least one fellow member of the Invictus will know you
like. These dots can be added to existing Merit dots, or were investigating the vampire.
added upon later. If she loses dots of Status, the dots
granted by this Merit go away as well. Attaché (•••)
Drawback: Prerequisites: Invictus Status •
These advantages came from the covenant. They’re
not only known, but they’re a matter of covenant Effect: Normally, Retainers (see p. 123) serve a couple
scrutiny. Rivals may call whether your character of functions, represented by dice pools. They don’t
deserves them into question. normally allow a character to access other things
represented by Social Merits.
Speaker for the Silent (•••) However, Invictus vampires with this Merit have
Prerequisites: Dynasty Membership •, Invictus Status Retainers of a more thoroughly loyal breed. Each
• Retainer gains any combination of the following Merit
dots equal to the vampire’s Invictus Status: Contacts,
Effect: Any Kindred may be part of a dynastic house, Resources, or Safe Place. Drawback: While the Invictus
but the Invictus take dynasty membership very may access these
seriously. Some members receive training to channel Drawback: While the Invictus may access these
the minds of torpid dynasty members. With this Merit, Merits, it must be done through an intermediary. So it
the character can choose to act as a medium for a torpid might take a bit of time, or require a bit of red tape
elder’s consciousness. navigation to access. At very least it will require a few
While possessed, the Speaker is aware of what inconvenient phone calls.
occurs around him, but the torpid Kindred has control
of his body, and can speak through him. The torpid Friends in High Places •
Kindred retains no access to her Disciplines while Prerequisites: Invictus Status •
possessing a Speaker. At any time, the Speaker can
spend a point of Willpower to eject the torpid mind. The Effect: The Invictus have their fingers in a lot of
torpid Kindred can relinquish her control at will. pies…but any one vampire only has so many fingers.
So the vampires of the First Estate do not just leverage
their personal connections — they leverage each
other’s. An Invictus member can always do a little
horse trading.
Each month, your character can automatically open a Demanding Attention (•••): With mastery of
number of Doors equal to her status dots. The person Courtoisie, your character can insist an opponent
being persuaded must be acting on behalf of an engage, to the exclusion of other concerns. So long
organization. as he’s not threatened by outside attacks, he must
You could persuade the fire chief not to investigate a engage your character. Your character’s stance
series of arsons at your rival’s havens, but couldn’t guarantees his injury if he does not. If he flees,
convince him to give you a personal loan. attacks another character, or otherwise disengages
Drawback: from the duel, Demanding Attention takes effect. He
The influence the character drew upon must come immediately takes lethal damage equal to your
from a specific Invictus member…and your character character’s Socialize, and is knocked to the ground.
now owes him a favor. If he does not spend an instant action standing, his
physical actions are at -2 dice, and his Defense is at
Courtoisie (• to •••, Style) -2.
Prerequisites: Composure •••, Socialize ••, Weaponry
•• Crowdsourcing (• to •••)
Prerequisites: Contacts •, Resources •••
Effect: Your character specializes in the “polite duel,” Your character is an expert at networking, and
as polite as stabbing another person into torpor can be. gathering together resources for the covenant’s
With Courtoisie, your character can demand a foe’s consumption. In times of need, the First Estate bands
attention, and guarantee the fight occurs within bounds together to achieve great things and your character is at
of honorable protocol. Duels with Courtoisie tend to be the heart of that majestic storm. She knows just the
social affairs as much as physical, as participants taunt right numbers to call and just the right accounts to make
and threaten their opponents into fatal mistakes. Effect: magic happen.
Courtoisie may only be used with hand-to-hand Effect: Your character can act as a hub for Invictus
weaponry. Your character gains access to the following resources. With an hour’s effort and a point of
abilities at each level: Willpower, you may make a Manipulation + Academics
roll. Every success allows one Invictus character to
Establish the Duel (•): The foundation of
transfer a dot of one of the below Merits to another.
Courtoisie establishes the duel. Choose an
This can increase a character’s effective Merit level
opponent. If the opponent engages your character by
above five, by a number of dots equal to your
attacking, the duel is established. Your character is
character’s Crowdsourcing level. For example, with
trained to fend off other opponents with rapid,
Crowdsourcing ••, characters may increase their
shallow swipes. Any other character coming within
Resources to seven dots temporarily. These
hand-to-hand combat range suffers one level of
monumental levels of influence allows for one massive
lethal damage from your character’s defensive
effort. Shifts from Crowdsourcing last for one action.
strikes. Add her Weaponry to her Defense against
Then, those Merits are lost. The original owner loses
characters other than the chosen contender. Your
access to them for the remainder of the story.
character loses this benefit if she attacks another
Crowdsourcing can shift dots of Allies, Contacts,
character.
Haven, Herd, Resources, and Retainer.
Value of the Spoken Word (••): Your character
can leverage taunts, teasing, goading, threatening,
and otherwise speaking to create openings to harm
Moderator (• to •••••)
her opponent. If she engages her opponent socially, Prerequisites: Computer •••, Contacts • (Online),
she may substitute her Expression, Intimidation, Invictus Status ••
Socialize, or Subterfuge Skills for either her Your character moderates part of an Internet
Athletics or Weaponry in combat, or her Presence communications network for the First Estate. This
for her Strength, her Manipulation for her Dexterity. carries with it access, privileges, and worldwide
connections.
Effect: Your character has advanced access to the
network. She can access information, telecommuted
assistance, and investigative aid worldwide. Once per
story, she can use a dot in this Merit as a dot in Allies,
Contacts, or Library. The utilized Merit cannot be local,
and is limited by its Internet-based access.
 • A +1 bonus to a Social roll against the victim, or -1
Noblesse Oblige (•••) on one of their Social rolls. Another character can
Prerequisites: City Status ••• access the bonus or take advantage of the penalty if
Some Invictus lead because they’re power hungry. the information is shared.
Your character leads because she feels it’s her inherent • Knowledge of a weakness, including Banes,
responsibility to do so, as the superior Kindred. The one Conditions, or other issues at Storyteller discretion.
most suited to lead must bear that responsibility, she
believes. This sense of responsibility reaffirms her A character may only be subject to one Social
sense of identity. She believes herself less a vampire, Engineering effort in a given story. The victim’s Safe
more an embodiment, and a personification of Place and Anonymity Merits penalize the roll to use
leadership. Social Engineering.
Effect: This Merit must be tied to an official
position within her domain. Your character may shed a Notary (••)
Touchstone of your choice. Replace that Touchstone Prerequisites: Invictus Status •••
with the character’s political position for all intents and
purposes. Losing the position would be identical to the Effect: The Invictus appointed your character a Notary,
death of a Touchstone. a scholar of Oaths. She presides over Oath agreements.
Because of your standing as an arbiter of the status quo,
Prestigious Sire (•) Invictus may not use their Invictus Status in rolls
Prerequisites: Mentor •••• against you. As well, each month, you may request
Invictus favor merit, but often, the concept of merit access to a single dot of Allies, Contacts, Herd, Mentor,
flows from sire to childe; a prestigious sire would or Resources, granted by the covenant at large.
clearly choose only the best childer. Your character’s Drawback: Invictus are deathly serious about the
sire is such a paragon. This affords her certain benefits sanctity of Oaths. If you’re caught knowingly
other neonates might not receive. When she speaks, all administering an unwilling Oath, or Oath a non-Invictus
but the ignorant listen. as liege in an agreement, the Invictus will remove you
Effect: When your character speaks, she speaks with from the Estate. Usually, this removal comes through
the weight of her sire’s words. When taking Social Final Death.
action with an appropriate character, she may add her
sire’s City, Clan, or Covenant Status Merit dots to her
dice pool instead of her own. However, if she fails in
Invictus Oaths
the action, she loses this Merit (Sanctity of Merits Invictus Oaths are the First Estate’s ace in the hole, its
applies). She may not repurchase the Merit during the way of establishing and maintaining a rigid and
same story, and then only after a major success outside effective hierarchy. An Invictus Notary officiates Oaths;
her sire’s shadow. a character with the Notary Merit can preside over any
Oath, so long as the participants meet the prerequisites
Social Engineering (••••) for the Merit. Recognized and manumitted Invictus
must have at least one active Oath. This is to say
Prerequisites: Investigation ••, Manipulation •••,
Invictus require the presence of a Notary for their
Subterfuge ••, Wits •••
Your character is a master of digging up little private induction.
Each Oath is a two-way street, with two active
bits and personal information through manipulating
participants: the liege and vassal. The vassal must
associates, piecing together context, or baiting
purchase the Oath Merit to gain its advantages; the
unintentional confessions. Effect: With an hour’s work,
liege does not. When swearing an Oath, the participants
a point of Willpower, and a Manipulation +
must define terms in addition to the Oath’s effects.
Investigation roll, your character can machinate a social
Usually, they swear for a finite time, often a year and a
engineering effort that reveals extensive, damaging
day. Terms include conditions for violation, which end
information about a victim. Every success offers one of
the contract (and the Oath’s effects) immediately.
the following:
Unless otherwise noted, the vassal does not have to be
• A ten-minute window of unpenalized, safe access Invictus; in fact, most are not. In rare cases, ghouls or
to the victim’s Safe Place. other mortals enter Oaths. Most Notaries refuse to
• A damning piece of information that, when used, preside over such agreements.
removes a dot from the character’s Allies, Contacts, Typically, Oaths are temporary. Merit dots revert
Feeding Grounds, Herd, or Status. The Merit is when the Oath ends; see The Sanctity of Merits on p.
eligible for Sanctity of Merits. 109.
Oath of Action (••••) Oath of Serfdom (••)
Effect: With this Oath, a vassal swears to perform a Effect: This Oath is a contract between a landlord and
service to his liege. The service must be a difficult task a tenant. In Invictus domains, Princes often use this
with definite criteria for accomplishment or failure. At Oath as the go-to for granting territory. Young Invictus
the time of the swearing, both parties agree upon one of refer to this practice as “castling.” Oath of Serfdom
the liege’s Disciplines. The vassal gains access to that agreements typically involve “red rent,” a certain blood
Discipline. The liege’s Blood Potency increases by one. tithe given to the landlord regularly. While in her
This Oath stands as a rare exception to bloodline granted land or when defending her liege, the vassal
Disciplines: a vassal may temporarily access a liege’s gains access to a dot of Celerity, Resilience, or Vigor,
bloodline gift. chosen at the swearing of the Oath.
If the vassal accomplishes the task, the Oath ends and She must still pay relevant activation costs. As well,
the liege suffers aggravated damage equal to the she instinctively knows when another creature with the
Discipline dots granted. If the vassal fails the task or a predatory aura enters her territory, and from what
month passes, he suffers the damage instead. While not direction. If she knows the trespasser, she can identify
uncommon, some domains consider a liege’s him. The liege gains the vassal’s Feeding Ground Merit
interference in the task to be bad form. The liege does dots in any rolls against her. As well, he becomes
not lose access to the Disicpline. immune to blood bonds from the vassal.
Drawback:
A character may be part of only one Oath of Action Oath of Abstinence (•••••)
at a time, as vassal or liege.
This rare Oath is considered anathema to many
Oath of Fealty (•) Invictus, particularly those with strong ties to the
Prerequisites: Invictus Status • Lancea et Sanctum. Functionally, it spits in the face of
the Curse, and denies the vampire’s predation. The
Effect: This most basic Oath establishes a foundation vampire swears to abstain from feeding, and so long as
of trust within the Invictus. The vassal may draw a she maintains her Oath, she does not need to feed.
number of Vitae from his liege equal to his Invictus However, this has kept ancient Invictus awake far
Status in a given week. This Vitae transfers mystically beyond their years, as they can defy their need to feed
over any distance, and replenishes the vassal’s pool from Kindred Vitae. This Oath is a rare example of an
without risk of Vitae addiction or blood bond. The liege Oath only sworn by a single character. Rumor is, it can
always knows if the vassal lies to her, in voice or in be sworn without a Notary. The character benefiting
writing. from the Oath must purchase the Merit dots.
Drawback: Effect: Swearing this Oath requires half the
A vassal may only owe fealty to one liege. vampire’s maximum Vitae, rounded up. Additionally, it
costs one Willpower point per dot of the vampire’s
Oath of Penance (•••) Blood Potency. The Willpower can be spent over the
course of a full week. For example, a Blood Potency 4
Effect: This Oath is a form of apology from a vassal to Kindred would need spend seven Vitae and four
an aggrieved liege. For the agreed-upon term, the liege Willpower to enact the Oath. Once the Oath is sworn,
receives every tenth Vitae the vassal ingests. This Vitae the character no longer needs expend Vitae to wake.
comes over any distance, without risk of blood bond or She still spends Vitae normally, otherwise. However, if
addiction, and counts as Kindred Vitae. she imbibes a single point of Vitae, the Oath ends.
Some ancient Invictus use this Oath to skirt their
need for Kindred blood, by establishing massive
networks of “punished” vassals. During the same
period, the vassal becomes immune to the liege’s
Discipline effects.
Drawback:
While a vassal is paying penance, she may not gain
the benefits of any other Oath. She retains their
drawbacks.
 Compare both characters’ Social Merits. If one
Oath of the Handshake (•) character possesses more of a given Merit, the other
receives a free dot in that Merit if possible. If the
This simple Oath features as a foundation for many Merit does not exist in a single-dot variety, the
Invictus interactions. As the name suggests, it solidifies character receives the full rating. This ignores the
a handshake deal. Both participants offer a service or normal limitation for Status in multiple covenants
swear a prohibition. Both offer a collateral penalty for (see Vampire: The Requiem, p. 113). If both
noncompliance. If they agree, the Oath takes effect. As characters have the same Merit at its highest rating,
it can undermine social structures through the peculiars refund one character’s. If multiple such Merits exist,
of its social collateral, some Invictus use this Oath to divide the refunded levels as evenly as possible.
curry favor or infiltrate other covenants. If one character has a superior Blood Potency to the
Effect: The Handshake Deal is binding. Both
other’s, the lesser gains a dot of Blood Potency. If
participants must purchase this Oath, which can be
the superior character wishes, he can sacrifice
taught to non-Invictus. One participant must be
additional points to “gift” the lesser additional dots.
Invictus, however. Each participant swears to a service,
These are not refunded so long as the gift remains.
or swears to not commit a certain act. Each also offers
Compare the characters’ Discipline ratings. If one
up collateral, as represented by a Social Merit. If one
character possesses more of a given Discipline, the
character breaks the Oath, the collateral shifts to the
other receives one dot in that Discipline. This allows
other character. Mark Merit gains in this way with a
a character to potentially possess a Discipline for a
half dot, as they are not eligible for the Sanctity of
bloodline to which she does not belong.
Merits rule. The Merit shifts for an agreed-upon time,
Both characters are considered family, with blood
usually a month or a year, but sometimes permanently.
sympathy at one-step removed (see Vampire: The
In the narrative, circumstances shift to suit the
Requiem, p. 98).
transfer. Contacts make connection with the new
Both characters are considered under the effects of a
vampire. Allies welcome her into their doors. The
third stage blood bond (see Vampire: The Requiem,
offering of collateral has to make sense in terms of the
p. 100). This abolishes any other bonds, no matter
deal; for example, one character might give the other a
the stage at the time the Oath was sworn. It prevents
sealed letter to a Contact. If the recipient has the
any other bonds from taking place.
relevant prerequisites, she may purchase the Merit
As characters increase in traits through play,
permanently while she has it; this doesn’t prevent it
reassess the couple’s ratings, and adjust accordingly.
from returning to the other character at the end of the
terms, but it allows both characters to maintain the If one character breaks the terms of the Oath, he
Merit. loses access to any traits affected by this Oath (from
either side). His Blood Potency becomes 1. Any
Oath of Matrimony (•••••) affected Disciplines fade entirely. Merits fade as well.
The partner’s traits do not fade, however; indeed, with
This Oath binds two Kindred together in a powerful Experience, they may be made permanent. He loses all
union, where their collective capabilities are shared, but Willpower points, and cannot regain them until the
they must maintain loyalty to one another or suffer partner has forgiven his transgression.
grave consequences. Many Lancea et Sanctum see this This Oath can only end by way of a Notary, and both
Oath as a mockery of God’s will. Invictus will often parties’ consent. Or, in more common cases, by death
rebut that such a marriage is purely a political vehicle, do they part. If the Oath ends, all traits return to their
and has no bearing on religious doctrine. original levels.
Effect: Two characters must purchase this Merit. Dots added by this Oath should be filled in with half-
One must be a member of the Invictus; the other does dots on the character sheet, to denote their source, and
not. As part of the Oath, both characters must swear that they’re ineligible for Sanctity of Merits. Dots lost
upon certain terms, both promising certain actions, and by this Oath should be refunded via Sanctity of Merits,
promising certain prohibitions. This is generally and may only return at a rate of one dot per story.
dictated by the terms of the political climate at hand;
often, a ceasefire or other truce is part of the
arrangement. Upon swearing this Oath, both characters
enjoy a series of benefits.
Oath of the Safe Word (••)
With this Oath, two Kindred enter into a trust
agreement. While mutually beneficial, either party can
end the agreement in a remarkable, crippling fashion. If
a power differential exists between the characters, the
risks are higher for the more powerful Invictus, so this
Oath is often used as a way to show trust to a slighted
inferior. Some Invictus have other names for this Oath,
such as The Oath of Mutual Vulnerability.
Effect: Two characters must enter into this Oath
willingly. Both characters must purchase this Oath. As
part of the Oath, both characters offer up a single Social
Merit they possess, of any dot rating. The other
character receives that Merit; the original character
retains use of it. Mark these Merits with halfdots on
your character sheet, so they’re known to not apply to
the Sanctity of Merits rule. Additionally, either
character can access the other character’s Willpower
pool at any time as if it were an extension of her own.
At any time, a character may end this agreement. The
other character is immediately paralyzed, losing access
to their Defense and actions for a turn. By spending
Willpower, the initiating character may extend this for a
turn per point. Note that since the agreement ended, she
cannot use the partner’s Willpower points for this
purpose.
A character can only be part of one instance of this
Oath at a time.

Oath of the True Knight (••••)

Prerequisites: Invictus Status ••
This Oath binds an Unconquered into service as a
knight, tasked with defending the Invictus as a whole.
She becomes bound to none, and must maintain
neutrality in all her affairs. It empowers her to maintain
that neutrality, and to take action in defense of her
covenant.
Effect: The character may not be subject to another
Oath tying her to a single vampire or a Vinculum
(partial or full) when taking the Oath of the True
Knight. If she attempts to ingest Kindred Vitae, the
blood turns to ash in her mouth. If another coerces,
tricks, or forces her to take his blood, he suffers a level
of aggravated damage. She can enter further Oaths once
sworn, but not at the time of accepting the Oath.
Use of Dominate, Majesty, and other Disciplines that
might mar her judgment, suffer her Invictus Status as a
penalty. When attacked by another Kindred, or a
ghouled retainer, her Invictus Status applies as armor.
This has no effect against mundane humans.
 Shield Against Sorcery (•): This technique filters
Lancea Et Sanctum a lost Theban Sorcery ritual into a practice a non-
practitioner (even a Sorcerous Eunuch, see below)
Lorekeeper (•) can use with a series of military motions. It renders
the character’s immediate area something of a “null
Prerequisites: Lancea et Sanctum Status •
zone” for sorcery. Your character must be armed to
enact Shield Against Sorcery. Any magic targeting
Effect: The Spear is tasked with the acquisition and
your character or any character within her
maintenance of history and mystical secrets. Most
Willpower dots in yards suffers her Merit dots as a
devoted members of the covenant establish and
dice pool penalty. This requires your character have
maintain libraries. Since most of this knowledge has to
access to her Defense. If multiple crusaders use this
pass through mortal hands, the Sanctum also tends to
ability, only the highest Merit dots apply.
attract those, likeminded, who wish to surround
Silence (••): The voice is often the seat of sorcery.
themselves with ancient secrets. When a member of the
For this reason, crusaders train to strike for the
Lancea et Sanctum with this Merit buys the Library
enemy’s vocal chords first. If your character targets
Merit (see p. 121), she also receives dots in the
the enemy’s throat, she suffers no penalties due to
Retainers and Herd Merits, divided however she
the targeted attack. If successful, the attack silences
chooses.
Drawback: the enemy, which may prevent him from casting
The Retainers and Herd afforded by this Merit are spells or using some Disciplines so long as the
drawn in by the lure of forbidden knowledge. To damage remains.
maintain these advantages, the vampire must be willing A Hammer Against Witches (•••): With a well-
to let slip at least some of that information to her mortal timed strike, your character may interrupt a sorcerer
retinue. Unfortunately, sometimes mortal librarians casting a spell, using her knowledge of the dark arts
aren’t quite as zealous about defending their secrets. to find a particularly weak opening. The victim must
be casting a spell or ritual of some sort, or a
Anointed (••) Discipline using an extended action. Spend a
Willpower point before making the attack. This
Prerequisites: Lancea et Sanctum Status • Willpower point does not add to the dice pool. Make
the attack roll at -2. If successful, the spell or effect
Effect: Not all Sanctified are members of the clergy. is aborted as if it dramatically failed. Additionally,
Most are lay members. Those anointed under the add the victim’s relevant Discipline or sorcery level
damnation of Longinus 110 Vampire: the Requiem as an additional weapon modifier to the damage
wield his word like a firebrand. caused. Use the level of the ability he uses; not his
Once per chapter, roll Presence + Expression when highest potential level.
preaching to a crowd. A small clique of listeners levies
a –1 die penalty, a small crowd a –2, and a large crowd
a –3. Listeners gain the Raptured Condition (see p.
Flock (• to •••••)
305). Prerequisites: Herd (equal or greater level)
Drawback: The character may not use this Merit on
herself. Your character not only maintains a Herd, he
empowers, emboldens, and inspires them. Because of
Crusade (• to •••, Style) his predation, they see the glory and grace of God. They
draw in additional followers, and achieve unbelievable
Prerequisites: Occult ••, Resolve •••, Weaponry ••,
things. Their blood carries this passion.
character must have either Theban Sorcery •• or
Effect: First, dots in Flock count as additional dots
Sorcerous Eunuch • Lancea et Sanctum Status •
in Herd. This allows your character to have more than
five effective Herd dots.
Your character has learned the fearsome fighting style Second, the characters in the Flock always start a
of Lancea et Sanctum crusaders. It’s designed to scene with a single point of Willpower. They will
debilitate Kindred opponents, and to shut down other always use this in pursuit of their faith.
dark sorceries quickly. Third, the Flock’s blood is potent and livelier than
Effect: This Style requires the character use a hand- most mortals’ are. When using the Flock as a Herd, the
to-hand weapon. Your character gains access to the feeding vampire regains a point of Willpower.
following effects at each subsequent level:
Sorcerous Eunuch (•)
Prerequisites: Resolve •••

Effect: Your character has been subject to a series of

terrifying rituals and experiments, which affords him a
nearimmunity to sorcery. Any dice pool for a magical
effect targeting your character suffers his Resolve as a
penalty. If you spend a Willpower point at the time of
the effect, instead remove successes from the caster’s
roll equal to his Resolve. As result of this, he can never
learn Theban Sorcery, Crúac, or any other blood
sorceries.
This practice is often used on Lancea et Sanctum
crusaders. Sometimes, this is used as a punishment on
captured enemies. The ritual requires almost a month of
captivity, and can be committed by any character with
four or more dots in Theban Sorcery.

Temple of Damnation (• to
•••••)
**Prerequisites:**Safe Place (equal or greater level)

Your character cultivates and maintains a temple to his

faith. It is dedicated to his particular dogma, and
supports his conception of what it means to be a
vampire.
Effect: The Temple of Damnation promotes one key
idea espoused by your character’s brand of the faith.
Any character’s actions in support of that idea gain
bonus dice equal to your character’s Merit dots when
occurring within the temple. For example, a faith that
espouses resisting the Beast’s violent urges would
receive those dice to resist frenzy.
Additionally, those blessed within the Temple of
Damnation can carry your character’s divinity outside
the church’s walls. After participating in a religious
service at the temple, a character remains blessed for a
number of nights equal to the temple’s Merit dots.
During this time, your character may use Theban
Sorcery rituals upon her as if he was touching her, no
matter how far away she is. Temple of Damnation must
be keyed to a Safe Place Merit of equal or higher level.
Note: Like a Safe Place, a coterie may share a
Temple of Damnation Merit.
Ordo Dracul Rites of the Impaled (• to •••,
Style)
Secret Society Junkie (•) Prerequisites: Resolve •••, Stamina •••, Weaponry ••,
Prerequisites: Ordo Dracul Status • Sworn •

Effect: The Ordo Dracul exist within one of the most The Impaled are a warrior subsect of the Ordo Dracul
secret of secret societies. But many of its members that prioritizes pushing the Kindred bodies to extremes
participate in other such organizations in mortal (or in order to become something greater. As their name
other) spheres. Members of such secret societies tend to suggests, this often takes the form of impaling oneself.
draw toward the Dragon, like a moths to a flame. When Ordo Dracul with this Style ignore many of the
the vampire takes Status or Mystery Cult Initiation (see limitations experienced by other Kindred.
p. 121) reflecting non-Kindred organizations, she also Effect: Your character gains the following
gains Herd dots equal to the Merit. advantages at each level:

Sworn (•) Passion Through Pain (•): Your character uses

pain as a meditative force to focus and center her
Prerequisites: Ordo Dracul Status • actions. Any time your character suffers a wound
Effect: penalty, instead add that amount to all relevant dice
Effect: Your character is not only a member of the pools.
Ordo Dracul, she’s sworn to serve one of its branches.
Beyond the Pale (••): Your character does not
When taking this Merit, choose to which faction she suffer torpor when her last Health box is filled with
belongs (the Axe, the Dying Light, or Mysteries
lethal damage, unless she also suffers aggravated
typically). She gains dots equal to her Covenant Status damage equal to her Resolve.
to split between the Mentor and Retainer Merits. These Action and Reaction (•••): Your character is an
reflect teachers and wards within the faction. She can
expert of using an enemy’s momentum against him.
swap these Merits out between chapters, as she receives When struck, your character may return with an
new assignments. equal and opposite reaction, in lieu of her normal
Sworn of the Axe must defend the sanctity of the
action. To use Action and Reaction, your character
Order’s secrets. They’re the soldiers and assassins
must have an instant action still available in the turn,
expected to clean up any leaks. If a Dragon leaks
and must be successfully attacked and damaged.
knowledge of the Coils, they can expect a visit from the
Spend a point of Willpower when struck. When
Sworn of the Axe.
making a hand-to-hand attack, unarmed or with a
Sworn of the Dying Light act as the research and
weapon, you may choose to use the opponent’s
development wing of the Ordo Dracul. The Sworn
successes instead of rolling to attack. This ignores
dedicate themselves to learning, teaching, and creating
the opponent’s Defense. The attack cannot be
Coils.
targeted; it must be a general attack to the opponent.
Sworn of the Mysteries are the guiding hands of the
It uses your character’s weapon damage, not the
Order as a whole. They make sweeping decisions
opponent’s.
determining the covenant’s political and social
directions. They’re expected to know the affairs of all
local chapter houses.
Drawback:
Being Sworn is no easy task. It means being tied
inexorably to the covenant, with deep and time-
demanding responsibilities. Your character cannot go
two full nights without devoting at least some time to
covenant affairs, or she’ll be punished.
 Ascendancy (••••) When your character spends
Ordo Dracul Willpower to add dice to a Supernatural Merit dice
pool, add her dots in Coil of Zirnitra, instead of the
Mysteries normal +3 dice.

The Coil of Zirnitra At this level, failures with Supernatural Merits are
considered failures, not dramatic failures.
This ancient Coil is named after a Slavic dragon god of The Dragon’s Breath (•••••) Your character may
sorcery. Zirnitra’s Coil is nearly extinct; to most Order push herself to extremes in the invocation of her
sensibilities, it offers limited rewards and great risk. forbidden arts. By suffering a level of unavoidable
Functionally, it removes an oft-overlooked weakness of aggravated damage (Resilience does not assist), she
the Kindred condition: the penchant for developing can roll a Supernatural Merit activation as a rote
mortal magics and psychic phenomena. action.
Some Dragons have developed this Coil to regain the
lost gifts granted to them by their heritage as part of a Additionally, your character is no longer limited in
werewolf family. Some use it to recover the magics tied the number of Supernatural Merits she may possess.
to their mortal bloodlines. Merits must still be
purchased; this Coil allows that purchase. Below, we’ve
provided a couple of examples of such phenomena.
Scales of Zirnitra
However, you can find other Supernatural Merits in Dragons learning the Coil of Zirnitra may pursue the
other World of Darkness books. following Scales.
It’s worth noting that this can cause
unintended complications for a chronicle. Not Grafting Unholy Flesh
every human Supernatural Merit will work well Prerequisite Coil : The Dragon’s Breath
within a Vampire chronicle. Use firm discretion, Procedure: The Dragon must take a body part from
and discuss each given purchase with your GM. another Kindred, psychic, or other supernatural
creature. He must work quickly, and graft the body part
Opening the Third Eye (•) At this basic level, the
onto his own form, letting his Vitae vitalize the tissue
Dragon develops the ability to learn mortal magics
before it completely decomposes. The Dragon must
and psychic abilities. For every dot in the Coil of
know of a supernatural ability possessed by the subject,
Zirnitra, your character may learn a single
and choose a body part symbolic of that skill. This
Supernatural Merit reserved for mortal characters.
procedure may only take place on a Wyrm’s Nest.
However, in addition to any Willpower or other
Outcome: The Dragon must spend a point of Vitae
costs, every such power’s activation requires a
in order to fuse the body part with his own form. So
single point of Vitae. Any failures with Supernatural long as the Dragon keeps the body part animate as part
Merits are automatically considered dramatic.
of his body, he gains access to the ability. Any costs
Unleash the Mind (••) Your character may spend aside from Vitae and Willpower costs must be paid with
Willpower to activate Supernatural Merits without both one Vitae and Willpower per point of its normal
the normal limitation of Willpower in a turn. She
cost. If the victim survives the surgery, she loses access
can spend a point to activate a Merit, and spend to the ability so long as the body part remains detached.
Willpower to increase a dice pool. Now, drawbacks
She similarly loses any ability to regenerate that part.
do not always occur when using Supernatural Merits The body part has Health Levels equal to its Size,
granted by this Coil. However, all failures are still separate the vampire’s. If it loses all its Health Levels, it
considered dramatic failures.
becomes worthless to the vampire. He may use this to
Embolden Potential (•••) Your character’s blood affix a body part to another Kindred or ghoul.
attunes to her supernatural gifts, as they become
more a part of her. She may spend Vitae to increase Psychic Lobotomy
dice pools for Supernatural Merits, as if they were
Physical Attribute. Upon taking this Coil, Prerequisite Coil: Opening the Third Eye
Supernatural Merits cost one Experience less, to a Procedure: The Dragon conducts surgery to remove a
minimum of a single Experience. This counts tiny part of the subject’s brain, this being the part most
retroactively. prone to psychic phenomena. While this causes
measurable damage to the person’s identity, it protects
At this level, Supernatural Merits gained through him from supernatural influence of his mind
Coil of Zirnitra no longer require additional Vitae
expenditure
Outcome: The surgery causes the subject to lose a dot Shedding the Beast’s Skin (•••••) The final spiral
of a Mental or Social Attribute of his player’s choice. in Ziva’s Coil has the Dragon literally shed her
The character loses access to all Supernatural Merits as flesh, and with it, her vampiric nature. She spends
well. Any power which would affect, influence, or read three Willpower points to activate Shedding the
his mind suffer the Dragon’s Coil of Zirnitra dots as a Beast’s Skin. Shedding the skin takes five turns.
penalty to their dice rolls, and he adds those dots in any
contested rolls he makes. This includes many Shedding the Beast’s Skin lasts for eleven hours,
applications of Auspex, Majesty, Dominate, or many minus one for each dot of the Dragon’s Blood Potency.
psychic Merits. A vampire or other regenerating During this time, she becomes effectively human. Her
creature may heal this surgery as an aggravated wound. heart beats. Her skin sweats. She can get hungry, and
she can eat. Her sexual tissues may engorge if aroused,
and may orgasm if pushed to that height. No doctor in
The Coil of Ziva the world could see her as anything but human. This
comes with it a loss of her vampiric Disciplines, her
This heretical Coil is named after a Slavic goddess of ability to ingest, store, and expend Vitae, and her
fertility, health, and life. The Dragon with Coil of Ziva immortality. She no longer suffers a clan bane, or
rejects the things that make her a vampire, and clings experiences blood sympathy.
hard to her Humanity. Most Dragons see this as a At the end of the period, she becomes Kindred again.
rejection of the Order, and the Brides’ struggle to rise For nearly a half an hour, she undergoes the sensations
above. Some domains consider Ziva’s Coil apostasy and transformations of the Embrace again. This leaves
against the Order under the rationale of a sort of her functionally incapacitated during this time. She can
devolution to a primitive form, and execute known hold off the transformation for one minute for an
followers. Some domains simply do not speak of it. additional point of Willpower. Once she’s changed
back, she possesses Vitae equal to her remaining Health
Denying the Bane (•) At this initial level, the
character may shrug off some of the more heinous Levels, or her previous Vitae, whichever is lower.
effects of her degeneration. Add her Coil dots to her
Humanity for the purpose of determining the effects Scales of Ziva
of her Banes. This includes her clan Bane. If this
A character with Coil of Ziva may learn these Scales.
increases her effective Humanity to 10, such Banes
do not affect her. This does not, however, affect the
vampire’s weaknesses to fire or sunlight. This
Bleed the Sin
doesn’t affect the Ventrue clan Bane, however, Prerequisite Coil: Buttress the Soul
Ventrue find particular benefits in the Coil of Ziva Procedure: With this procedure, the Dragon bleeds
due to their challenging relationship with Humanity. a subject of all their blood or Vitae. With human
Buttress the Soul (••) The vampire is able to subjects, this generally requires a dialysis machine or
thrust forth some of the stolen life in her Vitae in other technological assistance to keep the subject alive.
order to defend against the ravages of the soul. This flow of blood carries with it the weight of their sin.
When facing Detachment, she may spend Vitae, up Outcome: The subject must remain effectively
to her normal per-turn limit. Every Vitae spent adds bloodless for at least ten minutes in order for this Scale
one die to resist Detachment. to take effect. Reduce the subject’s next Humanity,
Enliven the Anima (•••) With this Coil, your Integrity, or similar trait purchase by one Experience
character becomes resistant to the psychological per dot of the vampire’s Coil of Ziva.
stains of Humanity loss. She finds her soul’s trials
invigorating. Any time she’d suffer a Condition for
Siphon the Soul
Detachment, you may choose to spend a Willpower Prerequisite Coil: Enliven the Anima
point to take Raptured instead. Procedure: This ability acts as a sort of pseudo-
Embracing the Banes (••••) With this Coil, the Amaranth. The vampire drains a Kindred victim
very essence of the vampire’s immortality clutches completely, and then continues to do so further. She
onto the threads that keep her from the Beast. Those spends Willpower and rolls Strength + Resolve as she
claws shield those threads from that which would normally would.
destroy them. Your character can sustain a number Outcome: Once the vampire has achieved a number
of Banes equal to her Willpower dots, not three. of successes equal to the victim’s current Humanity, she
steals one dot of Humanity from her victim. She may
only ever strip one such dot from a given victim. The
victim only reaches torpor as result of this.
Kindred Fighting Merits
Kindred Dueling (Style, • to Riding the Wave (Style, • to
•••••) •••••)
Prerequisites: Composure •••, Weaponry •• Prerequisites: Composure •••, Resolve •••

Effect: Your character is not only a competent fighter, Effect: Your character runs with her Beast, and knows
but also one trained specifically to take advantage of how to use it to her advantage. She’s turned riding the
Kindred variables in a fight. Use of Kindred dueling wave into a raw, primal art.
requires an edged weapon. While humans could These maneuvers may only be used while riding the
theoretically learn some of these tricks, the practical wave. They cannot be used in a normal frenzy, or
experience required could prove deadly. outside of frenzy.
Note that Kindred Dueling abilities may not be used Ravage (•): Due to your character’s connection to
together. If you’re using Hamstring, you cannot benefit her Beast, her fangs become horrendous weapons.
from Carving as well. They look no different, but her Beast knows how to
Hamstring (•): With a well-placed tendon strike, use them with the utmost efficiency. While riding
you can briefly cripple a vampire’s ability to the wave, they become 1L weapons when used in a
augment their physical prowess with Vitae. By bite attack.
targeting a limb (and taking the penalty to do so), Primal Strength (••): Your character’s Beast
your successful strike can deny that limb from the blasts outward in short bursts, in order to
benefits of Physical Intensity (see p. 91) for a turn. accomplish quick feats of strength. When lifting,
The rest of the body may still use those advantages. jumping, or destroying objects as an instant action,
Taunt (••): You know the way the Beast works, and double the Strength bonus aquired while in frenzy.
how to taunt it with short, shallow swipes. Before In the Zone (•••): When attempting to leash the
you roll, remove a number of dice from your pool Beast and ride the wave, your character still
no greater than your Weaponry dots. Make your roll. operates at peak efficiency. She still has to spend
If the attack succeeds, the victim must roll to resist Willpower points in order to make rolls to ride the
frenzy, with a penalty equal to the number of dice wave, but those Willpower points also give a +3 die
you removed. bonus to any action taken in the turn.
Carving (•••): When you strike, you curve the Unyielding (••••): Your character rides the wave
blade hard and strike to pull the flesh apart, making frequently; it ceases to be taxing on her mental
it harder to heal in the heat of the moment. When reserves. After a scene where she successfully rides
Carving, your weapon’s damage rating deals lethal the wave, she recovers any Willpower spent to
damage to Kindred instead of bashing. initiate and during the ride.
Pincushion (••••): You hit deep, intending to lodge Animal Grace (•••••): Your character dodges and
your weapon in its victim. If you choose to leave strikes as fluidly as an animal, with confidence and
your weapon in the victim on a successful strike, the awareness. When spending Willpower to attack or
victim cannot heal the wound with Vitae. You may defend, gain both benefits. Add a +2 die bonus to
remove the weapon as a reflexive action. If anyone Defense, and a +3 die bonus to attack rolls.
else wishes to remove it, he can attempt a Strength +
Stamina roll, minus the damage caused, as an instant
action.
Spray (•••••): You cut to remove mass from the
body, and by extension, blood. Sacrifice your
Defense for the turn to use this maneuver. On a
successful attack roll, you can choose to remove
Vitae from your opponent instead of Health levels.
You can divide Health levels of damage and Vitae in
any combination after the roll.
Human Merits
For example, your character uses an alias with a
Allies(• to •••••) simple costume and adopts an accent. She hasn’t
established the necessary paperwork to even approach a
Effect: Allies help your character. They might be bureaucratic background check, let alone pass. At two
friends, employees, associates, or people your character dots, she’s supported her identity with paperwork and
has blackmailed. Each instance of this Merit represents identification. It’s not liable to stand up to extensive
one type of ally. This could be an individual, or the
research, but it’ll turn away private investigators and
members of an organization, society, or clique. internet hobbyists.
Examples include a covenant, the police, a secret At three dots, the identity can pass thorough
society, organized crime, unions, local politics, and the inspection. The identity has been deeply entrenched in
academic community. Each purchase has its own rating. relevant databases, with subtle flourishes and details to
Your character might have Allies (Masons) ••, Allies make it seem real even to trained professionals. The
(Carter Crime Family) •••, Allies (Carthian Movement) Merit also reflects time the character has spent honing
••••, and Allies (Catholic Church) •. Each dot represents the persona.
a layer of influence in the group. At one or two dots, she gains a +1 die bonus to all
One dot would constitute small favors and passing Subterfuge rolls to defend the identity. At three dots,
influence. Three could offer considerable influence, she gains a +2 die bonus. This Merit can be purchased
such as the overlooking of a misdemeanor charge by the multiple times, each time representing an additional
police. Five dots allows favors that stretch the limits of identity.
the organization’s influence, as its leaders put their own
influence on the line for the character. This could Anonymity (• to •••••)
include things such as ignoring massive insider trading
Prerequisites: Cannot have Fame
or fouling up a felony investigation.
No matter the request, it has to be something that
organization could accomplish. The Storyteller assigns Effect: Your character lives off the grid. She could
a rating between one and five to any favor asked. A have been dead for decades, making new identification
character can ask for favors that add up to her Allies difficult. This means purchases must be made with cash
rating without penalty in one chapter. or falsified credit cards. She avoids any official
If she extends her influence beyond that, her player authoritative influence in her affairs. Any attempts to
must roll ( Manipulation ++ Persuasion + Allies, with a find her by paper trail suffer a –1 die penalty per dot
penalty equal to the favor’s rating. If the roll is purchased in this Merit.
successful, the group does as requested. Whether the Drawback:
roll fails or succeeds, the character loses a dot of Allies. Your character cannot purchase the Fame Merit. This
This dot may return at the end of the chapter. On a also may limit Status purchases, if the character cannot
dramatic failure, the organization resents her and seeks provide sufficient identification for the roles she wishes
retribution. On an exceptional success, she doesn’t lose to take.
the dot even temporarily.
One additional favor a character can ask of her Allies Area of Expertise (•)
is to block another character’s Allies, Contacts, Mentor, Prerequisites: Resolve •• and one Skill Specialty
Retainer, or Status (if she knows the character possesses
the relevant Merit). The rating is equal to the Merit dots Effect: Your character is uncommonly specialized in
blocked. As before, no roll is necessary unless the one area. Choose a Specialty to assign to this Merit.
target’s Merit exceeds the character’s Allies. If the Forgo the +1 die bonus afforded by a Specialty in
block succeeds, the blocked character cannot use the exchange for a +2 die bonus.
Merit during the same chapter.

Alternate Identity (•,••, or •••)

Effect: Your character has established an alternate
identity. The level of this Merit determines the amount
of scrutiny it can withstand. At one dot, the identity is
superficial and unofficial.
Barfly (••) Etiquette (• to •••••)
Prerequisites: Socialize ••• Prerequisites: Composure •••, Socialize ••

Effect: Your character is a natural in the Rack and can Effect: Your character knows her way around society,
procure an open invitation wherever she wishes. customs, and traditions. More importantly, she can use
Whereas most characters would require rolls to blend this talent to make or break reputations. This Merit
into social functions they don’t belong in, she doesn’t; applies to any social interactions where etiquette, style,
she belongs. Subtract her Socialize from any rolls to poise, and reputation carry weight, and uses the Social
identify her as an outsider. Maneuvering rules on p. 173.

Contacts (•) Bless His Heart (•): Your character’s words are
always wellconsidered. No matter how vile, the
Effect: Contacts provide your character with things she says come off as defensible and
information. This Merit can be taken multiple times; respectful. When a character engages yours in a
each instance represents a sphere or organization with Social interaction, you may opt to use your
which the character can garner information. For character’s Socialize score instead of the lower of
example, a character with three dots of Contacts might her Resolve and Composure to determine her
have Bloggers, Drug Dealers, and Vampire Hunters for starting Doors.
connections. Contacts do not provide services, only Losing Your Religion (••): When your character
information. This may be face-to-face, by email or lets loose and insults someone, she leaves mouths
telephone, or even by séance in some strange instances. agape. When tearing down a target verbally, use 8-
Garnering information via Contacts might requirs a again, and take a +2 die bonus to the roll.
roll of Manipulation + Social Skill roll, depending on Afterwards, move the interaction one step down on
the method the character uses. The Storyteller should the impressions chart.
give a bonus or penalty to the roll, depending on the In High Cotton (•••): Your character cultivates
following factors: how relevant the information is to standing and respect, and carries it like a knight
that particular Contact, whether accessing the wears armor. You may apply one relevant Status or
information is dangerous, and whether the character has Fame Merit to rolls to contest Social interactions.
maintained good relations with or done favors for the Other Merits may apply with Storyteller permission.
Contact. These modifiers should range from a –3 die Manipulation •••, Subterfuge •• Your character
penalty to a +3 die bonus in most cases. If successful, is always prepared. On the other hand, others are
the Contact provides the information. not. In a new Social interaction, if the impression is
One use of a Contact is to dig up dirt on another good, excellent, or perfect, ignore the subject’s
character. A Contact can find another character’s Social Resolve and Composure on the first roll.
Merits and any relevant Conditions. Grace Under Fire (•••••): While your character
If someone attempts to block Contacts with the Allies may not always win, she never looks bad. If a
Merit, add up all Contacts dots to determine the character opens all her Doors, and you opt to offer
effective rating, to a maximum of five. an alternative, his player chooses three Conditions.
You choose which one your character receives.
Double Jointed (••)
Prerequisites: Dexterity •••
Fame (• to •••)
Effect: Your character is recognized within a certain
Effect: Your character might have been a contortionist
sphere for a certain skill, or because of some past
or spent time practicing yoga. She can dislodge joints
action, or just a stroke of luck. This can mean favors
when need be. She automatically escapes from any
and attention, but it can also mean negative attention
mundane bonds without a roll. When grappled, subtract
and scrutiny.
her Dexterity from any rolls to overpower her as long as
she’s not taking any aggressive actions.
This can tax the Masquerade if one’s not careful. When Fleet of Foot (• to •••••)
choosing the Merit, define what your character is
known for. One dot reflects local recognition or Prerequisites: Prerequisite: Athletics ••
reputation within a confined subculture. Two dots
means regional recognition by a wide swath of people. Effect: Your character is remarkably quick and runs far
Three dots means worldwide recognition to anyone faster than her frame suggests. She gains +1 Speed per
who might have been exposed to the source of the dot; anyone pursuing her suffers a –1 die penalty per
fame. Each dot adds a die to any Social rolls among dot to any foot chase rolls.
those who are impressed by your character’s celebrity. Grid Benefit: Each 2 points of Speed allows you to
Drawback: move 1 more Hex on the grid
Any rolls to find or identify the character enjoy a +1
die bonus per dot of the Merit. If the character has Hobbyist Clique (••)
Alternate Identity, she can mitigate this drawback. A Prerequisites: Membership in a clique. All members
character with Fame cannot have the Anonymity Merit. must possess this Merit and the chosen Skill at ••+

Fast-Talking (• to •••••) Effect: Your character is part of a group of hobbyists

Prerequisites: Manipulation •••, Subterfuge •• that specializes in one area, as represented by a Skill. It
may be a book club, a coven, a political party, or any
Effect: Your character talks circles around listeners. other interest. Many Kindred choose to cultivate this
She speaks a mile a minute and often leaves her targets group as a Herd as well (see p. 112). When the group’s
reeling, but nodding in agreement. support is available, you benefit from the 9-again
quality on rolls involving the group’s chosen Skill. As
Always Be Closing (•): With the right leading well, the clique offers a +2 die bonus on any extended
phrases, your character can direct a mark to say actions involving that Skill.
what she wants, when she wants. This trips the mark Drawback:
into vulnerable positions. When a mark contests or This Merit requires upkeep. You must attend at least
resists your character’s Social interactions, apply a – monthly, informal meetings to maintain the benefits of
1 die penalty to his Resolve or Composure. Hobbyist Clique.
Jargon (••): Your character confuses her mark
using complex terminology. You may apply one Indomitable (••)
relevant Specialty to any Social roll you make, even Prerequisites: Resolve •••
if the Specialty isn’t tied to the Skill in use.
Devil’s Advocacy (•••): Your character often
Effect: Your character possesses an unyielding will.
poses arguments she doesn’t agree with in order to
The powers of the supernatural have little bearing on
challenge a mark’s position and keep him from
her behavior. She can stand up to Kindred Dominate, a
advancing discussion. You can reroll one failed
witch’s charms, or a ghost’s gifts of fright. Any time a
Subterfuge roll per scene.
supernatural creature uses a power to influence your
Salting (••••): Your character can position herself
character’s thoughts or emotions, add a +2 die bonus to
so a mark pursues a non-issue or something
the dice pool to contest it. If the roll is resisted, instead
unimportant to her. When your character opens a
subtract a –2 die penalty from the monster’s dice pool.
Door using conversation (Persuasion, Subterfuge,
Note that this only affects mental influence and
Empathy, etc.) you may spend a Willpower point to
manipulation from a supernatural origin.
immediately open another Door. A vampire with a remarkable Manipulation +
Patron’s Privilege (•••••): Your character can take Persuasion score is just as likely to convince your
advantage of her mark’s greed or zeal. When the character to do something using mundane tricks.
mark does particularly well, it’s because your
character was there to set him up and to Inspiring (•••)
subsequently tear him down. If a target regains
Willpower from his Vice or Dirge while your Prerequisites: Presence •••
character is present, you may immediately roll
Manipulation + Subterfuge to open a Door, Effect: Your character’s passion inspires those around
regardless of the interval or impression level. her to greatness. With a few words, she can redouble a
group’s confidence or move them to action.
Make a Presence + Expression roll. A small clique of
listeners levies a –1 die penalty, a small crowd a –2, and Mentor (• to •••••)
a large crowd a –3. Listeners gain the Inspired
Condition. The character may not use this Merit on Effect: This Merit gives your character a teacher who
herself. provides advice and guidance. He acts on your
character’s behalf, often in the background and
Interdisciplinary Specialty (•) sometimes without your character’s knowledge. This
may be a sire, a covenant leader, or other figure. While
Prerequisites: Skill at ••• or higher with a Specialty Mentors can be highly competent, they almost always
want something in return for their services. The dot
Effect: Choose a Specialty that your character rating determines the Mentor’s capabilities, and to what
possesses when you purchase this Merit. You can apply extent he’ll aid your character.
the +1 die bonus from that Specialty on any Skill with When establishing a Mentor, determine what the
at least one dot, provided it’s justifiable within the Mentor wants from your character. The dot rating
scope of the fiction. For example, a doctor with a chosen should reflect the importance of the objective to
Medicine Specialty in Anatomy may be able to use it him. A one-dot Mentor might be incapable of dealing
when targeting a specific body part with Weaponry, but with modern society and wants to live vicariously
could not with a general strike. through your character. This might mean coming to him
and telling stories of your character’s exploits. A five-
Iron Will (••) dot Mentor would want something beyond price, such
Prerequisites: Resolve •••• as an oath to procure an ancient, cursed artifact that
may or may not exist in order to prevent his
Effect: Your character’s resolve is unwavering. When prophesized death.
spending Willpower to contest or resist in a Social Choose three Skills the Mentor possesses. You can
interaction, you may use your character’s Resolve substitute Resources for one of these Skills. Once per
instead of the usual Willpower bonus. If the roll is session, the character may ask her Mentor for a favor.
contested, roll with 8-again. The favor must involve one of those Skills or be within
the scope of his Resources. The Mentor commits to the
Language (•) favor (often asking for a commensurate favor in return);
and if a roll is required on the Mentor’s part to secure
Effect: Your character is skilled with an additional the favor, he is automatically considered to have
language beyond her native tongue. Choose a language successes equal to his dot rating. Alternately, the player
each time you buy this Merit. Your character can speak, may ask the Storyteller to have the Mentor act on her
read, and write in that language. character’s behalf, without her character knowing or
initiating the request.
Library (• to •••)
Mystery Cult Initiation (• to
Effect: Your character has access to a plethora of
information about a given topic. When purchasing this
•••••)
Merit, choose a Mental Skill. The Library covers that Effect: Cults are far more common than the people of
purview. On any extended roll involving the Skill in the World of Darkness would like to admit. Mystery
question, add the dots in this Merit. cult is the catch-all term for a phenomenon ranging
This Merit can be purchased multiple times to reflect
from secret societies couched in fraternity houses and
different Skills. Its benefits can be shared by various
scholarly cabals studying the magic of classical
characters with permission.
symbolism to mystical suicide cults to the God-
Machine.
Mystery Cult Initiation reflects membership in one of
these esoteric groups. The dot rating dictates standing.
One dot is an initiate, two a respected member, three a
priest or organizer, four a decision-making leader, five a
high priest or founder. If you wish your character to
begin play in a cult, work with your Storyteller to
develop the details.
Designing a Mystery Cult requires three things, at bare Wall Run (•••): When climbing, your character
minimum. First is a Purpose. This is the defining reason can run upward for some distance before having to
the cult exists. Usually, it’s tied in with the cult’s history traditionally climb. Without rolling, your character
and recent background. Second is a Relic. This is an scales 3 meters + 1.5 meters per dot of Athletics as
item that grounds its members’ faith. For example, a an instant action, rather than the normal 3 meters.
piece of the God-Machine, an ancient text bound in Expert Traceur (••••): Parkour has become
human flesh, or the mummified flesh of a saint. The last second nature for your character. By spending a
is a Doctrine. Every cult is defined by its rules and Willpower point, you may designate one Athletics
traditions. roll to run, jump, or climb as a rote action (reroll all
In addition to standing, a Mystery Cult Initiation failed dice once). On any turn you use this ability,
Merit offers benefits at each level of influence. Develop you may not apply your character’s Defense to
these as well. The following are guidelines; use them to oncoming attacks.
craft your own cults: Freeflow (•••••): Your character’s Parkour is now
muscle memory. She can move without thinking in a
• A Skill Specialty or one-dot Merit pertaining to the
zen-like state. The character must run for at least a
lessons taught to initiates.
full minute in order to establish Freeflow. Once
•• A one-dot Merit.
established, your character is capable of taking
••• A Skill dot or a two-dot Merit (often a
Athletics actions reflexively once per turn. By
supernatural Merit).
spending a point of Willpower on an Athletics roll in
•••• A three-dot Merit, often supernatural in origin.
a foot chase, gain three successes instead of three
••••• A three-dot Merit or a major advantage not
dice.
reflected in game traits.

Parkour (Style, • to •••••) Resources (• to •••••)

Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Athletics •• Effect: This Merit reflects your character’s disposable
income. She might live in an upscale condo, but if her
Effect: Your character is a trained and proficient free- income is tied up in the mortgage and child support
runner. Free-running is the art of moving fluidly payments, she might have little money to throw around.
through urban environments with complex leaps, Characters are assumed to have basic necessities
bounds, running tricks, and vaulting. This is the type of without Resources.
sport popularized in modern action films, where The dot rating determines the relative amount of
characters are unhindered by fences, walls, construction disposable funding the character has available,
equipment, cars, or anything else the city puts in their depending on your particular chronicle’s setting. The
ways. same amount of money means completely different
things in a game set in Silicon Valley compared to one
Flow (•): Your character reacts instinctively to any
set in the Detroit slums. One dot is a little spending
obstacles with leaps, jumps, and scaling techniques.
money here and there. Two is a comfortable, middle
When in a foot chase, subtract your Parkour from
class wage. Three is a nicer, upper middle class life.
the successes needed to pursue or evade. Ignore
Four is moderately wealthy. Five is filthy rich.
environmental penalties to Athletics rolls equal to Every item has an Availability rating. Once per
your Parkour rating.
chapter, your character can procure an item at her
Cat Leap (••): Your character falls with Resources level or lower without issue. An item one
outstanding grace. Normally, characters take one
Availability level above her Resources reduces her
level of bashing damage for every ten feet fallen.
effective Resources by one dot for a full month, since
Every success on a Dexterity + Athletics roll she has to rapidly liquidate funds. She can procure
reduces the effective height by ten feet or three
items two Availability levels below her Resources
meters. However, if the character would take lethal without limit (within reason). For example, a character
damage from the fall, the Dexterity + Athletics roll
with Resources 4 can procure as many Availability 2
will not reduce the damage. Parkour mitigates this
disposable cellphones as she needs.
limitation. Additionally, add your Parkour rating to
the threshold of damage that can be removed
through this roll. Parkour will not mitigate damage
from a terminal velocity fall.
Retainer (• to •••••) Sleight of Hand (••)
Prerequisites: Wits ••• Prerequisites: Larceny •••

Effect: Your character has an assistant, sycophant, Effect: Your character can pick locks and pockets
servant, or follower on whom she can rely. Establish without even thinking about it. She can take one
who this companion is and how he was acquired. It may Larceny-based instant action reflexively in a given turn.
be as simple as a paycheck. He might owe your Her Larceny actions go unnoticed unless someone is
character his life. However it happened, your character trying specifically to catch her.
has a hold on him.
A Retainer is more reliable than a Mentor and more Staff (• to •••••)
loyal than an Ally. On the other hand, a Retainer is a
lone person, less capable and influential than the Effect: Your character has a crew of workers or
broader Merits. The Merit’s dot rating determines the assistants at her disposal. They may be housekeepers,
relative competency of the Retainer. A one-dot Retainer designers, research assistants, animators, ghouls, cheap
is barely able to do anything of use, such as a pet that thugs, or whatever else makes sense. For every dot in
knows one useful trick or a homeless old man who does this Merit, choose one type of assistant, and one Skill.
minor errands for food. A three-dot Retainer is a At any reasonable time, her staff can take actions
professional in his field, someone capable in his line of using that Skill. These actions automatically garner a
work. A five-dot Retainer is one of the best in his class. single success. While not useful in contested actions,
If he needs to make a roll within his field, double the this guarantees success on minor, mundane activities.
Retainer dot rating and use it as a dice pool. For Note that you may have employees without requiring
anything else use the dot rating as a dice pool. the Staff Merit. Staff simply adds a mechanical
This Merit can be purchased multiple times to advantage for those groups.
represent multiple Retainers.
Status (• to •••••)
Safe Place (• to •••••) Prerequisites: Wits •••

Effect: Your character has somewhere she can go Effect: Your character has standing, membership,
where she can feel secure. While she may have enemies authority, control over, or respect from a group or
that could attack her there, she’s prepared and has the organization. This may reflect official standing or
upper hand. The dot rating reflects the security of the informal respect. No matter the source, your character
place. The actual location, the luxury, and the size are enjoys certain privileges within that structure.
represented by equipment. A one-dot Safe Place might Each instance of this Merit reflects standing in a
be equipped with basic security systems or a booby trap different group or organization. Your character may
at the windows and door. A five-dot could have a have Status (The Luck Gang) 3, Status (Drag Racing
security crew, infrared scanners at every entrance, or Circuit) 2, and Status (Police) 1. Each affords its own
trained dogs. Each place could be an apartment, a unique benefits. As you increase dot ratings, your
mansion or a hidey-hole. character rises in prominence in the relevant group.
Unlike most Merits, multiple characters can Status only allows advantages within the confines of the
contribute dots to a single Safe Place, combining their group reflected in the Merit. Status (Organized Crime)
points into something greater. A Safe Place gives an won’t help if your character wants an official concealed
Initiative bonus equal to the Merit dots. This only carry firearms permit, for example. Status provides a
applies to a character with dots invested in the Safe number of advantages. First, your character can apply
Place. her Status to any Social roll with those over which she
Any efforts to breach the Safe Place suffer a penalty has authority or sway.
equal to the Merit dots invested. If the character desires, Second, she has access to group facilities, resources,
the Safe Place can include traps that cause intruders and funding. Dependent on the group, this could be
lethal damage equal to a maximum of the Merit rating limited by red tape and requisitioning processes. It’s
(player’s choice as to how much damage a given trap also dependent on the resources the particular group has
inflicts). This requires that the character has at least a available.
dot in Crafts. The traps may be avoided with a
Dexterity + Larceny roll, penalized by the Safe Place
dots.
Third, she has pull. If your character knows another Not only does this give her an eye for detail, it makes
character’s Mentor, Resources, Retainer, Contacts, or her a center of attention in critical circles. She can
Allies, she can block their usage. Once per chapter, she appraise items within her area of expertise. With a Wits
can stop a single Merit from being used if it’s of a lower + Skill roll, depending on the creation in question
dot rating than her Status and if it makes sense for her (Expression for poetry, Crafts for architecture, for
organization to obstruct that type of person’s behavior. example), your character can pick out obscure details
In our Organized Crime example, if your character about the item that other, less discerning minds would
knows that the chief of police has Contacts (Criminal not. For each success, ask one of the following
Informant), you may opt to block usage by threatening questions, or take a +1 die bonus to any Social rolls
the informant into silence. pertaining to groups interested in the art assessed for
Drawback: the remainder of the scene.
Status requires upkeep and often regular duties. If
these duties are not upheld, Status may be lost. The dots • What is the hidden meaning in this?
will not be accessible until the character re-establishes • What was the creator feeling during its creation?
her standing. In our Organized Crime example, your • What’s its weakest point?
character may be expected to pay protection money, • What other witness is most moved by this piece?
offer tribute to a higher authority, or undertake • How should one best appreciate this piece?
felonious activities.
Trained Observer (• or •••)
Striking Looks (• or ••) Prerequisites: Wits ••• or Composure •••

Effect: Your character is stunning, alarming, Effect: Your character has spent years in the field,
commanding, repulsing, threatening, charming, or catching tiny details and digging for secrets. She might
otherwise worthy of attention. Determine how your not have a better chance of finding things, but she has a
character looks and how people react to that. better chance of finding important things. Any time you
For one dot, your character gets a +1 die bonus on make a Perception roll (usually Wits + Composure),
any Social rolls that would be influenced by his looks. you benefit from the 9-again quality. With the three-dot
For two dots, the benefit increases to +2. Depending on version, you get 8-again.
the particulars, this might influence Expression,
Intimidation, Persuasion, Subterfuge, or other rolls. True Friend (•••)
Drawback:
Attention is a double-edged sword. Any rolls to spot, Effect: Your character has a true friend. While that
notice, or remember your character gain the same die friend may have specific functions covered by other
bonus. Sometimes, your character will draw unwanted Merits (Allies, Contacts, Retainer, Mentor, et cetera),
attention in social situations. This could cause further True Friend represents a deeper, truly trusting
complications. relationship that cannot be breached. Unless your
character does something egregious to cause it, her True
Sympathetic (••) Friend will not betray him.
The Storyteller cannot kill a True Friend as part of a
Effect: Your character is very good at letting others get plot without your express permission. Any rolls to
close. This gives him an edge in getting what he wants. influence a True Friend against your character will
At the beginning of a social maneuvering attempt, you suffer a –5 die penalty. In addition, once per chapter
may choose to accept a Condition such as Leveraged or your character can regain one spent Willpower by
Swooning in order to immediately eliminate two of the having a meaningful interaction with her True Friend.
subject’s Doors.
Unseen Sense (••)
Taste (•)
Prerequisites: Human character (not Kindred)
Prerequisites: Crafts •• and a Specialty in Crafts or
Expression Effect: Your character has a “sixth sense” for a type of
supernatural creature, chosen when you buy the Merit.
Effect: Your character has refined tastes and can For example, you may choose Unseen Sense: Vampires,
identify minor details in fashion, food, architecture, and or Unseen Sense: Fairies. The sense manifests
other forms of artistry and craftsmanship. differently for everyone.
A character’s hair stands on end, she becomes Direction Sense (•)
physically ill, or perhaps she has a cold chill.
Regardless, she knows that something isn’t right when Effect: Your character has an innate sense of direction,
she is in the immediate proximity of the appropriate and is always aware of her location in space. She
supernatural being. always knows which direction she faces, and never
Once per chapter, the player can accept the Spooked
suffers penalties to navigate or find her way.
Condition (p. 305) in exchange for which the character
can pinpoint where the feeling is coming from. If the
target is using a power that specifically cloaks its
Eidetic Memory (••)
supernatural nature, however, this does not work Effect: Your character recalls events and details with
(though the Condition remains until resolved as usual). pinpoint accuracy. You do not have to make rolls for
your character to remember past experiences. When
Merits from the making Intelligence + Composure (or relevant Skill)
rolls to recall minute facts from swaths of information,
Chronicles of take a +2 bonus.

Darkness Book Encyclopedic Knowledge (••)

Effect: Choose a Skill. Due to an immersion in
academia, pop culture, or a hobby obsession, your
character has collected limitless factoids about the
Mental Merits topic, even if she has no dots in the Skill.
You can make an Intelligence + Wits roll at any time
your character is dealing with her area of interest. On a
successful roll, the Storyteller must give a relevant fact
Common Sense (•••) or detail about the issue at hand. Your character knows
this fact, but you must explain within the scope of your
Effect: Your character has an exceptionally sound and
character’s background why she knows it. For example,
rational mind. With a moment’s thought, she can weigh
for Encyclopedic Knowledge: Medicine: “Do you
potential courses of action and outcomes.
remember that time on that show, when the doctor said
Once per chapter as an instant action, you may ask
it doesn’t manifest before puberty?”
the Storyteller one of the following questions about a
task at hand or course of action. Roll Wits +
Composure. If you succeed, the Storyteller must answer
Eye for the Strange (••)
to the best of her ability. If you fail, you get no answer. Prerequisites: Resolve ••, Occult •
With an exceptional success, you can ask an additional
question. Effect: While your character does not necessarily
possess a breadth of knowledge about the supernatural,
• What is the worst choice? she knows the otherworldly when she sees it. By
• What do I stand to lose here? perusing evidence, she can determine whether
• What’s the safest choice? something comes from natural or supernatural origins.
• Am I chasing a worthless lead? Roll Intelligence + Composure. With a success, the
Storyteller must tell you if the scene has a supernatural
Danger Sense (••) cause, and provide one piece of found information that
confirms the answer. With an exceptional success, she
Effect: You gain a +2 modifier on reflexive Wits + must give you a bit of supernatural folklore that
Composure rolls for your character to detect an suggests what type of creature caused the problem. If
impending ambush. the problem was mundane, an exceptional success gives
Your character’s reflexes are honed to the point an ongoing +2 to all rolls to investigate the event, due
where nothing’s shocking. to her redoubled certainty in its natural causation.
 If you purchase the Language Merit for either of
Fast Reflexes (• to •••) these languages, replace the Multilingual language. For
Prerequisites: Wits ••• or Dexterity ••• example, if you have Multilingual (French, Italian), and
purchase Language: Italian, you may choose to take
Effect: +1 Initiative per dot Your character’s reflexes Multilingual (French, Portuguese).
impress and astound; she’s always fast to react.
Patient (•)
Good Time Management (•)
Prerequisites: Academics •• or Science •• Effect: Your character knows how to pace herself and
take the time to do the job right the first time. When
Effect: Your character has vast experience managing taking an extended action, you may make two
additional rolls, above what your Attribute + Skill
complex tasks, keeping schedules, and meeting
allows.
deadlines. When taking an extended action, halve the
time required between rolls.
Professional Training (• to
Holistic Awareness (•) •••••)
Prerequisites: Intelligence ••• , Composure •••
Your character is skilled at non-traditional healing
methods. While scientific minds might scoff, he can
Effect:
provide basic medical care with natural means. He Effect: Your character has extensive training in a
knows what herbs can stem an infection, and what particular profession, which offers distinct advantages
minerals will stave off a minor sickness. in a handful of fields. When choosing this Merit, talk to
Unless your patient suffers wound penalties from
your narrator to choose or create a Profession for your
lethal or aggravated wounds, you do not need
character (see the table bellow). Mark the two Asset
traditional medical equipment to stabilize and treat
Skills on your character sheet. The advantages of
injuries. With access to woodlands, a greenhouse, or
Professional Training relate directly to those Asset
other source of diverse flora, a Wits + Survival roll
Skills.
allows your character to gather all necessary supplies.
• Networking: At the first level of Professional
Meditative Mind (•, ••, or ••••) Training, your character builds connections within
her chosen field. Take two dots of Contacts relating
Effect: Your character’s meditation is far more to that field.
fulfilling than for other characters. With the one-dot •• Continuing Education: With the repeated
version of this Merit, the character does not suffer efforts in her field of choice, your character tends
environmental penalties to meditation (see p. 75), even toward greater successes. When making a roll with
from wound penalties. her Asset Skills, she benefits from the 9-again
With the two-dot version, when the character has quality.
successfully meditated, she gains a +3 bonus on any ••• Breadth of Knowledge: Due to her
Resolve + Composure rolls during the same day, as advancement in her field, she’s picked up a number
she’s steeled herself against the things in the world that of particular bits of information and skill unique to
would shake her foundation. her work. Choose a third Asset Skill, and take two
At the four-dot level, she only needs a single success Specialties in your character’s Asset Skills.
to gain the benefits of meditation for the day, instead of •••• On the Job Training: With the resources at
the normal four. her disposal, your character has access to extensive
educational tools and mentorship. Take a Skill dot in
Multilingual (•) an Asset Skill. Whenever you purchase a new Asset
Prerequisites: Intelligence ••• , Skill dot, take a Beat.
••••• The Routine: With such extensive experience
Effect: Your character has a strong affinity for in her field, her Asset Skills have been honed to a
language acquisition. Each time you purchase this fine edge, and she’s almost guaranteed at least a
Merit, choose two languages. Your character can speak marginal success. Before rolling, spend a Willpower
conversationally in those languages. With an point to apply the rote action quality to an Asset
Intelligence + Academics roll, he may also read enough Skill. This allows you to reroll all the failed dice on
of the language to understand context. the first roll.
Professions Here is a list of the most common
Professions, and their Asset Skills. Feel free to create
your own to suit the needs of your characters and Automotive Genius (•)
stories. Also, you may adapt the Asset Skills as fit. For Prerequisites: Crafts •••, Drive •, Science •
example, your police officer might be more proficient
with Politics and Intimidation than Firearms and Effect: Your character knows how to fine-tune a
Streetwise. vehicle to utter extremes. When determining how many
modifications she can add to a vehicle (see Chronicles
Profession Asset Skills
of Darkness p. 98), triple her Crafts dots instead of
doubling them. So, a character with Crafts •••• could
Academic Academics, Science
support 12 combined modifications on a vehicle instead
Artist Crafts, Expression of eight. Additionally, any relevant Crafts Specialties
Athlete Athletics, Medicine add one more potential modification to the total.
Cop Streetwise, Firearms
Criminal Larceny, Streetwise
Crack Driver (•• or •••)
Prerequisites: Drive •••
Detective Empathy, Investigation
Doctor Empathy, Medicine
Effect: Your character’s an ace at the wheel, and
Engineer Academics, Science nothing shakes his concentration. So long as he’s not
Hacker Computer, Science taking any actions other than driving (and keeping the
Hit Man Firearms, Stealth car safe), add his Composure to any rolls to Drive. Any
rolls to disable his vehicle suffer a penalty equal to his
Journalist Expression, Investigation
Composure as well. With the three-dot version, once
Occultist Investigation, Occult per turn he may take a Drive action reflexively.
Laborer Athletics, Craft
Politician Politics, Subterfuge Demolisher (• to •••)
Professional Academics, Science Prerequisites: Strength ••• or Intelligence •••
Religious Leader Academics, Persuasion
Effect: Your character has an innate feel for the weak
Scientist Investigation, Science
points in objects. When damaging an object, she
Socialite Politics, Socialize ignores one point of the object’s Durability per dot with
Survivalist Animal Ken, Survival this Merit.
Soldier Firearms, Survival
Technician Crafts, Investigation
Giant (•••)
Thug Brawl, Intimidation
Effect:
Vagrant Streetwise, Survival Effect: Your character is massive. She’s well over six
feet tall, and crowds part when she approaches. She’s
Size 6, and gains +1 Health.
Available only at character creation.
Physical Merits Drawback:
Buying clothing is a nightmare. Fitting in small
spaces is difficult at best.

Ambidextrous (•••) Hardy (• to •••)

Prerequisites: Prerequisite: Stamina •••
Effect:
Effect: Your character does not suffer the -2 penalty
for using his off hand in combat or to perform other Effect: Your character’s body goes further than it
actions. rightfully should. Add the dots in this Merit to any rolls
Available only at character creation. to resist disease, poison, deprivation, unconsciousness,
or suffocation.
 Additionally, the opponent must make a successful
Greyhound (•) Wits + Composure roll, as if being ambushed, or your
Prerequisites: Athletics •••, Wits •••, Stamina ••• character does not have to account for her Speed or
Initiative when calculating needed successes in the first
Effect: Your character works best when chasing or turn.
being chased; the hunt is in his blood. When in a chase
(see Chronicles of Darkness p. 84), you receive the Small-Framed (••)
effects of an exceptional success on three successes
instead of five. Effect: Your character is diminutive. He’s not five feet,
and it’s easy to walk into him without noticing. He’s
Iron Stamina (• to •••) Size 4, and thus has one fewer Health box. He gains +2
Prerequisites: Stamina ••• or Resolve ••• to any rolls to hide or go unnoticed, and this bonus
might apply any time being smaller would be an
Effect: Each dot eliminates a negative modifier (on a advantage, such as crawling through smaller spaces.
Available only at character creation.
onefor- one basis) when resisting the effects of fatigue
Drawback:
or injury. For example: A character with Iron Stamina ••
In addition to the lower Health, your character might
is able to ignore up to a -2 modifier brought on by
be overlooked or not taken seriously by some people.
fatigue.
The Merit also counteracts the effects of wound
penalties. So, if all of your character’s Health boxes are
Stunt Driver (• to ••••; Style)
filled (which normally imposes a -3 penalty to his Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Drive •••, Wits •••
actions) and he has Iron Stamina •, those penalties are
reduced to -2. This Merit cannot be used to gain Effect: Your character is an expert behind the wheel,
positive modifiers for actions, only to cancel out and can push a vehicle beyond normal limits. Each dot
negative ones. of this Merit grants access to another driving technique.
Defensive Driving (•): Your character knows how
Quick Draw (•) to protect herself and her vehicle while driving.
Prerequisites: Wits •••, a Specialty in the weapon or Subtract her Drive dots from any attempt to hit her
fighting style chosen vehicle while it’s mobile.
Speed Demon (••): Your character is an expert at
Effect: Choose a Specialty in Weaponry or Firearms pushing vehicles to their potential in no time flat.
when you purchase this Merit. Your character has Each success on rolls to accelerate a vehicle (see
trained in that weapon or style enough that pulling the Chronicles of Darkness p.98) raises the vehicle’s
weapon is his first reflex. Drawing or holstering that Speed by 10 instead of 5.
weapon is considered a reflexive action, and can be Drift (•••): Your character knows how to use her
done any time his Defense applies. vehicle’s momentum to efficiently turn at high
speeds. She never needs to make a maneuvering roll
Relentless (•) to turn at high speeds.
Prerequisites: Athletics ••, Stamina ••• Clipping (••••): Your character has experience
hitting things with her vehicle in such a way as to
Effect: Your character will not stop running, whether not hurt herself much. When voluntarily hitting
away from a pursuer or toward prey. In any chase (see another character or vehicle with hers, ignore
Chronicles of Darkness p. 84) your opponents must damage to her own vehicle equal to her Wits. This is
achieve two additional successes against yours to catch applied before Durability.
her or elude her.

Seizing the Edge (••)

Prerequisites: Prerequisites: Wits •••, Composure •••

Effect: Your character is always ready for a chase.

Whether to escape a threat or hunt down a rival, she’s
always geared and ready to go. She always has the
Edge in the first turn of a chase scene (see p. 84).
 Table Turner (•)
Social Merits Prerequisites: Composure •••, Manipulation •••, Wits
•••

Closed Book (• to •••••) Effect: Your character can turn any attempt to leverage
Prerequisites: Manipulation •••, Resolve ••• her into an opportunity. Any time a character initiates a
Social Maneuvering action against yours (see
Effect: Your character is particularly tough to crack. Chronicles of Darkness p. 81), you may spend a
When a character uses Social Maneuvering (see p. 81) Willpower point to preempt that attempt with one of
against her, add her dots in this Merit as additional your own, or another Social action.
Doors. In other Social actions to uncover her true
feelings, motives, and position, add her Merit dots to Takes One to Know One (•)
any contested rolls for her.
This will also apply to supernatural effects used Effect: Normally, when Uncovering a Clue (see p. 79),
against your character. For example, it might allow her your character suffers a -2 penalty if the crime aligns
to resist a power that forces her to speak the truth, since with his Vice. However, it takes a criminal to know a
she can manipulate the wording. However, it wouldn’t criminal, and your character has a deep-seated
affect someone looking at her aura, since she cannot understanding of his particular weakness. Instead, take
manipulate her spiritual resonance. a +2 and the 9-again quality on any investigation rolls
when the crime aligns with your character’s particular
Pusher (•) Vice. The successful investigation is considered
Prerequisites: Persuasion •• fulfilling his Vice.

Effect: Your character tempts and bribes as second

Untouchable (•)
nature. Any time a mark in a Social interaction accepts Prerequisites: Manipulation •••, Subterfuge ••
his soft leverage (see Chronicles of Darkness p. 82),
improve your Impression as if you’d satisfied his Vice Effect: Your character commits crimes, and is always a
as well as moving the impression up on the chart. step ahead of pursuers. Because of his methodical
planning, any roll to investigate him suffers the
Small Unit Tactics (••) Incomplete Clue tag (see p. 80) unless it achieves
exceptional success.
Prerequisites: Presence •••

Effect: Your character is a proficient leader in the field.

She can organize efforts and bark orders to remarkable
effect. Once per scene, when making a coordinated
Fighting Merits
action that was planned in advance, spend a point of Some Merits in this section have other Merits as
Willpower and an instant action. A number of prerequisites. These are refinements of form and
characters equal to your character’s Presence can additional areas of expertise. For example, Iron Skin
benefit from the +3 bonus gained from the Willpower requires Martial Arts ••. This means you must have two
expenditure. dots in Martial Arts before buying dots in Iron Skin.
Many Fighting Style Merits require a character to
Spin Doctor (•) sacrifice their Defense. Defense cannot be sacrificed
Prerequisites: Manipulation •••, Subterfuge •• multiple times in a turn; this prevents certain maneuvers
from being used together.
Effect: Your character can fast-talk and sell bullshit
stories as if they were completely flawless. When
Armed Defense (• to •••••;
suffering from Tainted Clues (see Chronicles of Style)
Darkness p. 80), your character does not ignore Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Weaponry ••, Defensive
successes. Instead, apply a -1 penalty for each relevant Combat: Weaponry
Tainted Clue. Using a Tainted Clue only levies a total -2
penalty with this Merit, which includes the -1 taken in
lieu of ignoring successes.
Effect: You’re able to use a weapon to stop people who She fights dirty. Make a Dexterity + Subterfuge roll
are trying to kill you. Often deployed by police officers as a reflexive action. The opponent’s player contests
using riot shields or telescoping batons, it’s just as with Wits + Composure. If you score more successes,
effective while using a chair leg. the opponent loses his Defense against your next attack.
Each time a character uses this maneuver in a scene, it
Cover the Angles (•): Whenever you take a Dodge
levies a cumulative -2 penalty to further uses since the
action, reduce the Defense penalties for multiple
opposition gets used to the tricks.
attackers by 1. You can apply your full Defense
against the first two attacks, suffer a -1 penalty
against the third, and so on.
Choke Hold (••)
Weak Spot (••): You swing against your Prerequisites: Brawl ••
opponent’s arm, rather than his own weapon. Use
this ability when defending against an armed Effect: If you can get your hands on someone, they’re
attacker. If your Defense reduces his attack pool to putty in your hands. When grappling, your character
0, he’s disarmed. If you Dodge, you disarm your can use the Choke move:
opponent if your Defense roll reduces his attack Choke: If you rolled more successes than twice the
successes to 0. victim’s Stamina, he’s unconscious for (six -
Aggressive Defense (•••): Anyone dumb enough Stamina) minutes. You must first have succeeded at
to come near you is liable to get hurt. When you a Hold move. If you don’t score enough successes at
take a Dodge action, if you score more successes first, you can Choke on future turns and total your
than any attacker, you deal one point of lethal successes.
damage to the attacker per extra success. Your
weapon bonus doesn’t apply to this extra damage. Close Quarters Combat (• to
Drawback: You must spend a point of Willpower •••••; Style)
and declare that you are using Aggressive Defense at
Prerequisites: Wits •••, Athletics ••, Brawl •••
the start of the turn. You cannot combine this maneuver
with Press the Advantage or Weak Spot.
Effect: Your character knows that hitting someone in
Iron Guard (••••): You and your weapon are one. the face is an easy way to break the little bones in his
At the start of each turn, you can choose to reduce hand. To that end, he’s perfected the art of using the
your weapon bonus (down to a minimum of 0) to environment to hurt people.
increase your Defense by a like amount. If you take
Firing Lines (•): In some situations, your
a Dodge action, add your full weapon bonus to your
character’s best option is a tactical retreat —
Defense after doubling your pool.
especially if he’s inadvertently brought a knife to a
Press the Advantage (•••••): You create an
gunfight. He can run for cover as a reaction to a
opening with a block, and lash out with a fist or
ranged attack instead of dropping prone. You give
foot. When you’re taking a Dodge action, if your
up your action for the turn, but your character can
Defense roll reduces the attacker’s successes to 0,
get to any cover that’s within twice his Speed.
you can make an unarmed attack against that
Hard Surfaces (••): Bouncing someone’s head off
opponent at a -2 penalty. Your opponent applies
a urinal, computer monitor, or brick wall is a handy
Defense as normal.
way to increase the amount of hurt inflicted while
Drawback: Spend a point of Willpower to make the not breaking the aforementioned hand bones. When
attack. You can only make one attack per turn in this your character is grappling someone, he can bounce
way. them off a hard surface with a Damage move. He
deals lethal damage, then immediately ends the
Cheap Shot (••) grapple.
Prerequisites: Street Fighting •••, Subterfuge •• Armored Coffin (•••): The problem with
protection is simple: the very things that protect
Effect: Your character is a master at the bait and your opponents can be turned against them. That
holds true for body armor just as much as anything
switch. She can look off in an odd direction and prompt
else.
her opponent to do the same, or she might step on his
toes to distract him.
Sure, it blocks bullets and knives, but get in a clinch
and your character’s opponent might as well be wearing
Firefight (• to •••; Style)
a straightjacket. Prerequisites: Composure •••, Dexterity •••, Athletics
When he grapples an opponent, add their general ••, Firearms ••
armor rating to your dice pool. When he uses a Damage
move, ignore his opponent’s armor. This technique Effect: Your character is comfortable with a gun. She’s
can’t be used in conjunction with Hard Surfaces. been trained in stressful situations, and knows how to
keep herself from being shot, while still shooting at her
Prep Work (••••): If your character has a second opponents. This Style is about moving, strafing, and
to look around, he can catch someone by surprise taking shots when you get them. It’s not a series of
almost anywhere. When launching a surprise attack, precision techniques; it’s for using a gun practically in a
your Dexterity + Stealth roll becomes a rote action. real-world situation.
Drawback: Your character can’t use this Merit to
set up sniper attacks — his ambush must use Brawl Shoot First (•): In a firefight, the person shot first
or Weaponry. is usually the loser. Your character has trained
Turnabout (•••••): If your character’s caught short herself to fire first in an altercation. If her gun is
in a fight, his opponent’s weapon suits him just fine. drawn, add her Firearms score to her Initiative. If
When he attempts to Disarm his opponent, step the she has Quick Draw, she can use Shoot First to draw
results up one level — on a failure, his opponent and fire with increased Initiative in the first turn of
drops the weapon. On a success, your character combat.
takes possession of his opponent’s weapon. On an Suppressive Fire (••): Sometimes, the purpose of
exceptional success, your character has the weapon a shot is to distract, not necessarily to hit. Your
and his opponent takes two points of bashing character is trained to fire off a handful of rounds
damage. with the intent to startle opponents and force
impulse reactions. When using the Covering Fire
Defensive Combat (•) maneuver (p. 90), her opponents cannot benefit
from aiming against her. She can apply her Defense
Prerequisites: Brawl • or Weaponry •; choose one
against incoming Firearms attacks, in addition to
when this Merit is selected
any cover bonuses. Additionally, her training allows
her to use Suppressive Fire with a semi-automatic
Effect: Your character is trained in avoiding damage in
weapon.
combat. Use her Brawl or Weaponry to calculate
Secondary Target (•••): Sometimes, shooting an
Defense, rather than Athletics. Your character can learn
opponent behind cover is all but impossible.
both versions of this Merit, allowing you to use any of
However, a bullet can knock objects off balance, or
the three Skills to calculate Defense. However, you
cause ricochets. By using Secondary Target, your
cannot use Weaponry to calculate Defense unless she
character opts not to hit her target, but instead strike
actually has a weapon in her hand.
them with any collateral objects that might be
nearby. She causes bashing damage instead of
Fighting Finesse (••) lethal, but ignores all cover penalties to the roll. The
Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, a Specialty in Weaponry weapon’s damage rating does not add to the damage
or Brawl in this case.

Effect: Choose a Specialty in Weaponry or Brawl Grappling (• to •••; Style)

when you purchase this Merit. Your character’s
Prerequisites: Stamina •••, Strength ••, Athletics ••,
extensive training in that particular weapon or style has
Brawl ••
allowed them to benefit more from their alacrity and
agility than their strength. You may substitute your
Effect: Your character has trained in wrestling, or one
character’s Dexterity for her Strength when making
of many grappling martial arts.
rolls with that Specialty. This Merit may be purchased
multiple times to gain its benefit with multiple Sprawl (•): Your character can adjust his weight to
Specialties. defend himself in a grapple. While in a grapple, the
character’s opponent cannot apply the Drop Prone
or Take Cover moves.
 Takedown (••): Your character can take an Warding Stance (••••): Your character holds her
opponent to the ground rapidly. With a normal roll, weapon in such a way as to make attacks much
you may choose to render an opponent prone instead harder. If her weapon’s drawn, spend a point of
of establishing a grapple. Also, you may choose to Willpower reflexively to add her weapon’s damage
cause bashing damage equal to the successes rolled. rating as armor for the turn. This will not protect
Joint Lock (•••): You use joint locks and against firearms.
immobilizing tactics to limit your opponent’s Rending (•••••): Your character’s cuts leave
movement. You can use the Joint Lock move in a crippling, permanent wounds. By spending a
grapple. Next turn, your opponent suffers bashing Willpower point before making an attack roll, her
damage equal to your successes. You can use Joint successful attacks cause one level of aggravated
Lock as a lead-in to the Restrain move. In addition, damage in addition to her weapon’s damage rating.
any successful overpowering maneuvers your This Willpower point does not add to the attack roll.
character uses cause 1L damage in addition to their
normal effects. Improvised Weaponry (• to
Heavy Weapons (• to •••••; •••; Style)
Prerequisites: Wits •••, Weaponry •
Style)
Prerequisites: Stamina •••, Strength •••, Athletics ••, Effect: Most people don’t walk around armed. While
Weaponry •• someone pulling a knife or a gun can cool a hostile
situation down, it can also cause things to boil over —
Effect: Your character is trained with heavy weapons an argument that wouldn’t be more than harsh words
which require strength, wide range, and follow through suddenly ends up with three people in the morgue. If
more than direct speed and accuracy. This Style may be your character is on the receiving end of someone
used with a two-handed weapon such as a claymore, pulling a knife, it helps to have something in his hand
chainsaw, pike, or an uprooted street sign. as well.
Your character is good at making do with what he’s
Sure Strike (•): Your character doesn’t always hit got. Sometimes he’s lucky — if your character’s in a
the hardest or the most frequently, but she bar, he’s got a lot of glass bottles, or maybe a pool cue,
guarantees a deadly strike when she does hit. You to play with. However, he’s got something like a sixth
can reflexively remove three dice from any attack sense, and can find a weapon almost anywhere.
dice pool (to a minimum of zero) to add one to your
character’s weapon damage rating for the turn. Always Armed (•): Your character can always get
These dice must be removed after calculating any his hands on something dangerous, and he has an
penalties from the environment or the opponent’s instinctive understanding of how to put it to good —
Defense. and deadly — use. At the start of your turn, make a
Threat Range (••): Your character’s weapon is reflexive Wits + Weaponry roll to grab an object
immense and keeps opponents at bay. If you opt not suitable for use as a weapon in pretty much any
to move or Dodge during your turn, any character environment. (The player is encouraged to work
moving into your character’s proximity suffers one with the Storyteller to determine an appropriate item
lethal damage and a penalty to their Defense equal — a large, jagged rock in the wilderness, for
to your character’s weapon damage rating. This example, or a heavy glass ashtray with one sharp,
penalty only lasts for one turn. This cannot be used broken edge in a dive bar.) Regardless of what he
in a turn the character is Dodging. picks up, the weapon has a +0 weapon modifier, -1
Bring the Pain (•••): Your character’s strikes stun initiative penalty, Size 1, Durability 2, and Structure
and incapacitate as well as causing massive trauma 4. On an exceptional success, increase the weapon
to the body. Sacrifice your character’s Defense to modifier and Size by 1, but the initiative penalty
use Bring the Pain. Make a standard attack roll. Any increases to -2. Whatever your character grabs
damage you score with Bring the Pain counts as a doesn’t cause you to suffer the normal -1 penalty for
penalty to all actions the victim takes during their wielding an improvised weapon.
next turn. So, if you cause four lethal damage, the
opponent is at -4 on their next attack.
 In Harm’s Way (••): Your character’s got a knack Effect: Your character is trained with small hand-
for putting his weapon in the way of an oncoming tohand weapons which favor finesse over raw power.
attack, no matter how small or inappropriate for These maneuvers may only be used with one-handed
blocking it might be. While he’s wielding an weapons with a damage rating of two or less.
improvised weapon acquired with Always Armed,
Rapidity (•): Your character moves with swiftness
you can treat the Structure of your character’s
to find just the right spot to strike. You can sacrifice
weapon as general armor against a single Brawl or
your character’s weapon damage rating to add his
Weaponry attack. Any damage he takes inflicts an
Weaponry score to his Initiative for the turn. The
equal amount of damage to the improvised weapon,
weapon becomes a zero damage weapon for the
bypassing Durability. Your character can use the
turn.
weapon to attack later in the same turn, but can only
Thrust (••): Your character knows when to defend
use this ability when applying his Defense to an
himself, and when to move in for the kill. At any
attack.
time, you can sacrifice points of Defense one-for-
Breaking Point (•••): One sure way to win a fight
one to add to attack pools. This cannot happen if
is to hit the other guy so hard that he doesn’t get
you’ve already used Defense in the same turn. If
back up, even if that means losing a weapon in the
you use this maneuver, you may not sacrifice your
process. When making an all-out attack with an
full Defense for any other reason. For example, you
improvised weapon acquired with Always Armed,
cannot use Thrust with an all-out attack.
you can reduce the weapon’s Structure by any
Feint (•••): With a flourish in one direction, your
amount down to a minimum of 0. Every 2 points of
character can distract an opponent for a cleaner,
Structure spent in this way adds 1 to the weapon
more effective follow-up strike. For example, if
modifier for that one single attack. Declare any
Feinting with a two damage weapon with three
Structure loss before making the attack; this
successes, the attack causes no damage. However,
Structure is reduced even if the attack does no
your next attack ignores five points of Defense, and
damage. If the weapon is reduced to 0 Structure, it is
causes three extra points of damage.
automatically destroyed after the attack. You can use
Flurry (••••): Your character moves quickly
this technique in conjunction with In Harm’s Way,
enough to stab opponents with numerous pricks and
allowing your character to parry an attack made on a
swipes in the blink of an eye. As long as your
higher Initiative and then go on the offensive,
character has his Defense available to him (if it’s not
provided that the weapon wasn’t destroyed.
been sacrificed for another maneuver, or denied
Iron Skin (•• or ••••) from surprise, for example), any character coming
into his immediate proximity takes one point of
Prerequisites: Martial Arts •• or Street Fighting ••, lethal damage. This damage continues once per turn
Stamina ••• as long as the enemy stays within range, and occurs
on the enemy’s turn. This can affect multiple
Effect: Through rigorous conditioning, or extensive opponents, and cannot be used in a turn where the
scarring, your character has grown resistant to harm. character is Dodging.
She can shrug off shots that would topple bigger Vital Shot (•••••): Your character can use his
fighters. She knows how to take a strike, and can even smaller weapon to get into an opponent’s defenses
move into a hit from a weapon to minimize harm. She and hit where it hurts most. Sacrifice your
gains armor against bashing attacks; one point of armor character’s Defense for the turn to use this
with ••, and two points of armor with ••••. By spending maneuver. If the attack roll succeeds, the attack
a point of Willpower when hit, she can downgrade causes one point of aggravated damage, in addition
some lethal damage from a successful attack into to the damage rating of the weapon.
bashing. Downgrade one damage at ••, two with ••••.

Light Weapons (• to •••••;

Style)
Prerequisites: Wits ••• or Fighting Finesse, Dexterity
•••, Athletics ••, Weaponry ••
 Focused Attack (•): Your character has trained
Marksmanship (• to ••••; extensively in striking specific parts of an
Style) opponent’s body. Reduce penalties for hitting
specific targets by one. Additionally, you may
Prerequisites: Composure •••, Resolve •••, Firearms
ignore one point of armor on any opponent.
••
Defensive Strike (••): Your character excels in
defending herself while finding the best time to
Effect: When prepared and aimed, a gun is an ideal
strike. You can add 1 or 2 points to your character’s
killing machine. Your character has trained to take
Defense. For each Defense point you take, subtract a
advantage of the greatest features of a gun, usually a
die from any attacks you make. This can only be
rifle, but this Style can be used with any gun. Because
used in a turn in which your character intends to
of the discipline and patience required for
attack. It cannot be used with a Dodge.
Marksmanship, your character cannot use her Defense
Whirlwind Strike (•••): When engaged, your
during any turn in which she uses one of these
character becomes a storm of threatening kicks and
maneuvers. These maneuvers may only be used after
punches; nothing close is safe. As long as your
aiming for at least one turn.
character has her Defense available to her, and is not
Through the Crosshairs (•): Your character is a Dodging, any character coming into arm’s reach
competent sniper, able to sit in position and steel her takes one bashing damage. This damage continues
wits. Usually, the maximum bonus from aiming is once per turn as long as the enemy stays within
three dice. With Through the Crosshairs, it’s equal range, and occurs on the enemy’s turn. If you spend
to her Composure + Firearms. a point of Willpower, this damage becomes two
Precision Shot (••): With this level of training, bashing until your next turn.
your character knows how to effectively disable a The Hand As Weapon (••••): With this degree of
victim instead of focusing on the kill. When training, your character’s limbs are hardened to
attacking a specified target, you may reduce your cause massive trauma. Her unarmed strikes cause
weapon’s damage rating one-for-one to ignore lethal damage.
penalties for shooting a specified target (see p. 92). The Touch of Death (•••••): Your character’s
For example, if your character is using a sniper rifle mastery has brought with it the daunting power of
(four damage weapon), and attacking an arm (-2 to causing lethal injury with a touch. If she chooses,
hit), you could choose to use three damage for -1, or her unarmed strikes count as weapons with two
two damage to eliminate the penalty entirely. damage rating.
A Shot Rings Out (•••): A master sniper, your
character has no worries or lack of confidence. She Police Tactics
can fire into a crowd and strike a specific target Prerequisites: Brawl ••, Weaponry •
without penalty. If she misses, it’s because her shot
goes wide. She will never hit an unintended target. Effect: Your character is trained in restraint techniques,
Ghost (••••): Your character has trained to shoot often used by law enforcement officers. This may
unseen, and vanish without a trace. Her Firearms reflect formal training, or lessons from a skilled
score acts as a penalty on any roll to notice her practitioner.
vantage point, or any Investigation or Perception
roll to investigate the area from where she was Compliance Hold (•): Gain a +2 bonus to
shooting. overpowering rolls to disarm or immobilize an
opponent.
Martial Arts (• to •••••; Style) Weapon Retention (••): Opponents attempting to
disarm your character or turn his weapon against
Prerequisites: Resolve •••, Dexterity •••, Athletics ••,
Brawl •• him must exceed your character’s Weaponry score
in successes.
Speed Cuff (•••): Against an immobilized
Effect: Your character is trained in one or more formal
opponent, your character may apply handcuffs,
martial arts styles. This may have come from a personal
cable ties, or similar restraints as a reflexive action.
mentor, adojo, or a self-defense class. it may have been
for exercise, protection, show, or tradition. These
maneuvers may only be used unarmed, or with weapons
capable of using the Brawl Skill, such as a punch
dagger, or a weapon using the Shiv Merit (see below).
 Last-Ditch Effort (•••••): In a street fight, every
Shiv (• or ••) second could mean the loss of your life. A proficient
Prerequisites: Street Fighting ••, Weaponry • street fighter is a remarkable survivalist. She bites,
headbutts, trips, or does whatever it takes to prevent
Effect: Your character carries small, concealable that last hit. Any time a character with this level of
weapons for use in a tussle. Rolls to detect the Street Fighting is about to take a hit or get
concealed weapon suffer your character’s Weaponry overpowered when she’s already suffering wound
score as a penalty. With the one-dot version, he can penalties, she can reflexively spend a Willpower
conceal a weapon with a zero damage rating. The two- point and sacrifice her Defense for the turn to make
dot version can conceal a one damage rating weapon. an attack against her would-be assailant. This can
Your character may use the Brawl Skill to use this occur even if she’s already acted in a turn, so long as
weapon. she’s not already spent Willpower. Resolve this
attack before the opponent’s action.
Street Fighting (• to •••••;
Style) Unarmed Defense (• to •••••;
Prerequisites: Stamina •••, Composure •••, Brawl ••, Style)
Streetwise •• Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Brawl ••, Defensive
Combat: Brawl
Effect: Your character learned to fight on the mean
streets. She may have had some degree of formal Effect: Your character is better at stopping people from
training, but the methodology came from the real world, hurting them than they are at hurting other people.
in dangerous circumstances. Street Fighting isn’t about Maybe they practice a martial art that redirects an
form and grace, it’s about staying alive. These opponent’s blows, or are just very good at not being
maneuvers may only be used unarmed, or with weapons where their opponent wants them to be.
capable of using the Brawl Skill, such as punch
daggers, or weapons concealed with the Shiv Merit Like a Book (•): Your character can read his
(above). opponents, knowing where they’re likely to strike.
When facing an unarmed opponent and not
Duck and Weave (•): Your character has been Dodging, increase your character’s Defense by half
beaten all to hell more than a few times. Now she of his Brawl (round down).
dodges on instinct, not on skill. You can reflexively Studied Style (••): Your character focuses on
take a one-die penalty to any actions this turn to use reading one opponent, avoiding his attacks and
the higher of her Wits or Dexterity to calculate frustrating him. Attacks from that opponent do not
Defense. If you’ve already made a roll without reduce your character’s Defense. If your character’s
penalty this turn, you cannot use Duck and Weave. Defense reduces his opponent’s attack pool to zero,
Knocking the Wind Out (••): Shots to the center his further attacks against you lose the 10-again
mass can shake an opponent, and your character quality.
knows this well. When your character makes a Redirect (•••): When your character is being
successful unarmed attack, the opponent suffers a -1 attacked by multiple opponents, he can direct their
to his next roll. blows against one another. When he Dodges, if his
Kick ‘Em While They’re Down (•••): The best Defense roll reduces an attack’s successes to zero,
enemy is one on the ground. Your character topples his attacker rolls the same attack against another
opponents, and keeps them down. Any time your attacker of your choice.
successes on an attack roll exceed an opponent’s
Stamina, you may choose to apply the Knocked Drawback: Your character may only redirect one
Down Tilt (Chronicles of Darkness p. 285). Also, attack in a turn. He cannot redirect an attack against the
any time your character is in melee range when an same attacker.
opponent attempts to get up from a prone position,
she can reflexively cause two bashing damage.
One-Two Punch (••••): Your character hits fast,
and she follows through with every hit. Whenever
she makes a successful attack, you can spend a point
of Willpower to cause two extra points of bashing
damage.
 Joint Strike (••••): Your character waits until the Play Dead (••••): When your character wants to
last possible second, then lashes out at his bow out of a combat she makes even the most
opponent’s elbow or wrist as he attacks, hoping to superficial wounds look fatal. After any attack your
cripple his limbs. Roll Strength + Brawl instead of character sustained lethal damage from, roll
Defense. If you score more successes than your Manipulation + Subterfuge. Opponents require a
attacker, you deal one point of bashing damage per contested Wits + Composure roll to notice that she’s
extra success, and inflict either the Arm Wrack or still alive.
Leg Wrack Tilt (your choice).

Drawback: Spend a point of Willpower to use this

Berserker (Style; • to •••)
maneuver. Prerequisites: Strength •••, Iron Stamina •••

Like the Breeze (•••••): Your characters steps to Effect: Your character enters a controlled madness in
one side as his opponent attacks, and gives her combat. Whether a believer in the throes of ecstatic
enough of a push to send her flying past him. When fervor or a warrior emulating the Norse berserks, this
dodging, if your Defense roll reduces an opponent’s Style is not about technique but about achieving the
attack successes to zero, you can inflict the Knocked right state of mind.
Down Tilt.
The Red Mist (•): Your character focuses inward,
Drawback: Declare that you’re using this maneuver seeking out her source of rage within. By spending a
at the start of the turn before taking any other attacks. point of Willpower, until the end of the scene, she
gets a +1 bonus on all attack rolls, a +3 bonus on
Avoidance (Style; • to ••••) any defense against mental attacks, but will be the
Prerequisites: Manipulation •••, Athletics ••, Stealth •• last person to act every turn from now on, and can't
spend willpower until the end of the scene.
Effect: Your character’s only goal in a fight is not to War Cry (••): Your character chills an opponent’s
get hurt. She tries to create situations where opponents blood with her mad howl. Instead of attacking, roll a
hurt themselves or target her big mean friends instead. contested Strength + Intimidation versus opponent’s
There is no formal training for this Style; it’s a mixture Resolve + Composure. If your character gets the
of ingenuity and a person’s innate desire to avoid pain. most successes, her opponent suffers a penalty equal
to your successes to any action other than Dodging
Insignificance (•): When a fight starts you ease for the next turn. (If two or more characters use this
out of sight and try to become a part of the scenery. power, they will be the last characters to act every
Make a roll of Manipulation + Stealth – the highest turn, order them by their initiaves.)
Composure in the room. If successful, your Manic Brutality (•••): Your character lashes out
character comes across as very nonthreatening. with a singleminded determination to destroy. Her
Unless an opponent perceives no other threats all-out unarmed attacks have a +1 bonus to hit
around him whatsoever she cannot be the direct specified targets. If she’s using a weapon then she
target of his attacks. This effect ends if she attacks may substitute its Durability for its weapon bonus.
or takes any threatening actions during the scene.
Coattails (••): Your character’s reaction to being Drawback: If she’s using a weapon, then all
attacked is to dive behind her bigger friend and let damage taken by her opponent is also applied directly
him take care of it. When taking a Dodge action she to the weapon’s Structure.
can designate an ally in close range whose hasn’t
attacked yet that turn. Go Prone. If hit by an Bowmanship (Style; • to ••••)
opponent’s attack, her ally can choose to take the Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Firearms ••, Trained
damage. Observer •
Whack-a-Mole (•••): Your character makes
herself into a tempting target and unsuspecting Effect: Your character is a patient hunter with a bow.
opponents end up doing more damage to themselves She fires precision shots across long distances to take
than her. Once per turn you may make a contested out targets that had no idea she was even there. This
roll of Manipulation + Persuasion + Avoidance Style focuses on a character’s ability to aim by judging
against an opponent’s unarmed or melee attack roll. distance and trajectory. It uses a dice pool of Dexterity
If the character gets the most successes the attack + Firearms for its attacks.
does no damage, and instead inflicts the Arm Wrack
Tilt on the opponent.
 Arcing Fire (•): Your character knows how to tilt Knockout Artist (•••): Your character knows how
her aim to make a shot hit true even from afar. Her to knock someone out. She now treats the target’s
range increments for using a bow are doubled. Size as 1 lower at all times for the purposes of
Bullseye (••): Your character places her shots to hit inflicting the Stunned Tilt, reflecting her ability to
deep into an opponent’s weak spots. When attacking casually hit someone in the head. If you suffer a
a specified target you may lower your bow’s penalty to target the head as a true specified target,
damage rating to any amount (0 or greater) to add treat the target’s Size as 2 lower for the purpose of
+1 and the 8-again quality to the attack roll. inflicting the Tilt.
Out of Nowhere (•••): Your character fires her Combination (••••): Your character learns to fire
arrows and then ducks out of sight, leaving her off several blows in rapid succession, so that if one
enemies bleeding and confused. Roll Dexterity + hits, the others often follow. If your character’s
Stealth as a reflexive action after attacking a target Brawl strike succeeds, roll her Dexterity dots as dice
that is unaware of her presence. Her target must roll and add successes to damage to reflect other blows
Wits + Composure – her successes, where failure striking home.
applies the Shaken Condition to the target. Out for the Count (•••••): When your character
Death from Above (••••): Your character looses knocks someone out they don’t get back up any time
vertical shots that reach opponents even behind soon. When she inflicts the Stunned Tilt it not only
cover. She reduces an opponent’s Concealment lasts for a number of turns equal to the damage she
rating by adding 10 yards (9 meters) per point to the inflicted, but it produces true unconsciousness for
range of her shot. If his cover provides vertical that period unless the victim spends a point of
protection then subtract Durability from damage as Willpower.
normal.
Chain Weapons (Style; • to ••)
Boxing (Style, • to •••••) Prerequisites: Strength •••, Dexterity •••, Athletics ••,
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity ••, Stamina ••, Weaponry ••
Brawl ••, Athletics ••
Effect: Your character knows how to use a length of
Effect: Trading blows with the hands dates back to chain as a weapon. These maneuvers require at least a
Classical times, and probably earlier — some biologists yard’s (or meter’s) worth of chain and can be any
believe our hands have been optimized to deliver design from a martial artist’s chain whip to one ripped
blows. There are hundreds of folk styles of boxing, off the sprocket of a motorcycle. The Style is taught
from West Africa’s Dambe to the Filipino method among traditional Chinese weapon styles but is also
known as Suntukan or Panantukan. This style favored among everyday street gangs.
concentrates on the modern combat sport, which
Imposing Defense (•): Your character spins her
combines European methods with innovations
chain around, creating a whirling metal barrier
developed by trainers or borrowed from other cultures.
between her and her opponent. Sacrificing her
Your character is trained in modern boxing, or a similar
Defense, and she inflicts her weapon damage rating
traditional style.
+ 1 in bashing damage to any opponent who
Head Protection (•): The head is the primary attempts an unarmed or melee attack against her that
target for most boxers, so your character has learned turn.
to protect it by bobbing, weaving, and angling away Bring Down the House (••): Handy in rooms
from blows. Your character’s Defense increases by 1 with chandeliers or dodgy support beams, your
against unarmed strikes or weapons that use the character lashes her chain around some part of the
Brawl Skill, and attackers suffer an additional –1 environment over an opponent’s head and then gives
penalty to target her head. it a good yank. She makes an attack against an
Defensive Jab (••): Your character interrupts object with a penalty for the object’s Size (use the
attacks with well-timed punches from the lead hand. specified target chart in the Chronicles of Darkness
Any time an opponent misses with a Brawl or Rulebook, p. 92 as a guideline). If successful, she
Weaponry attack, your character inflicts one point of inflicts bashing damage equal to the object’s
bashing damage which ignores armor. If your Structure on all characters within range. Characters
character Dodges, change this to one point of with their turn still available can Dodge, with
bashing damage per two successes that exceed the successes removing damage.
opponent’s attack successes (a minimum of one, but
round fractions down).
Combat Archery (Style; • to Falconry (Style; • to ••••)
•••••) Prerequisites: This Merit works in conjunction with
any predatory bird of at least Size 2. The character must
Prerequisites: Strength •••, Athletics ••, Quick Draw possess Wits •••, Animal Ken •••, and share the Bonded
(Bow) • Condition with the bird.

Effect: Your character uses a bow for rapid draws that Effect: Your bird performs incredible feats at your
riddle opponents with arrows. She knows how to move command. You purchase this Merit for your character,
across the battlefield while firing from any angle. This who may apply it to any bird she shares the Bonded
Style is about trick shots and using archery in the thick Condition with after a reasonable amount of time
of a fight. It uses a dice pool of Dexterity + Athletics training together. Used for both hunting and sport, this
for its attacks. practice has roots going back into antiquity and among
Rapid Nock (•): Your character has trained herself numerous cultures. While not as widespread now as in
to have another arrow set and her bow drawn within the past, finding a trainer for this style is still relatively
a heartbeat of her last shot. As long as there is a easy. Unless otherwise noted, these Merits constitute
supply of arrows in reach she can make an attack actions the bird takes independently, with only a simple,
every turn without taking an action to position them one-word or gesture command. Thus, your character
on the string. Also, ignore the bow’s Initiative does not have to dedicate an action to make them
penalty. happen. Additionally, possession of this Merit allows
Reflex Aiming (••): Your character knows how to your character to spend Willpower to benefit the bird’s
time her shots to hit her opponents and not her actions in her presence.
allies. Ignore penalties for firing a bow into close Predator’s Vigil (•): The presence of your bird
combat. instinctively wards off prey animals. Even a flock of
Parthian Shot (•••): Your character feints retreat pigeons or swarm of rats won’t come too close
to lure an opponent in for a close-range shot. The when a natural predator circles the skies. Any
first time in a turn an opponent attempts a close- creature of equal or smaller Size than your bird in
range attack, you may choose to Dodge as normal. his immediate vicinity has the Shaken Condition
However, any successes in excess of your applied to them for any action other than hiding or
opponent’s are applied as attack successes with your fleeing the area.
bow against him. Flyby (••): Your character commands her bird to
Rain of Arrows (••••): Your character fires a dive past an enemy at high speed, creating a
group of shots at multiple opponents in the blink of distraction. Roll Presence + Intimidation against an
an eye. She can attack with a bow as an autofire opponent’s Resolve + Composure as an attack
medium burst with three arrows hitting up to three action for the bird. If successful, the opponent takes
different targets. Drawback: This maneuver a –3 penalty to his next action.
sacrifices distance for speed. Triple all range Retrieve Item (•••): Your bird knows how to grab
penalties for medium and long distance. small items and bring them back to you, even
Trick Shot (•••••): Your character rolls, leaps, and snatching them from someone’s hand. On your
runs along walls while firing arrows in any character’s turn she can designate any object of the
direction. Your character can fire her bow bird’s Size or smaller within her and her bird’s field
simultaneously while taking an Athletics action, of vision that the bird will retrieve. An opponent
including maneuvers from Movement Styles. This actively holding onto an item treats this as a Disarm
imposes a –2 penalty to both rolls. maneuver, but if successful the bird’s roll is
automatically considered an exceptional success.
This generally requires the bird make an all-out
attack.
Rake the Eyes (••••): Your character commands
her bird to claw at an opponent’s eyes. Take a –1
penalty to attack. A successful attack applies the
Blinded Tilt.
 Positional Dominance (•••••): Your character
Grappling (Style, • to •••••) knows how to hurt and tire an opponent from any
Prerequisites: Stamina •••, Strength ••, Athletics ••, position, crushing the life out of him. No matter
Brawl •• which maneuver you choose on a successful
grapple, your character inflicts one point of bashing
Effect: Grappling’s first three dots are covered in the damage per two successes scored, rounding down,
Chronicles of Darkness Rulebook. This section presents but always inflicting at least one point. If your
additional Grappling maneuvers. character chooses a damaging maneuver, add this to
the damage inflicted. You may choose not to inflict
Standing Throw (•): Your character knows how to this damage.
toss someone over his hip, trip, or sweep her while
keeping his footing. He may inflict the Knocked
Down Tilt as a grappling maneuver, but if he
K-9 (Style, • to ••••)
remains standing his opponent automatically breaks Prerequisites: This Merit works in conjunction with a
free. dog of least Size 3. The character must possess Wits •••,
Small Joint Manipulation (••): By accepting a – Animal Ken •••, and share the Bonded Condition with
2 penalty to the attack roll, your character may the dog.
immediately dislocate or otherwise bend the
opponent’s fingers in one hand (or toes in one foot, Effect: You purchase this Merit for your character, who
in some circumstances) the wrong way. This occurs may apply it to any dog she shares the Bonded
instead of any other maneuver, inflicting one point Condition with after a reasonable amount of training
of bashing damage per two successes (round down, time together. Each maneuver includes the special
but always at least one) and the Agony Tilt. If the ability to never require an Animal Ken roll to order its
attack targets a hand, it can no longer hold objects use. Your character’s dog obeys without a second’s
until the associated damage heals. Optionally, you pause.
may assign the Tactical (Street) Style Tag to this Detection (•): Your character’s dog has been
maneuver to represent a form of “underhanded” trained to detect a certain class of substances by
fighting. smell and indicate its location. Choose from one of
Ippon (•••): Additional Prerequisite: Takedown the following: Drugs, Explosives, Tracks, People,
Maneuver. While using Drop Prone with the and Corpses. When your character works with his
Takedown Maneuver, your character hurls his dog it gains the Rote benefit (re-roll failed dice) on
opponent to the ground with exceptional force. Wits + Survival rolls to detect the target substances.
Double the damage of the takedown for the purpose You may purchase this Merit multiple times for
of inflicting the Stunned Tilt, but not as actual different categories.
damage. Dynamic Guard (••••): While prone, your Targeted Bite (••): Your character may command
character uses his body to shake and redirect his his dog to target specific body parts. Reduce
enemy. Reduce the opponent’s dice pool to grapple penalties to attack specific targets by –2.
by your character’s Dexterity. Unfortunately, your Tactical Positioning (•••): When acting side by
character can’t get up from prone while using this side against an opponent, one of the pair gains +1 to
maneuver. Defense against that opponent, and the other
Lock Flow (••••): Additional Prerequisite: Joint benefits from +2 to attack rolls targeting the
Lock Maneuver. When your character’s opponent opponent. Your character decides which participant
slips out of one lock you know how to go with the gets the offensive or defensive bonus at the
motion and trap her in another. You gain +2 to beginning of each turn. Finally, you never take a
grapple rolls when you declare ahead of time that penalty to ranged combat rolls to avoid shooting the
you’re attempting a joint lock. dog, because he avoids your line of fire.
Tap or Snap (•••••): Additional Prerequisite: Takedown Bite (••••): At your character’s
Joint Lock Maneuver. If your character succeeds in command, his dog may inflict a Drop Prone or Hold
a grapple in the turn after applying the Joint Lock grappling maneuver on a target if it hits with a
maneuver, he may allow the opponent to choose successful bite attack. The target may be no more
between accepting the Beaten Down Condition, or the double the dog’s Size, however. This
suffering an Arm or Leg Wrack (attacker’s choice) immediately initiates a grapple. Dogs may employ
and lethal damage equal to the successes scored, as the above maneuvers along with Break Free,
your character breaks or dislocates the relevant Control (opponent’s) Weapon, and Damage.
limb.
 Effect: The Martial Arts Style in the Chronicles of
Kino Mutai (Style, • to ••••) Darkness Rulebook represents a generic unarmed
Prerequisites: Dexterity ••, Resolve •••, Brawl •• striking style. The following maneuvers are alternatives
to those listed. Using the options for purchasing
Effect: Your character learns to bite opponents, tear at maneuvers on p. 44, characters may acquire these
soft tissues and gouge eyes with special skills. This is maneuvers alongside or instead of the others with the
sometimes called “Kino Mutai” in Filipino martial arts, same dot ranking.
but it can be learned by anyone uninhibited enough to
Leg Kick (•): Your character knows how to kick an
use these unconventional methods to the greatest extent
opponent’s legs out from under him. She might use
possible for humans. Thus, this Fighting Style only
a Thai-style round kick or drive her heel into his
works for beings with a human body plan and a decent
kneecap. If she reduces her Defense by 1 while
set of teeth.
concentrating on low kicks, she’ll cause the Leg
Trained Bite (•): If your character is a human and Wrack Tilt if her Brawl attack inflicts at least one
prevails in a grapple she may bite harder than damage that turn. She doesn’t suffer the usual
normal, targeting sensitive parts of an opponent’s penalty for targeting a leg. Note that trying to hit the
anatomy. This acts as the Damage maneuver, but other leg for a knockdown doesn’t use this
inflicts an additional two points of bashing damage. maneuver, but the normal rules. However, using Leg
Vampires, werewolves in humanoid form, and other Kick on subsequent attacks lengthens the duration
monsters with particularly potent bite attacks cause of the Leg Wrack by attaching the Tilt to additional
one additional damage of the same type (potentially damage.
lethal) when using this maneuver. Cutting Elbow (••): When striking with an elbow,
Ripping (••): Your character overcomes your character targets thin skin in the opponent’s
squeamishness and distractions to grab and tear scalp with the aim of ripping it open. She only
earlobes, eyelids, and other soft, loose parts. She suffers a –2 penalty to attack when she wishes to
doesn’t pause before ripping out hair by the scalp. inflict the Blinded Condition on an opponent with
None of these injuries are life-threatening, but they human-like anatomy because when she hits and
inflict pain. If you win a grappling roll with more inflicts at least one point of bashing damage, blood
successes than the opponent’s Resolve, she may use from the scalp wound washes over the opponent’s
the Ripping maneuver, which inflicts the Agony Tilt eyes. This maneuver may also be purchased through
on the opponent but only inflicts one point of the Tactics (Street) Style Tag.
bashing damage. Trapping (•••): This maneuver has a lot of names,
Trained Gouge (•••): While grappling, your including “sticking hands” or “scissors.” Using it,
character can drive her fingers into an enemy’s eyes your character knows how to control her opponent’s
with exceptional force and persistence. If you win a limbs so they can’t be used to block incoming
grappling roll and score at least three successes, you strikes. By making limb-to-limb physical contact,
may opt for the Gouge maneuver. This inflicts the she can sense and counter her opponent’s reactions.
Blinded Tilt, but unlike typical cases your character If she hits with a Brawl attack, she may set aside as
maintains this Tilt until the opponent Breaks Free, many successes as her Brawl Skill and add these to
Restrains your character, or renders the arm unable her Brawl attack next turn. If she sets aside all
to function. successes, the first attack inflicts no damage, but
Continuous Bite (••••): Your character knows makes contact for the follow up. She loses this
how to apply pressure, rip flesh, and use the rest of advantage if the opponent leaves hand-to-hand
her body’s musculature to enhance a bite. In a range and she can’t or won’t follow.
grapple, she may inflict lethal damage with the Inch Force (••••): Your character knows how to
Damage maneuver by tearing off strips of her swiftly strike across extremely short distances. She
opponent’s flesh. can hit hard with an inch of movement, or smash
with a shoulder, hip, or head butt. When an
Martial Arts (Style, • to •••••) opponent tries to grab your character she’s entitled
Prerequisites: Resolve •••, Dexterity •••, Athletics ••, to one immediate counterattack per turn as an
Brawl •• additional reflexive action (multiple grab attempts
during the turn don’t entitle her to additional
counterattacks). Roll Strength
 Intercept Shot (••): Your character can shoot a
Mounted Combat (Style; • to projectile out of the air with her own. This
••••) maneuver is not capable of stopping bullets, though
it could be used to deflect a grenade if you’re
Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Athletics ••, Animal Ken
feeling lucky. Any turn your character spends
••
aiming she can make an attack against a thrown
object with a –2 penalty (in addition to the normal
Effect: Your character fights from horseback using the
penalties for attacking a small object). A successful
animal’s size and maneuverability to make her attacks
hit deflects it a number of meters (or yards) equal to
more effective. While trained cavalry regiments are
damage in a random direction.
largely a thing of the past, many police departments
Penetration (•••): Your character knows how to
around the world still have officers who use techniques
best exploit the weaknesses in a target’s armor. She
like these in the modern day.
can add +2 to her weapon’s armor piercing rating
Steady Saddle (•): Your character knows how to for her next attack. Drawback: This shot requires
position herself in the saddle to attack an opponent intense concentration. Your character loses her
without risking being dismounted or hurting her Defense any turn she uses this maneuver.
horse. Your character gains a +3 bonus to any rolls Skewer (••••): Your character uses her projectiles
for staying mounted during combat. to impale parts of an opponent’s anatomy. When
Fixed Charge (••): Your character and her horse attacking a specified target, reduce the penalty by –
charge headlong at her opponent. She gains the 2, and any inflicted Tilts require the victim to roll
benefits from both charging (though you move up to Stamina + Strength – damage inflicted to remove a
twice your horse’s Speed rather than your projectile before it’s resolved.
character’s) and an all-out attack. Both she and her
horse lose Defense for the rest of the turn. Spear and Bayonet (Style; • to
Skirmishing (•••): Your character’s attacks are
designed to harass her opponents, moving in range
•••)
to strike and then out again before the counterattack. Prerequisites: Strength •••, Dexterity ••, Weaponry ••
Her horse can travel half its Speed before her attack
and the rest after as one move. She suffers a –2 Effect: Your character is trained with long weapons
penalty to her attack for the turn but both her and that end in a point. This could be anything from a
her mount gain +2 to Defense. traditional spear to a fixed bayonet on a modern rifle.
Rearing Beast (••••): Your character has trained Firm Footing (•): You brace yourself with your
her horse to be an intimidating and dangerous weapon to skewer a charging opponent. Any
opponent in the thick of combat. Instead of opponent attempting an all-out or charge attack
attacking, roll Wits + Animal Ken and add successes against your character takes her weapon’s damage
to attack rolls made by her horse. automatically before he makes his attack roll. Armor
subtracts from this, but then will not apply to any
Powered Projectile (Style; • to attacks your character makes in the same turn.
••••) Keep at Bay (••): Your character can threaten an
opponent with her weapon to prevent maneuvering.
Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Athletics ••, Firearms ••
Choose an opponent; if he takes any action other
than backing away or Dodging he loses his Defense
Effect: Your character is comfortable using premodern
against your next attack. Drawback: Spend a point
ranged weapons like crossbows, slingshots, and
of Willpower to activate this maneuver.
blowguns. Though long ago replaced by firearms, these
Strike and Develop (•••): You stab an opponent
weapons remain popular for hunting and are widely
with your weapon turning the blade before
available in some countries.
removing it, leaving a grisly wound. Attacks made
Quick Reload (•): Your character has trained with the weapon that inflict lethal damage causes
herself on the steps to reload her weapon to the the victim to bleed out, causing one point of lethal
point it’s ingrained in her muscle memory. She damage for a number of turns equal to her successes
reloads one turn faster than normal (to a minimum on the attack roll. Subsequent attacks can add to the
of a reflexive action). total number of turns but never cause more than one
point of lethal damage per turn in bleeding to the
victim. You lose Defense when using this maneuver.
 Lifting (••): When attempting a feat of strength
Staff Fighting (Style; • to ••••) that requires a Strength + Stamina roll, you gain the
Prerequisites: Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Weaponry •• Rote benefit — re-roll failed dice. This does not aid
running, jumping, or combat rolls, but does aid in
Effect: Your character uses a staff as her weapon of attempts to damage relatively immobile, inanimate
choice. These maneuvers are usually performed with a objects. In that case your character gains the Rote
quarterstaff or bo staff, but anything of a suitable length benefit on a combat dice pool no larger than his
and shape like a walking stick or a heavy curtain rod Strength + Stamina.
will work as well. Push/Pull (•••): Have you ever seen someone pull
a tractor trailer or airplane with their teeth? Your
Short Grip (•): Your character moves her grip to
character’s all over that. If your character’s goal is
the end of the staff, maximizing reach but losing
to move an object laterally, double her effective
speed. She gains a +1 to attack at the cost of her
Strength. If the object is on wheels or friction has
staff’s +1 bonus to Defense. You can change your
otherwise been minimized, multiply her Strength by
character’s grip once per turn reflexively before
5. Practical considerations may require equipment
taking an action.
such as ropes and a harness, and the quality of this
Thwack Weapon (••): Your character slaps away
equipment may provide a bonus to the roll.
an opponent’s weapon with the tip of her staff. She Stronger Than You (••••): If your character
can Disarm with a roll of Strength + Weaponry
succeeds at Strength-based tasks, he does so with an
contested by an opponent’s Strength + Athletics. If
increased level of performance. You don’t gain
successful, the opponent drops his weapon at his
bonus dice for Strength-related rolls but if you roll
feet. On an exceptional success, your character
at least one success, add +1 success to the total. This
knocks the weapon a number of meters (or yards) does apply to combat, making this character capable
away equal to her successes rolled.
of bone-cracking blows and grips.
Vaulting Defense (•••): Your character knows
how to use her staff to rapidly reposition herself in a
fight. Spend a point of Willpower; your character
Systema (Style, • to •••)
can add her dots in Melee to her Defense against Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Athletics •••, Wits ••
one attack per turn.
Tornado Strike (••••): Your character spins her Effect: Your character learns to move with exceptional
staff rapidly in a circle, hitting opponents all around suppleness, rolling with blows and obstacles. She
her. She treats her staff attack as an autofire medium redirects incoming force not as a technique, but an
burst against up to three targets of her choice within instinct. These abilities are often taught within Systema,
range. a Russian martial art developed for intelligence services
and special operations. It can also reflect the advanced
Strength Performance (Style, body skills taught by “soft” martial arts such as Tai Chi
or Aikido.
• to ••••)
Prerequisites: Strength •••, Stamina ••, Athletics •• Rolling (•): When knocked prone, your character
relaxes, tucks, and rolls with the momentum. She
easily spins to face any direction she wishes. She
Effect: While the Strength Attribute covers all forms of
doesn’t suffer that usual –2 penalty to attacks while
issuing bodily force, your character has specifically
Knocked Down or otherwise prone. If she suffers
trained in lifting, pushing, and pulling enormous
any damage for falling or impacting against an
weights. He learned this as an Olympic-style
unyielding surface like the hood of a car, roll her
weightlifter, strongman competitor, or performer. This
Dexterity; each success removes one point of
doesn’t help your character hit things, but if he does,
bashing damage (this is not effective against sources
anything at the other end is going to break and hurt.
of lethal damage — you can’t roll with
Strength Tricks (•): Your character combines impalement). She benefits from this in addition to
trained strength with a practical knowledge of any other action she might take to mitigate damage.
physics to perform impressive feats of strength. He Balance (••): Your character instinctively aligns
can rip phone books in half, bend rebar, and smash her posture and bends with incoming force to keep
bricks with his bare hands. The character benefits her balance. Attempts to inflict the Knocked Down
from a +2 bonus to Performance and Intimidation Tilt or Drop Prone grappling maneuver must
rolls where he can demonstrate his talents, and an achieve two additional successes.
additional +1 to other non-combat feats of Strength.
 Combat Posture (•••): Your character’s posture Balanced Grip (•): Your character knows how to
and sensitivity are strong enough to knock down use her weapons so they’re not awkward to hold.
anyone who tests his balance against yours. Your Your character does not count her weapons’
character’s Brawl and Weaponry attacks inflict the Initiative penalties as long as her off-hand weapon’s
Knocked Down Tilt whenever they score successes rating is the same or the lower of the two.
that equal or exceed the victim’s Strength. If an Protective Striking (••): Your character uses her
attack would have already delivered this result (such off-hand weapon to deflect attacks. She adds her
as with a weapon that inflicts the Knockdown off-hand weapon’s bonus to her Defense for the first
effect) it does so with particular force, inflicting an attack made against her in a turn. If her off-hand
additional point of damage. weapon has no bonus then add +1 instead.
Dual Swipe (•••): Your character attacks with both
Thrown Weapons (Style; • to of her weapons simultaneously against one target.
As part of an all-out melee attack, add her off-hand
••) weapon’s bonus to her attack roll and reduce her
Prerequisites: Dexterity •••, Athletics ••, Quick Draw target’s Defense by 1. If her off-hand weapon has no
with a thrown weapon Specialty • bonus then add +1 instead.
Double Strike (••••): Your character attacks two
Effect: Knives, darts, throwing stars, and tomahawks different targets simultaneously. Spend a point of
are all weapons your character can send flying in her Willpower and designate two targets in close range
enemy’s direction. Many warrior cultures have used of your character. Take the highest Defense and –1
thrown projectiles in wartime or for hunting purposes to the dice pool. Choose which weapon’s damage
and may teach this Style. Also, similar techniques are applies to which target. This maneuver cannot be
found among circus and sideshow acts. These used with Dual Swipe. For example, if you’re up
maneuvers may only be performed with edged weapons against two opponents with 4 and 6 Defense, and
Size 1 or smaller. you have a 2L and 1L weapon, you would take –7 to
Double Strike (the 6 Defense, with an additional –
Practiced Toss (•): Your character knows how to
throw her weapon with a quick and fluid motion. 1). If you rolled three successes, one opponent
would take five points of lethal damage, and the
Add her Athletics score to Initiative when using a
other four points of lethal damage — your choice
thrown weapon.
Impalement Arts (••): A well-placed throw which.
staples an opponent’s limbs to the environment. If
your character succeeds in damaging a specified Weapon and Shield (Style; •
target arm, leg, or hand with a thrown weapon, she to ••••)
inflicts the Impaled Tilt. Drawback: The heft needed Prerequisites: Strength •••, Stamina •••, Weaponry ••
to make her throw penetrate leaves your character
vulnerable. She loses her Defense any turn she uses
Effect: Your character knows how to fight from behind
this maneuver.
a shield with a one-handed weapon. These maneuvers
strike a balance between protection and offense and are
Two Weapon Fighting (Style; used in tandem with others, such as in a Viking shield
• to ••••) wall or riot police formation.
Prerequisites: Wits •••, Fighting Finesse ••, Weaponry Shield Bash (•): Your character slams her shield
••• into an oncoming opponent, disrupting his attack.
When Dodging add her shield’s Size to her pool. If
Effect: Your character fights with a weapon in each she reduces an opponent’s attack successes to 0 then
hand. She can amplify her attacks by using them any additional successes inflict bashing damage.
together or balance between attack and defense by Boar’s Snout (••): Your character throws
using one weapon for each. Unless your character everything into a forward charge, trusting in her
possesses the Ambidextrous Merit she takes the usual – shield to protect her. Using a weapon and shield,
2 penalty for using a weapon in her off-hand. Neither your character can all-out attack and retain her
weapon can be above Size 2 for performing these shield’s Size bonus to Defense for the turn. If this
maneuvers. maneuver is used the same turn by other allies with
shields, then add an additional +1 to Defense for
each.
 Pin Weapon (•••): Your character uses her shield
to trap an opponent’s weapon. If an opponent misses
Ground and Pound (•••)
a melee attack against your character he is Prerequisites: Brawl ••
automatically disarmed.
Tortoise Shell (••••): Your character knows how to Effect: Your character skillfully uses gravity to drop a
position herself so that she’s completely protected fist, elbow, knee, or other strike on a prone opponent.
by her shield. When using a shield she is considered When using Brawl to strike or inflict the Damage
behind cover with Durability equal to the shield’s grappling maneuver on a prone opponent, you may
size plus one for each shield-wielding ally in her declare your character uses this maneuver. You gain the
immediate vicinity. rote benefit (re-roll failed dice) to your attack, but
automatically fall prone; and if grappled, your opponent
Armed Restraint (••) automatically breaks free.

Prerequisites: Staff Fighting ••• Ground Fighter (•••)

Effect: Your character knows how to use a pole with a Prerequisites: Wits •••, Dexterity •••, Brawl ••
hook or noose on the end of it to restrain animal and
human targets. Using a suitable weapon, such as a catch Effect: Your character knows how to fight from her
pole or shepherd’s crook, your character can grapple back. Many mixed martial arts styles emphasize being
and immediately apply the Hold maneuver on success. able to fight from the ground. Brawl and weaponry
During subsequent turns her opponent’s grapple rolls attacks do not gain the +2 bonus to attack your
are penalized by the weapon’s damage rating. character when prone. She can perform the Stand Up
maneuver.
Boot Party (••) Stand Up): When grappling an opponent from the
Prerequisites: Brawl •• prone position you can stand up without having to
Break Free of the grapple.
Effect: Your character understands the effectiveness of
grinding her heel into a delicate part of a downed Headbutt (•)
opponent’s anatomy. When attacking an opponent in the Prerequisites: Brawl ••
prone position, she may make an unarmed attack at a –3
penalty in addition to normal modifiers. Any damage Effect: Your character has found few arguments she
inflicted is lethal. can’t end by ramming her skull into a softer part of the
human anatomy. This Merit allows for a new grappling
Clinch Strike (•) maneuver:
Prerequisites: Brawl ••
Headbutt: Your character inflicts the Stunned Tilt on
her opponent. Each use of this maneuver in a scene
Effect: Most people will instinctively grab anyone they
imposes a –2 penalty as the shock and surprise of
want to hit, but your character has trained to hit hard
this tactic wears off.
and accurately from a clinch position, using short
punches, elbows, and knees. She inflicts standard Brawl
damage when initiating a grapple instead of sacrificing
Iron Chin (•• or ••••)
the opportunity to damage someone in order to grab.` Prerequisites: Resolve •••, Stamina •••

Covert Operative (•) Effect: Your character’s taken her share of beatings
Prerequisites: Wits •••, Dexterity •••, Stealth •• and can’t be scared by pain or the sight of her own
blood. This Merit comes in two levels. At •• dots, she
Effect: Your character is trained in getting the jump on no longer suffers the Beaten Down Tilt from any
her opponents. She creeps up on unsuspecting enemies amount of bashing damage.
At •••• dots, she never suffers Beaten Down, period.
from the shadows and neutralizes them before anyone
This is probably more foolhardy than brave. If your
realizes anything’s happening. When your character
chronicle doesn’t feature conflicts where Beaten Down
ambushes an opponent, the victim loses the 10-again
features prominently, don’t use this Merit.
quality on his roll to notice the attack. Even if he
successfully notices your character, your character acts
at +3 Initiative in the first turn.
Phalanx Fighter (••) Retain Weapon (••)
Prerequisites: Weapon and Shield ••, Spear and Prerequisites: Wits ••, Brawl ••
Bayonet •
Effect: Your character has trained to resist being
Effect: Your character is trained to wield a spear disarmed. Police and military forces often teach this,
alongside a shield. She does not increase her spear’s but your character might learn this as part of a
Strength requirement for using it one-handed as long as traditional martial art, as part of a shooting course, or as
she’s also using a shield. She can use a spear for any a member of a private security service. When an
Weapon and Shield maneuvers. attacker attempts to use the Control Weapon or Disarm
grappling maneuvers to take his weapon, or otherwise
Transfer Maneuver (Same take it away in combat, reduce successes by your
character’s Brawl dots.
Cost as Original Maneuver;
see below) Roadkill (•••)
Prerequisites: Intelligence ••, Wits •••. Your character Prerequisites: Aggressive Driving ••
must also possess at least ••• dots in both the original
and new Skill that the maneuver applies to. Effect: Your character has a knack for running down
living creatures with her vehicle. When using with a
Effect: Many styles teach unarmed methods as a vehicle to hit a human-sized target she adds two
prerequisite for armed methods, and vice versa. This additional successes per 20 miles per hour (32
maneuver allows your character to transfer a maneuver kilometers per hour) her vehicle is moving instead of
from a Brawlbased Fighting Style to a Weaponry-based one. She also inflicts the Knocked Down Tilt on her
Style, or vice versa. The maneuver must not depend on target even if she misses.
the physical presence of a weapon, in that it can be
applied with empty hands. The Storyteller decides **** (• to ••• )****
which maneuvers are appropriate, though this can only Prerequisites: Wits •••
be used on maneuvers worth no more than ••• dots —
after that, they’re too specific to the original fighting Effect:
method. Your character must know the maneuver in its
original form, and you must purchase it again, at the **** (• to ••• )****
same cost in dots and Experience.
Prerequisites: Wits •••
Trunk Squeeze (••) Effect:
Prerequisites: Brawl ••

Effect: By wrapping arms or legs around an

opponent’s torso, your character can practically crush
the life out of him. While grappling, your character can
use the Trunk Squeeze maneuver.
Trunk Squeeze: Using a bear hug or leg scissors,
your character crushes the opponent’s torso, making
it increasingly difficult to breathe. This maneuver
inflicts one point of bashing damage and imposes a
cumulative –1 to the opponent’s grappling rolls for
each round she maintains it. The penalty persists
until after your character attempts another
maneuver, or until the target Breaks Free. This
maneuver doesn’t work on anyone who doesn’t need
to breathe, or victims with a Size at least 2 higher
than the attacker’s.
 Grin and Bear It (••••): Your character stops
Merits from V20 and caring about her own safety in order to take down
her opponents, and this single-minded lethality
other books helps her to shrug off blows that might cripple
others less ferocious. Any time she makes an all-out
attack, she gains 1/1 armor against all attacks for the
turn. This combines with any other armor she may
CALL OUT (••) benefit from.
Prerequisites: Intimidation •••, Composure ••• The Warpath (•••••): Your character kills, but this
does not stop her assault. Any time she fills an
Effect: Your character fights with honor and dignity. opponent’s last health box with lethal or aggravated
When he calls out his opponent, it must abide by his damage, she may immediately make an additional
challenge. When he uses an instant action to call out a attack against any other character within her reach.
potential combatant, that opponent suffers your If her second attack deals damage, she immediately
character’s Intimidation as a penalty to attack anyone enters in frenzy without a chance to resist.
else. If the opponent does attack someone else, you can
add your character’s Intimidation to any attacks against Early Riser (•)
him.
Drawback: If anyone else attacks your chosen Effect: No one can explain it, but you seem to have the
opponent, it breaks the challenge. When that happens, ability to work on less rest than your fellow vampires.
your opponent gains your character’s Intimidation as a You always seem to be the first to rise and the last to go
bonus to dice pools against your character for the to bed even if you’re been out until dawn. Vampires
remainder of the scene. with this Merit cannot take the Deep Sleeper Flaw.
This merit can only be bought during
RELENTLESS ASSAULT character creation.
(STYLE, • TO •••••)
Eat Food (•)
Prerequisites: Strength ••••, Stamina •••, Brawl ••
Effect: You have the capacity to eat food and even
Effect: Your character fights with complete abandon. savor its taste. While you cannot derive any
She throws herself at her opponents without thought or nourishment from eating regular foods, this ability will
hesitation, turning herself into a ruthless killing serve you well in pretending to be human. Of course,
machine. She’s the first into the fight, and the last out of you can’t digest what you eat, and there will be some
a fight. point during the evening when you have to heave it
Drop of a Hat (•): Your character goes from zero back up.
to ballistic at the start of a fight. She always goes to This merit can only be bought during
strike first. In the first turn of a fight, your character character creation.
gets +3 to her Initiative score so long as she
commits to makes an all-out attack. After the first
Blush of Health (••)
turn, this bonus goes away.
Effect: You look more hale and healthy in appearance
Eye of the Tiger (••): Your character can focus on
than other vampires, allowing you to blend with human
a single target to the exclusion of all others. This
society much more easily (no dice penalty to interact
tunnel vision makes her fearsome against her
with humans and Hunters that see you, won't start an
primary target, but vulnerable to others. Choose one
investigation just based on your looks. You still retain
target per combat. When making an all-out attack
the color of a living mortal, and your skin does not feel
against that target, your character retains her
cool to the touch.
Defense against him.
This merit can only be bought during
Dig Deep (•••): Your character doesn’t strike for
character creation.
her enemy’s skin; she strikes for a spot a few feet
behind it. To her, overkill is the only acceptable kill.
You can choose to remove one die from your dice
pool before rolling an attack. If you do, increase
your character’s claws or teeth weapon modifier by
+1.
Daredevil (•••) Rising Star (•••)
Effect: You are good at taking risks, and even better at Effect: You’re one of the up-and-comers in the city, a
surviving them. When attempting exceptionally risky rising star in your Sect. Everyone wants to know you
non-combat actions (such as leaping from one moving and be your friend, even as those in power groom you
car to another), characters with this Merit add an for positions of greater responsibility. You have +2
additional three dice to their rolls, and the quality 8- dices on all Social rolls against any vampires in your
Again. Sect who aren’t actively opposing your ascent. And you
will be approached by several of them during a season.
Efficient Digestion (••••) This merit can only be bought during
Prerequisite: Non Tremere character creation.

Effect: You are able to draw more than the usual

Magic Resistance (••)
amount of nourishment from blood. When feeding, you
Effect: You have an inherent resistance to the rituals of
gain an additional point to your blood pool for every
the Tremere and the spells of the mages of other Clans
two points of blood you consume on the same feeding
and covenants. The difficulty of all such magic, both
maneuver. This does not allow you to exceed your
malicious and beneficent, makes so they have -2 dice
blood pool maximum.
This merit can only be bought during when targeting you with spells/ritua;s. You may never
character creation. learn magical Disciplines such as Thaumaturgy,
Necromancy, Cruac and Theban Sorcery.
Concentration (•) This merit can only be bought during
character creation.
Effect: You have the ability to focus your mind and
shut out any distractions or annoyances. Characters
Lucky (•••)
with this Merit are unaffected by any penalties
Effect: You were born lucky — or else the Devil looks
stemming from distracting circumstances (e.g., loud
after his own. Either way, you may repeat any three
noises, strobe lights, or hanging upside down).
failed rolls per season, including botches, but you may
Useful Knowledge (•) try only once per failed roll.
This merit can only be bought during
character creation.
Effect: You have expertise in a specific field that
makes your conversation intriguing to an older Kindred.
So long as your knowledge holds the other vampire’s
Brute Force (• to ••••• )
attention, he has a vested interest in keeping you Prerequisites: Strength •••, Brawl ••, Size 5+
around. Then again, once he’s pumped you for every
iota of information you possess, that patronage may Effect: Your character embraces the devastating
suddenly vanish. (Note: This Merit should be played monster within herself and knows how to let it loose on
like a 1-dot Mentor with a specific interest. However, the world around her. Brute Force attacks may only be
unlike a Mentor, Useful Knowledge does not imply a made with bare hands or with fist-based weapons, such
permanent relationship.) as bladed gloves or fist packs. Each level of Brute
This merit can only be bought during Force unlocks an additional option.
character creation. Falling Pillar (•): Your character clenches both
hands high above her head, then brings them crushing
Precocious (••) down, throwing her weight into the strike. Make an all-
out attack to use Falling Pillar. In addition to the normal
Effect: You learn quickly. The time for you to pick up +2 dice bonus, your character benefits from the 8-again
a particular Ability (devotions, rituals, coils, blood quality on her roll. If the attack causes damage equal to
sorcery, etc) is cut in half. or greater than the opponent’s Stamina, he suffers the
This merit can only be bought during Knocked Down Tilt.
character creation.
Crush and Bite (••): Your character clinches her
opponent and bites off a chunk of flesh, which bleeds
**** (• to ••• )****
profusely. This maneuver becomes an option as part of Prerequisites: Wits •••
a grapple, replacing the normal bite maneuver. Not only
does your character cause lethal damage equal to the Effect:
successes rolled on the grapple, but the wound bleeds
out, causing an additional level of lethal damage in the **** (• to ••• )****
next turn. This effect does not apply to things that don’t Prerequisites: Wits •••
bleed.
Juggernaut (•••): With this ability, your character Effect:
rushes her opponent, strikes, and knocks him away. If
the character can charge an opponent (moving at least **** (• to ••• )****
10 feet to build up momentum), any successful
Prerequisites: Wits •••
unarmed attack causes the Knocked Down Tilt.
Bone Cracker (••••): With this attack, your
Effect:
character grabs a limb and snaps the bone. To use Bone
Cracker, make an all-out attack. However, targeting a
limb negates the normal +2 bonus for an all-out attack.
**** (• to ••• )****
If the attack causes damage equal to or greater than the Prerequisites: Wits •••
victim’s Stamina, it causes an additional point of lethal
damage and imposes the Arm Wrack or Leg Wrack Effect:
Tilts. Bone Cracker cannot be combined with Falling
Pillar. **** (• to ••• )****
Colossus (•••••): Your character moves with such Prerequisites: Wits •••
immense force that nothing can stop her. When she
makes an all-out attack, she gains 1/2 armor for the turn Effect:
(cumulative with any other armor she wears) and
cannot suffer Knockdown or similar Tilts. Additionally, **** (• to ••• )****
any attempt to grapple her or otherwise move her from
Prerequisites: Wits •••
her place against her will suffers her Strength as a dice
penalty.
Effect:
**** (• to ••• )****
Prerequisites: Wits •••

Effect:

**** (• to ••• )****

Prerequisites: Wits •••

Effect:

**** (• to ••• )****

Prerequisites: Wits •••

Effect:

**** (• to ••• )****

Prerequisites: Wits •••

Effect: