Clarity - Changeling
Clarity represents the right and strength of all thinking beings to trust their own perceptions and own their own past. A changeling’s Clarity is her bulwark against the illusions of the True Fae or other supernatural forces, as well as the mundane world trying to tell her that her supernatural experiences are delusions. When applying the Changeling template to a previously Mortal character, swap Integrity for Clarity and set the rating as determined below, not based on their Integrity score.
Clarity grounds the changeling in her own experiences, helping her distinguish what is real, and what is a lie the True Fae or the mundane world are getting away with. When her Clarity is strong, she can trust that even the most improbable magical elements she sees are real, they affect her even if no one else can see them, and she understands her relationship to them. As her Clarity lowers, she doubts the validity of her own perception of these things, and either the Others or the mundane world begin to dictate her reality. She can no longer tell if she is simply seeing things when the Thorns reach out and scratch her, or if she is really in the Hedge. Weak Clarity is a dangerous prospect for many changelings, as they lose perspective and can slip into a dreamlike state if they have nothing grounding them against the lies of two worlds.
Clarity Track
Clarity serves as a track to measure the changeling’s resistance against others making her doubt the truth of her experiences, or even trying to take possession of them for their own ends. As she endures events that undermine her ownership of her own perceptions, her Clarity suffers attacks in either mild or severe ways. Given the unusual nature of her experiences, a changeling’s firm Clarity is often “madness” to those around her.
Perhaps the attack is a lucid dream of the time before she was taken, but instead of her real parents, her True Fae captor reads her bedtime stories. Perhaps it’s the time she walked into the Hedge, sure she was opening a mundane door into a coffee shop. These things confound and confuse the changeling, shaking her faith in her perceived reality.
System: A changeling’s Clarity track has boxes equal to her Wits + Composure. Her player can’t buy additional Clarity boxes with Experiences, but they increase automatically as she purchases dots of Wits and Composure, and she can recover Icons to add further boxes. There is no upper limit to the number of Clarity boxes a character can have. In dreams, her Clarity contributes to her dream form’s Health track.
Clarity Attacks and Breaking Points
Breaking points are events in the changeling’s life and actions she takes that shake her confidence in her own reality. Anytime she experiences a breaking point, she suffers an attack on her Clarity. The player rolls a number of dice based on the breaking point’s severity (see Sample Changeling Breaking Points). Other powers and events may attack the character’s Clarity without constituting a breaking point, such as suffering physical damage to her dream form or certain Contracts.
Two factors determine a breaking point’s dice pool: its baseline severity, and its attack modifiers. Generally, the more distanced the changeling is from the event or the more she asserts her independence, the less purchase the breaking point has on her. The more personal the event is, or the more she succumbs to the will of others, the more likely it is to hit home. The chart gives examples of breaking point attack modifiers, which can stack with each other.
Some breaking points reference human or changeling contact. This refers to meaningful, face-to-face interaction. While it does not have to be positive interaction, it should be personal in nature. Paying a cashier while purchasing a coffee is not meaningful. However, chatting up the barista and asking for his number could be. Harvesting Glamour in general is not a human interaction, though if the changeling harvests while directly inciting an emotion through contact, it would serve this purpose.
Roll Results
For these results keep in mind that this is an attack roll. Success means damage is dealt.
Success: Roll the changeling’s Wyrd rating as a dice pool to determine how much mild Clarity damage she takes. Extra successes on a Clarity attack roll don’t add to its damage. If this results in damage to any of the changeling’s three rightmost Clarity boxes, she gains a Clarity Condition.
Failure: The changeling is a bit shaken, but takes no Clarity damage.
Exceptional Success: As success, except the Clarity damage the changeling takes is severe instead. If this results in damage to any of her three rightmost Clarity boxes, she gains a Persistent Clarity Condition.
Dramatic Failure: The changeling takes no Clarity damage and regains one Willpower point.
Suggested Clarity Attack Modifiers
| Situation | Mod |
|---|
| Strongly associated with the changeling's durance or results in a surrender to a True Fae | +3 |
| Changeling forced to act against their will | +3 |
| Strong emotional investment | +2 |
| Affects a close friend or family member | +2 |
| Changeling is coerced into acting | +1 |
| Some emotional investment | +1 |
| Changeling is not personally present | -1 |
| Aligns with the changeling's Needle or Thread | -1 |
| Changeling spent Willpower on the action | -1 |
| No real emotional investment | -1 |
| Completely accidental, or occurs via happenstance | -2 |
| Only affects a complete stranger | -2 |
| Results in a rejection of or triumph over a True Fae | -3 |
Changelings reach different levels of equilibrium with different kinds of ordeals. While the list of breaking points is not exhaustive, it’s also only a series of guidelines. Feel free to add, take away, or adjust as you see fit. The dice pool listed is the baseline pool for the Clarity attack, subject to the above modifiers. Every changeling also has an additional, seeming-specific breaking point. Changelings who use powers, such as Contracts, to force indivuduals into behaviors and actions they would not do willingly can be Breaking Points and the storyteller should rate them accordingly.
Sample Changeling Breaking Points
One Die
Told your experiences are unreal by someone who seems convincing, but whom you don’t know.
Changing someone else via the Dream Infiltrator Condition.
Spending all your Glamour in one day.
Going one full day without human or changeling contact.
Breaking a mundane promise.
Meeting your fetch for the first time.
Two Dice
Told your experiences are unreal by a figure whose authority you believe in.
Changing someone else via the Dream Intruder Condition.
Eating nothing but goblin fruit for a full day.
Having someone break a mundane promise to you.
Discover that someone lied to you about something minor.
Actively searching out memories of your durance.
Taking psychotropic drugs.
Gaining a non-Clarity Condition that confuses your senses or badly jars you, such as Lost or Spooked.
Having someone else tamper with your dreams.
Going a week without human or changeling contact.
Three Dice
Told your experiences are unreal by someone you trust.
Being the victim of a non-fae supernatural power that confuses your senses, makes you question your surroundings or perceptions, or reenacts something your Keeper did to you.
Going two weeks without human or changeling contact.
Killing someone else’s fetch.
Reaching Wyrd 3.
Having someone break a formal oath or pledge to you.
Having a mortal shun or disparage you.
Losing a Touchstone.
Four Dice
Presented with “evidence” your experiences are unreal.
Accidentally killing a human.
Breaking formal oaths or pledges.
Changing someone else via the Dream Assailant Condition.
Discovering that someone lied to you about something important.
Death of a family member.
Killing another changeling.
Killing your own fetch.
Going a month without human or changeling contact.
Kidnapping or keeping someone captive.
Reenacting or reliving a memory from your durance.
Reaching Wyrd 6.
Five Dice
Subjected to “deprogramming” or other extended, tormenting efforts to persuade you your experiences are unreal.
Premeditated killing of a human.
Going a year or more without human or changeling contact.
Torturing someone.
Using Glamour to force someone to change their behavior.
Brainwashing someone via repeated dream manipulation.
Spending time in Arcadia.
Prolonged or intimate contact with a True Fae.
Killing your Touchstone.
Reaping Glamour.
Reaching Wyrd 10.Clarity Damage
Clarity attacks erode a changeling’s ability to perceive her surroundings with confidence and truth. When she suffers a successful Clarity attack, she risks taking damage to her Clarity. Roll a number of dice equal to her Wyrd to inflict points of Clarity damage equal to the successes on this roll. Some things modify this damage roll, such as attaching and detaching Touchstones, some Conditions, and some supernatural effects.
A changeling can suffer two types of damage to her Clarity. Events that shake her, cause a minor disruption in her life, or set her back in the short term inflict mild damage. Most Clarity attacks inflict mild damage. Events that rock the changeling to her core, make her lose sight of her objectives, or leave lasting changes on her psyche inflict severe damage. If the Clarity attack’s roll achieves an exceptional success, she takes severe damage from the attack.
Each time a player’s character takes Clarity damage, she marks it off on her Clarity track, using a slash (/) for mild damage and an (X) for severe damage. For mild damage, she marks the leftmost empty box on her Clarity track. For severe damage, she marks the leftmost empty box or the leftmost box filled with mild damage. This works in a similar way to making bashing and lethal damage, but new severe damage does not cause mild damage to "carry over." Taking two points of mild damage followed by one point of severe damage still only counts as two damage, as the mild in the leftmost box is simply upgraded to lethal. However, taking them in the opposite order would result in three clarity damage, as the incoming mild begins in the leftmost empty box.
A changeling’s perceptions are directly related to her current Clarity score. At high levels of Clarity, she has a better grasp on her surroundings. When her Clarity is undamaged, she gains a two-die bonus to perception rolls. As her Clarity decreases, she loses track of reality. At Clarity 3 and below, she falls prey to hallucinations if she experiences a dramatic failure on a perception roll. The character suffers a cumulative one-die penalty to perception rolls for every two points below Clarity 5: thus, −1 at Clarity 3-4, and −2 at Clarity 1-2. This is true even if the changeling’s maximum Clarity is lower than 5; for instance, if a character’s maximum Clarity is 4 and she hasn’t taken any Clarity damage, apply the +2 and the −1, for a total modifier of +1.
If a changeling takes any more mild Clarity damage after her track fills with damage of any kind, she falls unconscious, lost in her own dreams. She takes the Comatose Condition and can’t take any more Clarity damage until she heals at least one point. If she takes severe damage after her track is filled with damage instead, she not only takes the Comatose Condition, but risks death. The Comatose Condition becomes Persistent and she can only resolve it with the help of her friends, as noted in the Condition’s text.
A changeling can regain Clarity by spending time with her Touchstones, and by resolving the damage Conditions. Even if she has no Touchstones currently attached, each scene she spends interacting in a meaningful way with one of her Touchstones heals one level of severe Clarity damage, or all levels of mild Clarity damage (but doesn’t resolve any Conditions by default). This operates in the same way as meaningful interactions in relation to breaking points. If the changeling has no Touchstones at all, she must gain one before she can heal Clarity this way.
Clarity Conditions
As a changeling takes damage to her three rightmost Clarity boxes, she gains Conditions — Persistent Conditions if the damage was severe. She gains one Clarity Condition for any amount of mild damage in these boxes, or one Persistent Condition for any amount of severe damage in the same. The Storyteller decides which Condition the character takes, though it should be germane to the situation that caused the damage.
Whenever a character resolves any Clarity Condition, she heals one point of Clarity damage; whenever she resolves any Persistent Clarity Condition, she heals two instead.
The following Conditions could result from Clarity damage:
Broken (Persistent)
Comatose (as noted above)
Confused
Delusional (Persistent)
Dissociation
Distracted
Fugue (Persistent)
Numb (Persistent)
Shaken
Sleepwalking (Persistent)
Spooked
WithdrawnKenning
Changelings with strong Clarity are so good at telling the difference between magic and mundane that they have an easier time spotting the telltale signs of supernatural phenomena. The Lost refer to this as kenning. This ability does not allow for a Clash of Wills against anything actively concealed through magic, as that level of scrutiny requires Contracts. A player whose character currently suffers Clarity damage in fewer than half her Clarity boxes may make a kenning roll by spending a point of Willpower. The Storyteller rolls the character’s current Clarity in secret to detect the presence of supernatural elements in the area.
Roll Results
Failure: The character is unable to get a clear impression one way or another.
Dramatic Failure: The changeling misreads the situation in a disastrous way, determined by the Storyteller. She may mistake a dangerous spell for a beneficial one, or misidentify someone mundane as a Huntsman.
Success: Each success reveals the presence of one supernatural creature, item, or active effect (including ongoing effects), assuming any are present. The changeling cannot determine what kind of supernatural phenomenon she has detected, only that it is one. If nothing supernatural is present, the player regains the Willpower she spent.
Exceptional Success: As success, and the changeling learns the true nature of the magic, or learns that something is concealed supernaturally nearby. For example, the changeling could determine that someone was a vampire using a Discipline, but not which one. She could determine the difference between a mage’s spell and a fae Contract, but not the particular effects of either.
Wisdom - Mage
Wisdom is a mage’s ability to judge the value of when, where, why, and how to use magic. Mages commonly call this virtue sophia, but Awakened society debates constantly on what constitutes “right” usage of their magic.
Wisdom represents the control a mage has over her magic. A character with low Wisdom runs the risk of her magic spiraling out of control. It sometimes becomes a rampant force, and Paradox follows quickly behind.
Losing Wisdom
Wisdom decays through Acts of Hubris, wherein a mage ignores consequence in pursuit of her goals. Every mage and every circumstance is different from a Wisdom standpoint. Two mages in nearly identical circumstances may cast the same spell or commit the same action, but to one, his Wisdom is safe while the other risks degeneration.
Also, different levels of Wisdom handle degeneration differently. As a mage’s Wisdom decreases, she becomes inured to loss, and only great Acts of Hubris will risk degeneration. On the other side of the spectrum, a mage with high Wisdom stands in a constant balancing act between Wisdom and hubris, and any minor misstep can send her Wisdom plummeting.
In the Tiers of Wisdom section below, you’ll see example acts for each level of Wisdom. These are only general recommendations. As a Storyteller, assess each action for potential hubris, and compare to the character’s Wisdom. If the character’s Wisdom is equal to or higher than the level you feel fits the action, the character risks degeneration.
Degeneration
Degeneration risks use a number of dice depending on the relative Wisdom level of the Act of Hubris. Consult the list in Tiers of Wisdom for how many dice to use. Note that the dice pool depends on the action; it doesn’t depend on the mage’s Wisdom. A mage with three dots of Wisdom and a mage with nine dots of Wisdom both use a base pool of 1 die if they commit a Wisdom 1 Act of Hubris.
The final pool for a degeneration roll can be modified by several factors. Following Obsessions hurts a mage’s chance to maintain Wisdom, as that driving power makes him ignore the implications of his actions. If an act of hubris was in defense of a Virtue this could add to the roll. The character may very well understand and see the consequences of her actions, but she stands by them because she truly, fundamentally believes her actions are righteous. On the other hand, following a Vice as an Act of Hubris is similar to an Obsession, as when your character indulges in what she believes is a moral failing penalties could be applied.
Any time your character risks Wisdom degeneration, she gains an Arcane Beat. Exploring the depths of hubris can be enlightening.
Additionally, some spells that attack the soul, or powers of other supernatural creatures in the Fallen World, can temporarily reduce Wisdom until their effects wear off.
Suggested Degeneration Roll Modifiers
| Hubris in pursuit of an Obsession. | -1 |
| Hubris in Defense of a Virtue. | +1 |
| Hubris while indulging in a Vice. | -1 |
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Your character not only loses a dot of Wisdom from her complete disregard for the world around her, but she also gains Megalomaniacal or Rampant as a Persistent Condition pertaining to the hubris. The normal resolution gives a Beat, gaining a dot of Wisdom permanently resolves it.
Failure: Your character loses a dot of Wisdom, as she fails to see the consequences and ripples from her actions. Take the Megalomaniacal or Rampant Condition.
Success: Your character is able to examine and understand the ramifications of her actions. She does not lose Wisdom.
Exceptional Success: Your character’s Wisdom is reinforced by examining the risk and consequences of her actions. Take an additional Arcane Beat from the epiphany.
Acts of Hubris
Acts of Hubris determine when a mage risks Wisdom degeneration. While this list is not exhaustive, it’s also only a series of guidelines. Feel free to add, take away, or adjust as you see fit. Mages of greater Wisdom consider lesser acts to be Acts of Hubris. The greatest minds fall the easiest. Wisdom comes in three tiers, Enlightened, Understanding, and Falling, with a fourth at 0 Wisdom being Lost. A character within that tier suffers when committing an act within or beneath that tier. The tier of the Act of Hubris also determines the base dice pool to resist degeneration. Note that this is the tier of the act, not the mage. A mage at Wisdom 8 only gets one die to resist a Falling-level act.
Tiers of Wisdom and Associated Acts
Enlightened (5 dice)
Wisdom 8–10, High: These highest levels of Wisdom force the mage to walk a careful line. Any minor Act of Hubris risks degeneration.
Any time the mage uses a spell to accomplish something she could do through mundane methods with little or no risk.
When innocent bystanders are affected by your character’s spells or actions.
Understanding (3 dice)
Wisdom 4–7, Medium: Most experienced and stable mages fall into this range of Wisdom. Sometimes, Acts of Hubris happen. But by and large, the mage acts with basic Wisdom most of the time.
Allowing a Sleeper to witness obvious magic, thus risking greater Paradox.
Self-mutilating events, such as soul stone creation.
Not attempting to contain a severe Paradox.
Forcing a sapient being (whether a Sleeper, spirit, or anything else) to act counter to its interests, altering its nature long-term, or binding it to a task.
Deliberate and premeditated murder and violence that leaves its victim with long-term injury.Falling (1 die)
Wisdom 1–3, Low: Hubris of this level concerns all mages. A mage at this precipice could be lost to his magic at any time. Only the darkest, most selfishly destructive acts risk degeneration at this point and any one could force the mage through her final loss of Wisdom
Killing someone in a fit of rage.
Destroying an Awakened soul.
Allowing a Supernal being to be consumed by the Fallen World.
Dealing with the Abyss.
Lost
Wisdom 0: A character with no Wisdom is forever lost. His hubris has overcome him, and he’s become one of “The Mad.” His magic leaks into the world, letting the Supernal out wherever he goes. He cannot control his magic; it controls him.
Inuring
If a mage suffers Wisdom loss through use of a spell, she can choose to wipe that spell from future Acts of Hubris; any future uses will not incur Wisdom loss no matter the action. If she chooses to do this, to inure herself to the spell’s hubris, it forever becomes a Paradox risk. From that point forward, every use of the inured spell forces a base two-die Paradox risk. Your character may inure herself to the effects of one spell per dot of her Gnosis.
Raising Wisdom
Through effort, a mage who has become worried about his worsening Paradoxes may turn away from the downward slide of hubris. A mage attempting spiritual self-improvement must assign “Becoming wiser” as one of her Obsessions, working to understand her place in the universe. After at least one story with progress on this Obsession, the player may spend two Arcane Experiences to add a dot of Wisdom.
Humanity - Vampire
Kindred are not human. They were, once, but now they’re something entirely different. However, to blend in with mortals, to walk among the flock, Kindred must maintain perspective and understanding of their former lives. The Humanity trait reflects this perspective. Vampires who maintain high Humanity scores live side-by-side with mortals, and can relate to the living. Vampires with low Humanity scores grow distant and alien; they lose sight of what they once were, and more importantly, what they prey upon.
For some Kindred, Humanity is a downward spiral. It’s a great tragedy that ends in monstrosity and destruction. For some, it’s a constant struggle to maintain ties and never lose sight. Most Kindred find a range of Humanity that suits them, a certain distance or closeness to the breathing world.
This system replaces the Integrity system used for Mortals, characters who are Embraced replace Integrity with Humanity, and start with seven dots (regardless of their Integrity scores). These ratings are compatible. For example, if a Discipline affects a vampire character based on her Humanity rating, Integrity will work similarly on her mortal counterpart.
The Humanity Scale
Humanity exists as a continuum from zero to ten dots. Vampire: the Requiem characters begin play with seven dots. Higher Humanity scores are possible, but difficult to maintain.
Humanity level is reflected in a character’s behavior and appearance. As he sinks into depravity, he becomes less and less like the mortals around him. He becomes more a monster, more focused on survival than on abiding by the societal norms of the herd. Often, this presents as aloofness or detachment. The character simply ceases to relate to human mores and expectations. These descriptions are only guidelines; it’s up to you to determine how your character exhibits the path he walks.
There are minor Social modifiers listed at each range which apply to rolls relating to humans. Manipulating humans for food with Subterfuge or frightening them with Intimidation are not affected; but trying to understand a human’s emotional cues with the Empathy Skill would be affected. Note that these penalties do apply with Touchstones; inhumane vampires find establishing relationships with humans to be difficult, or even not worth the time.
Ascetic (Humanity 9-10): A rare vampire with this degree of Humanity goes out of her way to immerse herself in mortal affairs, and to feed sensibly. She’s poised and confident in her dealings; she’s an expert in the way humans behave, feel, and think. She manages to think and act the way they do, in the way an expert method actor would. She appears as an iconic, idealized human. Gain a +2 die bonus to any rolls to relate to humans.
Humane (Humanity 7-8): A vampire in this range of Humanity is either very good at maintaining her attachments, or she’s very new to the Danse Macabre. She has little difficulty blending in with humans. She remembers with perfectly clarity what mortal life was like. She remembers the way food tasted. She remembers the way sweat felt across her skin. She feels pain for those hurt by her actions and those of her kind.
Balanced (Humanity 5-6): At this point, she’s been around the block. Most neonates and some ancilla fall into this range. She’s seen pain and anguish as result of her condition, and is beginning to accept it as part of existence. She still has no issue relating to mortals; she just recognizes that she’s never going to be one again. She’s selfish, and lies like second nature. She has a subtle, ashen pallor. Take a –1 die penalty on any roll to relate to humans.
Weathered (Humanity 4): A weathered vampire has seen more death and devastation than most mortals will in a lifetime. Most ancilla fall into this range of Humanity. While not spree killers, a vampire at this level has taken lives, and understands that he probably will again in order to guarantee continued survival. He sees humans as fragile and temporary. He’s calculating and cunning, having a mind attuned to consequence. This shows in immediate behaviors. For example, he might avoid early morning social functions to avoid worst-case traffic on the way home. Take a –2 die penalty on any roll to relate to humans.
Callous (Humanity 3): At this level, a callous vampire maintains a cynical and jaded world perspective. He’ll step over anyone and anything in the name of survival. Most elders fall into this range. Typically, he’ll take the safe route for the long haul. He’ll kill witnesses before risking their escape. By this point, Humanity takes its toll, and the vampire appears deathly or sickly. This appearance isn’t unnatural, per se, but it makes humans uncomfortable. Take a –3 die penalty on any roll to relate to humans.
Monstrous (Humanity 2): A monstrous vampire is barely recognizable as human, unless he’s specifically acting the part and using the blush of life. He looks like a moving corpse, with dry flesh tightened over bones and a faint red hue to his eyes. He’s short-tempered, selfish to a fault, and will kill to suit minor interests and petty desires. Not only does he have difficulty dealing with people, he doesn’t want to. Most of the mortals in his life are servants and feeding stock, viewed as resources at best. Take a –5 die penalty on any roll to relate to humans.
Animalistic (Humanity 1): A vampire this close to the Beast exists in a state of animalistic stoicism. She can speak and interact just like anyone else, but takes no action without intent. Words are but tools for the hunt. Every action is a step toward the next meal; nothing but blood is worth her time. While she could fake humanity with a bit of blood, she can’t be bothered, and instead looks like a corpse, a statue, a morbid doll. Crowds part when she walks through; her presence demands fright or obeisance. Your character cannot relate to humankind. Any such rolls use only a chance die.
Draugr (Humanity 0): A character who reaches zero Humanity dots becomes draugr, lost to her Beast. She becomes a threat, no longer able to interact with society productively — Kindred or mortal. Nothing is sacred; draugr will not hesitate to shred the Traditions as a means of escape. Draugr are forever lost to their monstrous natures; only the vaguest rumors suggest they can be redeemed. In most cities, authorities kill draugr immediately and without mercy.
Some draugr are careful predators, acting with stealth and bestial cunning, or retaining ritualistic behaviors from their former lives. For example, a fallen Mekhet might set up clever ambushes and sleep in an old library, nesting among moldering books he can no longer read.
Vampiric Breaking Points
Breaking points are moments and experiences in a vampire’s Requiem that push her to risk detachment. Any time she experiences a breaking point, roll to resist detachment. For an event to constitute a breaking point, it must be applicable to her Humanity level, or lower. For example, a Humanity 5 character risks a breaking point if she commits manslaughter (Humanity 3 breaking point), but not if she’s rejected by a human (Humanity 8 breaking point).
The listed breaking points are examples only. Add breaking points at Storyteller discretion, or shift these up or down to fit the situation. Typically, the more personal the event is, the lower level a breaking point it should be. If something is significantly distanced from the character, or she had no way to prevent it, it should be a Humanity level higher. Many reflect experiences that serve as reminders of the vampire’s state. For example, watching mortals eat a meal is a harsh reminder that mortal food no longer nourishes Kindred, and that it’s an experience forever denied to the Damned.
Many breaking points reference human contact. This refers to interaction, usually verbal. While it does not have to be positive interaction, it should be human in nature, and meaningful. Jumping a derelict in an alley, feeding, and fleeing is not interaction. Nor is tying up an enemy’s ghoul and torturing her in a basement. However, the act of feeding the captive or finding the derelict shelter for the night could be. Note that time unconscious in torpor does not count as time without human contact; torpor is its own breaking point.
Breaking points don’t occur while a character is in torpor. At the Storyteller’s discretion, discovering a missed breaking point could trigger a detachment roll, but this is fairly rare, as the experience of torpor prepares a vampire’s mind for the shock of a new world upon waking.
Sample Vampire Breaking Points
Humanity 10 (Five Dice)
One night without human contact.
Lying in defense of the Masquerade.
Spending more than one Vitae in a night.
Humanity 9 (Five Dice)
Watching humans eat a meal.
Committing a superhuman feat of physical prowess.
Feeding from the unwilling or unknowing.
Urging another’s behavior with a Discipline.
Spending an hour in the sun.
Humanity 8 (Four Dice)
Creating a ghoul.
Rejected by a human.
Riding the wave of frenzy.
Depriving another of consent with a Discipline.
Spending most of a day in the sun.
Humanity 7 (Four Dice)
One week active without human contact.
Surviving something that would hospitalize a human.
Injuring someone over blood.
Humanity 6 (Three Dice)
Falling into torpor.
Feeding from a child.
Reading your own obituary.
Experiencing a car crash or other immense physical trauma.
Humanity 5 (Three Dice)
Two weeks active without human contact.
Reaching Blood Potency 3.
Death of a mortal family member.
Joining a covenant to the point of gaining Status for it.
Humanity 4 (Two Dice)
Learning a dot of Crúac
Impassioned violence.
Spending a year or more in torpor.
Surviving a century.
Accidentally killing.
Humanity 3 (Two Dice)
One month active without human contact.
Reaching Blood Potency 6.
Death of a mortal spouse or child.
Impassioned killing.
Humanity 2 (One Die)
One year active without human contact.
Premeditated killing.
Seeing a culture that didn’t exist when you were alive.
Surviving 500 years.
Creating a revenant.
Humanity 1 (Zero Dice)
One decade active without human contact.
Heinous, spree, or mass murder.
Killing your Touchstone.Detachment
When reaching a breaking point, the character faces potential detachment: the loss of a Humanity dot. To resist detachment, roll the number of dice associated with the breaking point’s level modified as the Storyteller determines. Willpower may never be spent to improve a detachment dice pool. Any time your character faces a breaking point, take a Beat.
Roll Results
Failure: Your character lets go of some of his mortal attachments, and moves toward monstrosity. In addition to losing a dot of Humanity, gain the Bestial, Competitive, or Wanton Condition as he revels in the act.
Dramatic Failure: Not only does the character lose sight of her Humanity, she sees the breaking point as nothing of consequence whatsoever. In addition to losing a dot of Humanity, gain the Jaded Condition.
Success: Your character holds onto a scrap of empathy, despite the urge to let go. She does not lose Humanity, but gains the Bestial, Competitive, or Wanton Condition as her nature pushes her to withdraw.
Exceptional Success: Not only does your character hold onto her concept of Humanity, she steps away from the conflict with renewed vigor. She takes the Inspired Condition. The inspiration relates to her newfound affinity for mortality.
Suggested Detachment Roll Modifiers
| Have an attached Touchstone | +2 |
| Have multiple attached Touchstones | +3 |
| No Touchstones | -2 |
| Protecting your Masquerade | -1 |
| Protecting your Requiem | +1 |
Touchstones can provide additional dice based on the suggested modifiers presented. The storyteller ultimately determines the extent to which a Touchstone adds to a roll (including +0), but may never give a negative modifier for Touchstones if there is at least one attached. Other factors may also modify the pool. All modifiers are applied at storyteller discretion.
Banes
When Kindred hit certain points in their detachment, they can turn their monstrosity inward, growing spiritual scars over their emotional wounds. When losing Humanity, a character can take a bane and a Beat. If he does so, he becomes unable to lose Humanity from that particular breaking point again. However, each bane causes a –1 die penalty to further detachment rolls, which speeds the Requiem’s downward spiral.
A character may only have three banes. You may choose from the sample banes below, or create your own. As a rule, most banes use Humanity as part of their mechanics, and can affect Vitae or cause bashing damage. Sometimes, they use the inverse of Humanity, expressed as (10 – Humanity). Many banes provoke frenzy. A vampire cannot use more dice to resist a bane-provoked frenzy than she has Humanity dots.
Banes are a player choice, but vampire characters themselves do not choose them or the transgressions they affect.
Bells: Your character cannot stand the sound of bells, and it causes intense pain. This only happens in the presence of actual bells; recordings will not cause pain. Each minute she’s exposed to the sound of bells, she takes (10 – Humanity) dice worth of bashing damage, and is provoked to frenzy. Some vampires manifest this bane in response to hymns instead of bells.
Blood of the Unwilling: Your character takes no sustenance from the blood of the unwilling or the unknowing. When feeding from an unwilling vessel, she gains no nourishment from the first few Vitae taken. This amount is equal to (10 – Humanity).
Crossroads: Your character is confused when he knowingly passes through a crossroads. For the remainder of the scene, all his dice pools are capped by his Humanity dots.
Face of Hunger: When your character finds himself hungry, it shows on his face and on his skin. His eyes grow red, and his skin pulls tight over his visage. He looks every bit the corpse. When he has less than five Vitae, his Humanity dots act as a cap on all his Social actions. Humanity also caps all dice pools to resist frenzy inspired by hunger.
Grave Soil: Your character is tied to the soil of her place of death. If she does not sleep with at least a handful of dirt from her region of death, all her dice pools are capped by her Humanity for the next night.
Hated by Beasts: Animals despise your character. They’ll put their backs up defensively, growl, hiss, or boast. Any attempts to deal with animals through Animal Ken or Animalism suffer a (10 – Humanity) penalty.
Holy Day: Your character holds one day of the week holy. She cannot resist the daysleep, and cannot awaken during that day unless her body suffers damage equal to 10 – Humanity.
Invitation: Your character cannot enter a private dwelling uninvited. If he does, he suffers bashing damage equal to (10 – Humanity). He cannot heal the damage as long as he remains inside.
Open Wounds: Your character’s wounds stay open until she sleeps. She can heal Health levels with Vitae, but the wounds do not close until she’s undergone daysleep.
Plague of Purity: Your character finds the pure of heart to be utterly repulsive. Any touch by a human with Integrity 8 or higher causes (10 – Humanity) bashing damage.
Rat Royalty: Your character attracts vermin. She’s always surrounded by rats, flies, cockroaches, or other creatures of plague. This causes discomfort and disgust in most mortals, causing her to fail any Social roll not related to the Intimidation Skill. She can send the vermin away for a number of minutes equal to her Humanity score with a Willpower point.
Repulsion: Your character finds a certain substance abhorrent. Choose this when taking the bane, but it should be something that is likely to appear in many homes. For example, garlic, salt, roses, or silver are all valid repulsions. She cannot come closer than (10 – Humanity) feet from the item without spending a point of Willpower. As well, if the object of repulsion enters a wound, it causes (10 – Humanity) dice of bashing damage.
Symbols: Symbols of faith and devotion weaken your character. When touched by such a symbol, or when acting against someone brandishing such a symbol, his dice pools are limited by his Humanity dots.
Webs: A spider’s webs cause your character great problems. Even a web from a small spider stops her in her tracks. Once she touches a web, breaking free requires breaking the web, which is treated as an item with Durability equal to (10 – Humanity).
Elder Banes
Vampires who persist long enough can develop even stranger banes when they lose Humanity, as their nature becomes more inhuman. These banes are not commonly seen in younger Kindred, but as always there are exceptions. At the Storyteller’s discretion, elder vampires may also gain banes that are normally associated with the Strix, such as Counting or Running Water.
Blood Synchronicity: Your character forms an unnatural connection to those she feeds from. Whenever she gains more Vitae in a single feeding than she has Humanity dots, she gains the Synchronized Condition. If her victim dies during the feeding, she instead immediately rolls to resist frenzy, with a dice penalty equal to (10 – Humanity).
Dead Name: Your character’s mortal name makes his warped soul shudder and his Beast writhe. If he hears the name specifically in the context of addressing him with it, he gains the Tempted Condition as though he had resisted frenzy, and further rolls to resist frenzy are capped by his Humanity dots.
Enemy of Light: For your character, any bright light is like a miniature sun, punishing the Beast and the dead flesh that enwraps it for daring to step out of the dark. This includes firelight and artificial light. Spending more than a minute in bright light inflicts the Blinded Tilt which cannot end until the vampire escapes the light. Every subsequent minute of exposure causes (10 – Humanity) dice of bashing damage.
Incurable Addict: Unlike most elders, your character still suffers Vitae addiction even if he only gains sustenance from Kindred Vitae.
Mortal Haunts: Your character can’t easily return to any city or comparably sized place she lived while mortal. If she enters the borders of such a place, she immediately gains the Jaded or Humbled Condition and can’t resolve it as long as she remains there. If she spends one full day of sleep there, she also gains the Obsession Condition pertaining to her mortal life and haunts, which can’t resolve until she spends a number of consecutive nights away from that place equal to (10 – Humanity).
Ritual Feeding: Your character must enact some ritual, chosen when you take this bane, to gain full sustenance from feeding. Rituals could be elaborate religious ceremonies, courtship and seduction routines, a requirement for a certain type of locale and mood, or anything else that seems appropriate. If she feeds without the ritual, her maximum Vitae is capped by her Humanity score until she next wakes from daysleep.
Harmony - Werewolf
Every Uratha finds herself torn between two extremes. On one hand, she’s a hunter wearing the skin of human and wolf, a creature of nature unlike anything else in the natural world. She’s flesh incarnate. On the other hand, she’s a creature of spirit, an entity that exists among the denizens of the Hisil, feeding on the ephemeral Essence of the world of Spirit. These two extremes pull the Forsaken in two directions. Harmony reflects her ability to balance these two sides of her identity.
In game terms, Harmony is a trait that ranges from 0 to 10, with 0 being a werewolf limited to the world of Spirit, and 10 being a werewolf locked in the world of Flesh, The ideal point, the balance, is five dots. All werewolves begin play with Harmony 7 — closer to balance than at the First Change, but still mired in the physical. Players can’t spend Experiences to raise or lower Harmony — it can only change by experiencing breaking points.
Harmony fills a different niche than Integrity, as Uratha struggle with a dualist nature, while human characters muster the mental fortitude to withstand trauma. Humans who go through the First Change replace Integrity with Harmony, and start with seven dots regardless of their Integrity. The two traits are not equivalent; a werewolf with seven dots of Harmony is in a very different state from a human with seven dots of Integrity.
Werewolf Breaking Points
Werewolves suffer two kinds of breaking points: those that break them towards Flesh and those that break towards Spirit. The base dice pool is Resolve + Composure. Willpower cannot modify this dice pool. Where a breaking point lists a modifier, apply that penalty to the breaking point roll.
The breaking points listed apply to all Uratha. They’re a starting point rather than a definitive list. The player and Storyteller should work together to define one or two breaking points in each direction for her character based on her auspice, tribe, and Touchstones. Breaking points toward Flesh involve actively denying her Uratha nature and cause Harmony gain. Breaking points toward Spirit instead require her to turn her back on her heritage in the world of Flesh and coss Harmony loss.
Sample Werewolf Breaking Points
Towards Flesh
Base -1 per Harmony above 5.
Risk Harmony Gain.
Defiling a locus.
Refusing to participate in Siskur-Dah.
Staying out of the Hisil for a week.
Using a silver weapon against another werewolf.
Violating the Oath of the Moon. (Forsaken only, –2)
Staying out of the Hisil for a month. (–3)
Harmony 3 or Lower
Allowing a spirit safe passage into the physical world.
Eating processed food.
Mating with a human.
Staying out of the Hisil for a day.Toward Spirit
Base -1 per Harmony below 5.
Risk Harmony Loss.
Killing a human or wolf.
Staying in the Hisil for a week.
Hunting humans or wolves for food (–2)
Killing a packmate. (–2)
Eating human or wolf flesh for Essence (–3)
Staying in the Hisil for a month. (–3)
Harmony 8 or More
Inflicting Lunacy on a loved one.
Leading the Siskur-Dah.
Spending more than two days away from your pack.
Staying in the Hisil for a full day.Harmony Rating Effects
Shapeshifting
A character’s Harmony trait affects how much effort and spiritual power she must invest into changing shape — or not shapeshifting in a stressful situation. At lower Harmony it takes effort to Avoid changing form, where at higher Harmony the effort comes from the Shift.
| Dots | Act | Shift Cost and Action |
|---|
| 0-1 | Avoid | 1 Essence, Instant |
| 2-3 | Avoid | 1 Essence, Reflexive OR 0 cost, Instant |
| 4-6 | Shift | 0 cost, Reflexive |
| 7-8 | Shift | 1 Essence, Reflexive OR 0 cost Instant |
| 9-10 | Shift | 1 Essence, Instant |
Harmony Level Chart
| Dots | Bans | Triggers | Control |
|---|
| 10 | --- | Passive | 3 seconds |
| 9 | --- | Common | 10 seconds |
| 8 | --- | Common | 30 seconds |
| 7 | --- | Specific | 1 minute |
| 6 | --- | Specific | 5 minutes |
| 5 | --- | --- | 15 minutes |
| 4 | 1 | Specific | 5 minutes |
| 3 | 1 | Specific | 1 minute |
| 2 | 2 | Common | 30 seconds |
| 1 | 3 | Common | 10 seconds |
| 0 | 4 | Passive | 3 seconds |
Reaching
Harmony also determines a character’s ability to cross into the Shadow.
At Harmony 10, he cannot Reach at all.
Harmony 8 or above do not need a locus to enter the world of Flesh.
Harmony 3 or less do not need a locus to enter the world of Spirit.
At Harmony 0, he is stuck in the Shadow and cannot Reach into the physical world.
Reaching for Spirit, roll 10 - Harmony.
Reaching for Flesh, roll Harmony.Gaining Bans
With four or fewer dots of Harmony, your character is struck with a ban much like a spirit. The ban may have something to do with a spirit your character has interacted with, her personality, or events in the story. She gains a persistent Ban Condition, which is only resolved when she raises her Harmony high enough to discard it. A character with particularly low Harmony must deal with more than one spirit ban; when her Harmony rises enough that she may discard one, the player decides which is resolved.
Trigger Severity
Finally, the severity of a character’s Kuruth trigger and the length of time she can remain in control during Wasu-Im depend on her Harmony dots. If she has Harmony 5 she’s not affected by her personal trigger.
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