II - PRIMACY PLAYS

Introduction
Primacy game-play requires a Storyteller’s mentality of Players. Which is not to say that there is
no distinction between The Storyteller of a Primacy game and its Players. It means simply that
Players are responsible for the course and setting of the game to a higher degree than in
regular games of VtR, as they control more actors and more aspects of the mise en scene.

Another way of stating the same is to say the default assumption to a game of Primacy is that
the Storyteller is there to facilitate Players with a sandbox style Chronicle.

The Basics
Primacy Players assume the role of a Primacy character; they are heads of growing financial
imperiums, capo’s of a local crime families, and powerful real estate moguls. As such, Players
aren’t simply just in control of their Primacy character’s actions. Through their Primacy
character, Players control those individuals who are on her payroll: her Subjects, Henchmen
and Agents.

Primacy takes place at a faster narrative pace than a regular game of Vampire: the Requiem.
Whereas the regular game is played out at the level of scenes, the default interval for Primacy
round is 24 hours. In general Primacy characters are only active during the night. One night
consists of three turns: evening, midnight, and morning. Primacy characters who are able to
stay the effects of the day sleep can be active during the day too. One day consists of two turns:
midday and afternoon.

Primacy can be played out in a few ways. The Storyteller may prefer to play their Primacy game
on a round-by-round basis, or on a turn-by-turn basis; meaning Players can declare their actions
per night and day, or they can declare them per evening, midnight, morning, midday and
afternoon. To determine which Player gets to act first, at the start of each Chapter all roll a die
and add their Primacy character’s Influence rating to the result. The Player with the highest
score gets to act first for the duration of the Chapter, followed by the one with the second
highest score, etc. . Storyteller characters always act last.

Furthermore, Primacy can be played covertly or transparently. A troupe may decide to

communicate their characters’ actions through secret (written) messages. In that case the
Storyteller narrates all actions taken in a general and neutral way, at the end of each turn or
round. Alternatively Players can declare their characters’ actions openly, trusting that everyone
can separate out of character knowledge from in character knowledge.

Primacy introduces a major new Advantage, called Influence. It might be tempting for Players to
see the acquisition of Influence as a goal in itself. Though tempting, this idea misses the point of
playing Primacy. Primacy is, at the end of the night, a system for role playing kindred in high
places. Its rules aim to facilitate troupes with the tools to tell stories of large scale political
intrigue. Influence is central to Primacy gameplay, but gaining Influence is not a mini-game in
and of itself. Much like gaining higher levels of Blood Potency or higher levels in Disciplines is
not the point of playing Vampire: the Requiem.

Influence
Influence is a rough measure of how powerful a Primacy character is. Your Influence rating
determines a number of factors that allow for a Primacy characters’ political maneuvering. Most
importantly, your Influence determines how many Primacy Skill rolls Subjects will perform on
your behalf per round of Primacy play.

Your level of Influence is determined by your total number of Asset Skill dots. For the purpose of
determining your level of Influence, each dot of Allies merits counts as 1 Asset Skill dot and
each instance of a Contact or Retainer merit counts as 1 Asset Skill dot.

Characters gain free City Status dots equal to half of their Influence rating, rounded up. These
dots are gained in addition to any City Status dots purchased at character creation or those
gained through Experience expenditure. A Primacy character’s combined dots in City Status
cannot exceed 10 in total.

Asset INFLUENCE GRANDEURS HENCH AGENTS / Subject Base

Skill MEN Action Primacy INPUT
DOTS Scenes per Skill rolls
week per round

0 0 1 0 0/1 1 0

10 1 1 1 0/1 1 1

20 2 1 1 1/1 1 2

30 3 2 2 1/1 2 3

40 4 2 2 1/2 2 3

50 5 2 3 2/2 2 4

60 6 3 3 2/2 2 4
 70 7 3 4 2/3 3 4

80 8 3 4 3/3 3 5

90 9 4 5 3/3 3 5

100 10 4 5 3/4 3 5

Leverage
Leverage represents the fruits of your character's labours, put into concrete action. It is the
political capital you have acquired. Leverage is a juice stat, much like Vitae and Willpower it can
be spend and recovered. There is no cap to a Primacy character's maximum Leverage pool.
Though, at the end of Elysium any unspent points of Leverage are lost. Your character may
spend a maximum amount of Leverage per round equal to their Wits + Presence.

● 1 point of Leverage may be spend to gain a +2 bonus to resolve a Conflict of interest or

to Push a character.

● 1 point of Leverage may be spend to have one of your Subjects resolve a Primacy
action, using a skill not represented by any of your Asset Skill merits.

● 2 points of Leverage may be spend to activate an Agent for an Action Scene in excess
of the number of Action Scenes allowed by the Primacy character's level of Influence per
week.

● 3 points of Leverage may be expended to buy 1 point of Input for the purpose of
Advising the Prince. Converting Leverage to Input in this way is not restricted by a
character’s maximum per night Leverage expenditure.

Leverage can be regained by Primacy characters in the following ways:

● By allowing other Primacy characters to use their Sites. For each number of rounds
(equal to 6 - the Site's dot rating) that a Site is made available to another Primacy
character your character regains 1 point of Leverage. These nights need not be
consecutive. A Site is made available wholesale or not at all; only 1 Primacy
character may control a Site in any given night.

● By activating Action Scenes or by applying a round’s worth of actions and resources in

service of another Primacy character’s goals. To be able to gain Leverage in this way it
is required that the course of action proposed isn't wholly aligned with your Primacy
character's own goals and interest. Though this certainly doesn't mean that characters
need to act against their own wants and desires in order to gain Leverage. It is sufficient
 that the task at hand is a distraction to the character's own pursuits or an inconvenience
to attaining their own aspirations. Ultimately it is up to the Storyteller to decide whether
or not a character can regain Leverage by following a proposed course of action on
behalf of another Primacy character.

First a Primacy character opts to forfeit some of her personal Primacy Skill rolls, in order
for another Primacy character to accomplish an aim on her behalf. The player states an
aim. Depending on the stated aim, the Storyteller determines how many Actions have to
be spend, to a maximum of 3. Next another Primacy character offers to accept the job.
The two characters agree on a deadline. Depending on the time it might reasonably take
a character to fulfill the task at hand, an amount of Leverage up to 5 times the amount of
Actions offered up may be gained. Generally, Leverage is gained on a 1 to 1 ratio, when
the task is expected to be completed within a night. If a week or so is needed, the
amount triples. A few weeks will net five times the amount offered up.

Only when the stated aim is accomplished does a Primacy character earn the Leverage
put forth. If the deadline passes, but the task can still be successfully completed
Leverage may still be earned. Though, for each round that passes beyond the one
agreed upon the original amount of Leverage is reduced by -1 Leverage, to a minimum
of 0. Even then a character may still still wish to complete their quest, as a matter of
personal pride or perhaps in fear of repercussions.

● Regaining Leverage by working on executing Policies declared at the end of Elysium

works in much the same way, but see below: XX.

● At the end of Elysium, each Primacy character recovers an amount of Leverage equal to
the lower of their Wits and Presence

Grandeurs
Making significant progress to the resolution of or actually resolving your Grandeur, earns you a
Primacy Beat. In addition, you gain 1 point of Input. Furthermore, Grandeurs apply any time
Aspirations do, e.g. during Social maneuvering.

All Primacy characters have one or more Grandeurs, depending on their level of Influence.
Characters with 0 to 2 Influence have 1 Grandeur. Characters with 3 to 5 Influence have 2
Grandeurs. Characters with 6 to 8 levels of Influence have 3 Grandeurs. And those with 9 or 10
Influence have 4.
 Elysium
Elysium is where influential Kindred meet, it is especially important for up and comers to attend.
To not be present is a statement in and of itself. Elysium is held regularly, once every lunar
month. Of course, Storytellers may change this interval to suit their needs. Elysium always takes
place in regular game-time, at the pace of scenes. The event lasts at least one scene or a
couple of hours. At most the event goes on the entire night. All Primacy characters and their
Agents are invited.

Advising the Prince

Of course characters are free to socialize and scheme and all such things, this is Elysium after
all. But the main event of the night, relevant for any Primacy character is the one where the
influentials get to Advise the Prince. Advising the Prince allows Primacy characters to give their
Input on affairs of the Domain, where it concerns which courses of action should earn a vampire
Leverage.

How exactly this part of the game is played out during the course of Elysium is dependent on
the political structures and institutions of a Domain. Perhaps there is a vote held. Perhaps Input
is whispered in the right ear. Perhaps politics are dressed up in the garb of religious zeal.
Whatever the case may be, is up to the Storyteller to decide, for the Players to discover.

The Policies
At Elysium, the Prince announces up to 5 Policies. Policies are the Prince offering up Leverage
on behalf of the Domain (see also, p. XX). Policies state an intent. Which can be anything from
a bloodhunt, to investigating the occult phenomena sighted at the abandoned factory, to
preventing Kindred from feeding in some specific district of town.

At Elysium, after the Prince has announced the Domain's Policies, Primacy characters may
spend their Input. Each point of Input spend in this way may be dedicated to any one Policy.
The Storyteller tallies up the scores, this Input ranking determines how much Leverage may be
earned by executing a Policy. Input left unspent after Input ranking is determined is lost. The
lowest scoring Policy has an Input ranking of 1, the next 2 and so on. If there is a tie, the Prince
decides which Policy ranks higher.

Each night of play Primacy characters spent dedicating their actions and resources to execute a
Policy, or whenever they activated an Agent for an Action Scene with the intent to execute a
Policy, the Storyteller determines how well the characters contributed to the execution of the
Policy. Based on that judgement the Player stands to gain an amount of Leverage, of 1 and up
to the Policy's Input ranking.
The Prince
The Prince is generally an NPC, though Storytellers may allow Players to become the Prince of
a Domain. A character needs to hold at least 1 Influence in order to be Prince. If a Prince loses
enough Asset Skill dots to drop to 0 Influence, the character loses the title of Prince, at least for
the purpose of Primacy play.

At Elysium, after their Input ranking is determined, the Prince ranks the announced Policies
personally, 1 through 5. The Storyteller multiplies the Prince's ranking of a Policy with the total
number of characters holding Influence in the Domain. This is the pool of Leverage that Policy
makes available to those working to execute it, until next Elysium. If a Policy's Leverage pool is
empty character's may still attempt to execute the Policy, though doing so will no longer yield
Leverage.

If there is no character holding the title of Prince no official Policies can be announced at
Elysium.

Primacy Skill Actions

Primacy Skill rolls are used to resolve Primacy Skill actions. Instant Primacy Skill actions cost a
few hours to resolve or 1 turn. Likewise, the interval for Extended actions is a few hours,
consuming 1 turn worth of time.

During Primacy game-play your Primacy character:

● Can resolve up to 3 personal Primacy Skill rolls during the course of the night.

● Can resolve up to 2 personal Primacy Skill rolls during the day, if she succeeds at
resisting the day sleep. She gains the Lethargic condition.

In addition, each round you may instruct your underlings to resolve Primacy Skill rolls on behalf
of your Primacy character.

● Unless Pushed, your Subjects, Henchmen and Agents can resolve a maximum of 3
Primacy Skill rolls each round. [But see below, p. XX]

● Your Subjects will resolve a maximum number of Primacy Skill rolls on your behalf each
round, as determined by your Primacy character’s level of Influence.

● Your Henchmen and Agents are at your Primacy character’s disposal all round.
 ● You can spend your Willpower to boost the Primacy Skill rolls of your Subjects,
Henchmen and Agents.

● Agents and ghouled Henchmen have their own Vitae pool.

You may forfeit you Primacy character’s personal Primacy Skill rolls. For each roll forfeited, you
can instruct 1 Subject to resolve 1 Primacy Skill roll in excess of the maximum number of
Subject Primacy Skill rolls allowed your Primacy character by her level of Influence. It may be
necessary to Push the Subject. Conflicts of interest with other Primacy characters may also
arise.

Subjects, Henchmen and Agents can be pushed to go beyond their natural limits, this requires a
Primacy character to roll an appropriate Attribute + Skill to enforce the request, Disciplines and
blood sorceries may also be used to convince characters to make over-time. Characters who
are successfully pushed beyond their limits may perform up to 2 additional Asset Skill during
any given round (each action requires success on a roll to push the character). Mortal
characters who are pushed successfully by their masters receive the Lethargic and Pushed
conditions.

Condition - PUSHED
You’ve worked overtime. You’re spent. Beat. Worn out. Coffee just doesn’t cut it any longer.
You need some sleep. Any attempts to push you further, suffer a -2 penalty. You can suffer the
effects of multiple instances of the Pushed condition.

Possible sources: Taking more actions than your daily requirement of sleep permits.
Resolution: Taking a day off to rest up
Beats: n/a

Condition - WELL RESTED

You went fishing, you binged a series,or you went to see a play during a double date. You
relaxed and enjoyed a quiet weekend break. You gain a +3 bonus to your next roll.

Possible sources: Spending some time without performing actions that impact the narrative.
Resolution: Going back to work.
Beats: n/a

On working for the enemy

Subjects are mortals who are still largely ignorant of what lies behind the Masquerade. This is in
large part due to Primacy Characters obscuring the true motives behind their Primacy Skill
actions. As such there is a certain amount of leeway to work for others and make ends meet,
that Primacy players necessarily have to grant their pawns.

In the case of Subjects, Conflicts of timing between Primacy characters might arise; two or more
Primacy characters may try to enlist a Subject help at the same time of night. In such cases the
Players roll for control over the Subject's actions. Their dice pools consist of the total number of
dots their Primacy character possesses in Asset Skills that refer to the Subject in question +
City Status. Players who intend to use the Subject to resolve an Extended Primacy Action gain
a bonus to their dice pool, equal to the number of previous consecutive rolls they've already had
the Subject resolve the Extended Action. The Primacy character who comes out on top must be
able to use and is obligated to use the Subject that turn for the declared kind of action.

Example: Halina has been using Donny the Librarian the previous nights to research some
occult message, spray-painted over the roof of her car. Donny isn't done yet, so Halina wants to
continue to use him to resolve her Extended Action using Donny's Occult skill. However, tonight
Jim also needs Donny 's Streetwise, to deliver a secret message to agents of the Nosferatu
Priscus. Jim's total number of dots in Asset Skills that refer to the Subject Donny the Librarian is
5 (Socialize 2 and Streetwise 3), giving him a dice pool of 5. Halina uses Donny for one thing
only, his Occult 3. She has used Donny to research the occult message the previous two nights
already, gaining her a +2 bonus. Halina's total dice pool is set at 5 too.

Due to being bound by the Vinculum, Henchmen and Agents may only lend their skillset to one
Primacy Character. They are fully Blood Bound and fiercly loyal. Upkeep of their Vinculae does
not require the mechanical expenditure of Vitae by controlling Characters, though Players might
still wish to play out scenes in which they ensure their Henchmen remain loyal subjects.
Henchmen cannot be coerced by other Primacy Characters. They can, of course, be shot or
beaten into a pulp.

Initiating an Asset’s Primacy Skill Action

In order to resolve a Primacy Skill roll on behalf of a Primacy character, Subjects, Henchmen
and Agents have to be instructed. Roll the highest of the Primacy character's Intelligence or
Manipulation + the Primacy character's Skill rating, corresponding to the Asset’s Primacy Skill
action to be performed. Note that your Primacy character’s Skills Specialties as well as her
unskilled modifiers apply to this roll. Willpower may be spend to boost the roll. Humanity
modifiers are to be taken into account for Subjects and non-ghoul Henchmen, as do relevant
blood bonds.

Dramatic failure: indicates that the Primacy character has underestimated some of the flaws in
the design of the plan or perhaps the instructed character has received a set of contradicting
instructions. Modify the Primacy Skill roll with a -3 penalty.
Failure: means that the Primacy character gives vague and incomplete instructions, leaving
their underling to figure out the boss’ intent. Modify the Primacy Skill roll with a +0.

Success: the instructed character is well prepared to perform the task at hand, they gain the
Steadfast condition for the purpose of resolving the Primacy Skill action.

Exceptional success: gives the instructed character the Inspired Condition for the purpose of
resolving the Primacy Skill action.

SIDEBAR: When is an order an order?

Whenever a Subject is asked to lend their skills to resolve an Asset Skill Action that blatantly
goes against what the Subject deems right, the Player’s instructing Primacy character rolls
Humanity. On a failure, the Subject refuses to go along with the proposed course of action.

Henchmen and Agents never refuse to resolve an Asset Skill Action, no matter how heinous the
act required (though this does not render them immune to Breaking Points).

Sample Primacy Skill Actions

To determine the dice pool of the Primacy Skill roll that follows the instructions, combine the
Subject, Henchman, or Agent's relevant Attribute + Skill. Include any bonuses or penalties
derived from the instruction and all relevant circumstantial modifiers, such as the use of Sites.

SIDEBAR: Social Maneuvering intervals

Because one Primacy turn covers a narrative time roughly equal to a scene of regular
gameplay, some adjustments are required to the first impressions chart that is used for Social
Maneuvering (as found in BS, p. 174).
When the victim's impression is hostile you cannot roll.
When the victim's impression is average you can roll once a week.
When the victim's impression is good you can roll once a round.
When the victim's impression is excellent you can roll once a turn, open one door for
every three successes rolled.
When the victim's impression is perfect you can roll once a turn, open one door for every
success rolled.
Attack a character
Sometimes, people need to get hurt for you to prosper. To attack a character is an instant and
contested action; resistance is reflexive. Roll a relevant Attribute + Asset skill vs a target's
relevant Attribute + Skill.

Primacy Skill attack actions that target Subjects or Henchmen always use the down and dirty
combat rules as found in BS: XX. If a Subject or Henchmen is killed, sanctity of Merits applies. If
Agents or Primacy characters are targeted, their Players have the option to activate an Action
Scene to play out the combat. In the case of Agents this counts against the maximum number of
Actions Scenes allowed by Influence rating. In the case of Primacy character, activation of the
Action Scene is free. A fallen Agent or Henchman may be replaced with a new one by the
controlling Player at the start of the next Elysium.

Clean ship
The janitor removes bugs and spy-cams from every nook and cranny of your dilapidated brothel.
By cleaning ship a Primacy character may attempt to unblock all of a Site's dots. The action is
extended and contested; resistance is reflexive. Roll an appropriate Attribute + Asset Skill vs the
Site's merit rating + the lowest City Status of any Primacy character blocking the Site's dots.
The target number required is 10 – your Primacy character's City Status. If the target is met,
unblock all of the Site's dots.

The target number for the contesting party is equal to the Site's dot rating + the owner's City
Status. If the contender wins, the Site's dots remain blocked and the owner may not attempt to
clean ship on the Site for a number of rounds equal to the total number of aggressors blocking
the Site's dots.

Coerce a subject
Your flunkies convince the junkie on the corner not to talk to your rival’s agent anymore. A
detective receives some embarrassing photographs, encouraging her to relent. Coercing a
Subject is an extended and contested action, through which a Primacy character might take
away another’s control over a Subject’s Asset Skill; resistance is reflexive. Roll an appropriate
Attribute + Asset skill vs. the lower of the Subject's Resolve or Composure + the employer's
Humanity.

The target number to be acquired by the aggressor is the Subject's Integrity. Whenever the
target number is met, 1 of the employer's dots in Asset Skills that refer to the Subject becomes
blocked.

The Subject has a target number equal to 10 – their employer's Humanity, to a minimum of 1. If
the Subject's target is met, the Subject resists the offer that cannot be refused. The aggressor
may not attempt to coerce the subject for a number of Primacy rounds equal to the Subject's
Resolve + Composure.
Dots blocked do count towards a Player's Influence rating, but they cannot be used to resolve
Primacy Skill actions. If at the end of a round Players have all of an Asset’s Skill dots marked as
blocked, they lose their dots in the Asset Skill. Sanctity of merits applies. Aggressors may opt to
immediately purchase any of the freed up dots they blocked, if they have narrative justification,
as well as the Experiences required.

Cover up an action
You know people are going to ask questions and you don't want the answers to lead back to
you. A cover-up is an extended action. Combine the higher of Intelligence or Manipulation +
Asset Skill. For every number of successes gained equal to 10 – your Primacy character's City
Status, future rolls to investigate the covered up action are penalized by -1. To a maximum of
-5.

Player's may also choose to cover up their Primacy character's communications. This is an
instant action. Combine Wits or Composure + a relevant Asset Skill. On a success, attempts to
listen in on the Primacy character's communications this round are penalized by -2. On an
exceptional success the penalty increases to -3. Dramatic failure means any attempts to listen
in on the character next round get a +2 bonus.

Demolish
Sometimes you'll end up concluding: if I can't have this it, then no one can. To demolish a Site is
an Extended action. Roll a relevant Attribute + Asset Skill.

The target number to be acquired is equal to the Site's dot rating + the owner's City Status. If
the target is met the controlling Player loses 1 dot of the Site's merit function, sanctity of Merits
applies. Losing a dot might cause a Site to no longer function, if the destruction causes the
Merit's rating to drop below it's minimum (e.g. when 1 dot of a 3-dot Operation table Site is
destroyed).

Guard an asset
You might want to keep an eye on your properties, rumour has it some upstarts want to make
names for themselves by spitting some big bad in the face, big bad meaning: you. To guard a
character or a Site, only a successful instruction roll is needed (usually Attribute + Streetwise).
Henchmen and Agents will guard their ward indefinitely, until recalled. Subject's only leave their
post when a conflict of timing arises over their use that your Primacy character loses.

Whenever the ward is attacked, guards roll their Wits + Composure, modified by the number of
successes gained on the instruction roll. If successful and the ward is a character, guards may
participate in the ensuing fight. If the roll is successful and the ward is a Site, the aggressor
must attack the guard instead of the Site. If the guard is an Agent, the Player may activate him
by expending an Action Scene, this counts towards the Player’s weekly maximum.

Hostile takeover
Your goons convince a bartender to lend the backroom of their establishment to you, to run your
own illegal gambling scheme. With a hostile take-over your Primacy character may attempt to
wrest control over a Site, currently in possession of another. The action is extended and
contested; resistance is reflexive. Roll an appropriate Attribute + Asset Skill vs. the lower of the
Site's owner's Intelligence or Wits + the Site's dot rating. If the Site's owner has lend the Site to
another Primacy character with the purpose of generating Leverage, the owner suffers a -2
penalty on the roll. If the Site was lend to you, you gain a +2 bonus to the roll.

The target number for the aggressor is the Site's merit rating. If the target it met, block 1 dot of
the Site's rating. Owners can still make use of blocked Site dots. They are aware of the dots
being blocked, but this does not necessarily mean owners know who is blocking their Sites.

The target number for the Site's owner is equal to the Site's rating + the aggressor's City Status.
If the Site's owner wins, all of the Sites dots are unblocked and the aggressor may not attempt
another hostile takeover of the Site for a number of rounds equal to the owner's City Status.

If at the end of a round Players have all of a Site's dots marked as blocked, they lose their dots
in the Site. Sanctity of merits applies. Aggressors may opt to immediately purchase any of the
freed up dots they blocked, if they have narrative justification, as well as the Experiences
required.

Hunt and gather

You send someone to do some groceries, they call the pizza delivery guy to come over to your
place. Dinner's served. Hunt and gather is an Instant action. Combine a relevant Attribute +
Asset Skill, take into account modifiers from such sources as Feeding Grounds and Herd.
Every success restores 1 Vitae to a Primacy character's Vitae pool. You may opt to forego
precaution, in which case each succes yields 4 Vitae and a stiff. Getting rid of the body requires
further action.

Investigate an action
Someone kidnapped your favourite blood doll, but the question is: who and how? Questions to
be answered by investigating the action. This is an extended action. Combine a relevant
Attribute + Asset Skill. The target to be acquired is equal to the rating of the Skill used to
execute the action that is under investigation + the City Status of the controlling Primacy
character. If a roll yields no successes, the controlling Primacy character becomes aware of
their Primacy Skills actions being investigated, on a dramatic failure it is revealed who is
investigating their actions.
Listen in
You've instructed a law-enforcement officer you have in your pocket to tap a rival's phone.
Listening in allows a Primacy character to intercept other character's communications. The
action is instant. Combine a relevant Attribute + Asset Skill. The roll is penalized by the lower of
a target's Intelligence or Manipulation. One success allows a Player to ask the Storyteller:

● With whom does the target communicate this night?

The Storyteller's answer needs to be a comprehensive list of names. The names given do not
necessarily need to be the actual names of the characters with whom the target communicates.
But at the very least a Storyteller needs to give descriptors, specific enough to differentiate
between individuals, while taking into consideration how the character attempting to Listen in
may know these differences. Examples of such descriptors are: 'the Senechal,' 'Rutger the Bum,
your Survival 2 asset skill', 'someone with a heavy eastern-european accent, who sniffles a lot,'
'an elderly lady,' 'the goons who fucked up your friend the other day', and 'an internet provider's
customer-service desk'.

Each success gained in excess of the first allows the Player to ask a follow-up question
pertaining to the communications with one of the individuals communicated with. Examples of
follow-up questions are:

● What is the tone of the communication?

● What is the intent of the communication?
● What sort of act is the communication about?
● What sort of people is the communication about?

Localize a character
The shitheads who robbed your bookies need to be found. Localizing a character is an
extended action. Combine a relevant Attribute + Asset Skill, penalized by the lower of the
target's Stealth or Subterfuge. In the case of Subjects, the target number to be acquired is equal
to the higher of their Stealth or Subterfuge. In the case of Henchmen and Agents, the target
number is the higher of their Stealth or Subterfuge + their employer's City Status. Success
reveals a target's place of residence on their day off. If any roll fails, the target becomes aware
of someone following them, in the case of a dramatic failure it is revealed by whom.

Primacy characters may also be localized. If so, the roll is contested; resistance is reflexive. The
contesting party rolls Intelligence or Manipulation + Stealth or Subterfuge. The target number to
be acquired by the investigator is equal to the higher of the target's Stealth or Subterfuge + City
Status. If the investigator wins, (one of) the locations of one of the Primacy character's Safe
Place(s) in revealed. The target number for the contesting character is equal to the investigating
character's Wits or Composure + the lower of their Stealth and Subterfuge. Victory on the roll
means the identity of the investigator is revealed and that character may not investigate the
target Primacy character for a number of nights equal to the Primacy character's City Status.

Rally a subject
Your right hand waves with a bundle of cash, while your left cracks a few heads. They urge your
Subjects to return to the fold. Rallying a Subject is an extended and contested action, through
which a Primacy character might regain control over a Subject by unblocking dots in Asset
Skills; resistance is reflexive. Roll an appropriate Attribute + Skill vs. 10 – the employer's
Humanity, to a minimum of 1.

The target number to be acquired is the lower of the Subject's Resolve or Composure + the total
number of the Primacy character's blocked Asset Skills that refer to the Subject. Whenever the
target number is met, the employer may unlock 2 Asset Skill dots that refers to the Subject.
The Subjects needs to reach a target number equal to 10 – the Subject's Integrity, to a minimum
of 1. If the Subject wins, the Primacy character's dots in Asset Skills remain blocked. The
Subject cannot be rallied again, until the start of the next round.

Research assets
You know a guy who knows a gal, who may know some people, who have this place that might
be of interest to you. Researching assets is an extended action. Subjects, Henchmen, Agents
and Sites qualify as targets. Combine a relevant Attribute + Asset Skill, penalized by the target
employer or owner's City Status. When researching characters, each succes reveals the rating
of one of the Skills or Disciplines the character possesses. In the case of Sites, each succes
reveals a dot of the Site's merit rating. Successes gained do not reveal owners and employers.
If the roll fails, owners and employers become aware of their Assets being investigated, a
dramatic failure reveals by whom.

Researching Assets is an action that may also uncover unclaimed Assets. If used to this
purpose the roll suffers no penalty.

Track assets
You instruct a private detective to follow rivals, making their rounds for the night. Tracking
assets is an extended and contested action; resistance is reflexive. Combine a relevant Attribute
+ Asset Skill vs. the target Primacy character's Wits or Composure + Stealth or Subterfuge.
For each success gained in excess of the target's acquired successes, one of the target's Sites,
including its location, is revealed; or the name of one of the target's Agents or Henchmen is
revealed; or one of the target's Asset Skill merits, including the name of the Subject it
represents, is revealed. If resisting parties win, they become aware of someone looking into
their Assets, a dramatic failure reveals the one doing so.
 Action Scenes
By activating an Action Scene a Player may play out the actions of one of the characters under
their control for the duration of a scene of regular, narrative time. Primacy characters or one of
their Agents can be activated in Actions Scenes, Subjects and Henchmen cannot. A Player who
activates an Action Scene chooses with which one of the characters available to them they will
play out the Action Scene, they also state their intent. Players and Storyteller agree upon a
location for the scene to take place. The Storyteller announces roughly how long the Scene may
be expected to last.

If a Player activates an Action Scene, all other Players have the opportunity to activate one of
their own characters to participate in the Action Scene. Doing this counts against the maximum
number of times their Primacy character's Influence rating allows them to activate an Action
Scene per week. If this maximum is already reached, they need to spend 3 points of Leverage
in order to participate. All participants state their intent before the scene starts.

When an Agent is activated for an Action Scene, the Player gains full access to the Agent’s
character sheet for the duration of the scene.

When the Action Scene starts, participating characters roll for starting Vitae (factor in relevant
modifiers, such as Feeding grounds). Agents start the scene with an amount of Willpower in
their pool, equal to the amount they ended their previous Action Scene with. If this is their first
time being activated, they start out with a full pool of Willpower. Willpower may be replenished
by Agents during Action Scenes as during regular play, by acting out their Virtue and Vice or
their Mask and Dirge.

During Action Scenes, an Agent can earn Primacy Beats on behalf of the controlling Primacy
character.

SIDEBAR: Some common sense restraints

If no other Agents could have known about the scene taking place, how could their Players have
them join in? Players might make the case that a character just happens to be on the scene.
The Storyteller ultimately decides who may or may not participate in any given Action Scene. If
during an Action Scene Players come across other characters (be they Subjects or Henchmen
or Agents) the Storyteller takes control of their actions.