Table of Contents

A WORLD OF DARKNESS ............................................................................................... 1

THROUGH A LOOKING GLASS DARKLY ................................................................................. 1
GAMEPLAY ................................................................................................................... 3
SCENES ....................................................................................................................... 3
ACTION ROUNDS ........................................................................................................... 3
DICE AND ROLLS ............................................................................................................ 5
SOCIAL CONFRONTATION ............................................................................................. 8
SOCIAL APPROACHES ...................................................................................................... 8
SOCIAL ACTION ROLL ...................................................................................................... 9
COMPELS ....................................................................................................................10
ATTACKS .....................................................................................................................10
COMMANDS ................................................................................................................11
SOCIAL ZONES ..............................................................................................................12
TACTICAL PLOTTING ....................................................................................................14
ENGAGEMENT PLANS .....................................................................................................14
PLAN PROGRESSION ......................................................................................................15
FLASHBACKS ................................................................................................................16
FLASHBACK COST ..........................................................................................................16
COMBAT ......................................................................................................................17
ACTIONS .....................................................................................................................17
ROUNDS .....................................................................................................................18
COMBAT ZONES ...........................................................................................................19
MOVEMENT ................................................................................................................19
MELEE COMBAT ...........................................................................................................20
RANGED COMBAT .........................................................................................................22
INTERACTIVE COMBAT .......................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
COMBAT MODIFIERS .....................................................................................................24
HIT LOCATION ..............................................................................................................25
DAMAGE AND HEALING ..............................................................................................26
DAMAGE ....................................................................................................................26
HEALTH ......................................................................................................................30
HEALING .....................................................................................................................31
EQUIPMENT ................................................................................................................32
MONEY ......................................................................................................................32
WEAPONS...................................................................................................................33
PROTECTION ................................................................................................................40
ITEMS ........................................................................................................................42
VEHICLES ....................................................................................................................43
CHARACTERS ...............................................................................................................46
ROLEPLAYING ...............................................................................................................46
CHARACTER CREATION ...................................................................................................51
CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT ............................................................................................66
ATTRIBUTES .................................................................................................................67
SKILLS ........................................................................................................................73
WILLPOWER ................................................................................................................83
MORALITY ..................................................................................................................84
MERITS ......................................................................................................................86
FLAWS .......................................................................................................................93
STORYTELLERS .............................................................................................................98
BE A FAN OF THE CHARACTERS .........................................................................................98
RUNNING THE GAME .....................................................................................................98
CREATING A WORLD OF DARKNESS.................................................................................. 103
CREATING YOUR CHRONICLE .......................................................................................... 106
ENDING YOUR CHRONICLE ............................................................................................ 107
CRIME AND INVESTIGATION ........................................................................................... 108
CONSPIRACY AND INTRIGUE ........................................................................................... 110
DARKNESS AND HORROR .............................................................................................. 113

Version 2023.05.31
 A World of Darkness
Everyone has had the sense at least once in their lives that
things are not right with the world, that not everything is at it
seems. We sometimes feel that sinister truths hide behind a
facade of normality, veiled partially by the rational, orderly
"natural laws" taught to us by science. We're told that
medieval beliefs in monsters and magic were merely primitive
superstitions. We're too wise for that sort of foolishness these
days. Or so we assure ourselves. But at night, when the
shadows grow long and the wind whistles through the trees,
we shudder and remember older truths, the truths of our
ancestors, who were right to fear the dark.
We know deep down that the world is a far more terrifying place
than we allow our rational minds to acknowledge. To accept this
subconscious truth is to invite madness, to succumb to the raw
chaos that lurks at the edges of our perception. Best to shut our
eyes, pretend it's not there. If we don't see it, it might not see
us. Pretending something is not there, however, does not make
it go away. It only helps it to hide better and predators like to
hide from their prey, lest it be scared away.
A world where such predators truly existed is a conspiracy
theorist's worst nightmare. In such a reality, unseen beings
hatch incognito plots against us, pulling our strings like
puppeteers looming above us, hidden in the darkness beyond
the stage lights. Our only protection is our ignorance, the
obliviousness that allows us to keep going day by day, building
toward "something meaningful a career, a home, a family.
Allegations about secret masters or creatures lurking in the
night simply lack evidence. If these things are real, why don't
we see them on the evening news? Even Internet sites
dedicated to exposing unknown forces in our lives can't
produce a single, verifiable picture. It's hard to believe in
something we can't see.
Maybe they want it that way.
Welcome to the World of Darkness.
Midnight Stories
We can't know when humans first started telling stories, or
why. But it's a safe bet that the first tale tellers used their craft
to explain the mysteries going on around them. Indeed, some
of the most ancient stories that are still told today grapple with
the biggest mysteries of all - life, death, creation, redemption
and the ongoing struggle of good versus evil. We call the game
you hold in your hands a Storytelling game, because it's an
opportunity for you to participate in the deeply human
endeavor of telling stories.
The stories told in this game are set in the World of Darkness.
It's a place very much like our world, sharing the same history,
culture and geography. Superficially, most people in this
fictional world live the same lives we do.
1
They eat the same food, wear the same clothes, and waste
time watching the same stupid TV shows. And yet, in the World
of Darkness, shadows are deeper, nights are darker, fog is
thicker. If, in our world, a neighborhood has a rundown house
that gives people the creeps, in the World of Darkness, that
house emits strange sighs on certain nights of the year, and
seems to have a human face when seen from the corner of
one's eye. Or so some neighbors say. In our world, there are
urban legends. In the World of Darkness, there are urban
legends whispered into the ears of children by invisible spiders.
In the world you're about to enter, the horrors and nightmares
of legend aren't just scary bedtime stories they’re real, even
though most people don't realize it. The truth, or at least some
of the truth about this world's hidden terrors, is revealed in
other books. But you don't need all the answers to begin
exploring. This book gives you everything you need to create
your own collaborative tales. Horror stories, ghost stories,
wonder tales, adventures or mysteries. Stories of people who
suspect the truth about what lurks in the shadows, perhaps
only after getting an unwelcome glimpse of it.
You'll find that this game challenges your ability to inhabit a
character who is as real and believable as you can make him.
The true measure of success in a Storytelling game is how
much your character interacts with the imaginary world he
inhabits. Remember: this isn’t a game to be won or a character
to level up. It’s a series of forbidden veils you are pulling back
to reveal a truth and both parts beautiful and horrific for the
truths and reality it embodies. Maybe the character you create
will uncover some secrets of his shadowed world. Maybe he'll
become one of those secrets. Time will tell.
The Elements of Stylish Horror
This book presents rules for playing a type of roleplaying game
called Storytelling. In this type of game, the traditional elements
of a story: theme, mood, plot and character are more important
than the rules themselves. The rules serve to help you tell stories
about your characters in an interactive experience. They help
prevent arguments and provide a solid basis for handling
elements of chance, but they don't overshadow the story itself.
The triumphs and tragedies of your characters as they try to
survive and even thrive in the World of Darkness are the main
focus, not dice rolls or lists of traits.
Storytelling games involve at least two, although preferably four
or more players. Everybody involved in the game participates in
telling a group story the players create and act out the roles of
their characters, and the Storyteller creates and reveals the plot,
introducing allies and antagonists with which the players'
characters interact. The players' choices throughout the course
of the Storytelling experience alter the plot. The Storyteller's job
isn't to defend his story from any attempt to change it, but to
help create the story as events unfold, reacting to the players'
choices and weaving them into a greater whole, introducing
secondary characters and exotic settings.
 Here are some of the key elements that both
players and Storytellers should keep in mind
when telling stories in the World of Darkness.
Theme - Dark Mystery
Every story has its own theme, a summation of what it's about.
Sometimes called the "moral" or "lesson" of the story, a theme
doesn't have to involve a definitive answer to the questions
raised. Merely asking overarching questions is enough to
capture a theme. The overall theme of the World of Darkness
is "dark mystery." The world is one of shadows within
shadows. Those who participate in these conspiracies should
uncover as much of them as they can, lest investigators
become unwitting pawns in the games of greater forces. But
drawing back the curtain on one mystery reveals even more
curtains, each hiding new secrets. It's not possible to uncover
them all. Yet, characters can certainly work to reveal more
than would otherwise be known, and so free themselves from
these dark influences. While each story has its own central
theme, the looming theme behind them all explores the
dramatic ramifications of a world of supernatural secrets.
Storytellers and players alike should be mindful of this theme
when they feel the need to return to the roots of the game.
Mood - Dread
People fear what they don't know or understand. On some
level, most people suspect that things aren't
right, that they're being lied to. Rather
than confront this terrible truth
("Who's lying to me? Where are
they?"), they choose to repress it.
People pretend nothing is out of
order and go about lives as usual.
Whether this behavior can be
traced back to the ancient
depredations of supernatural
creatures or to fear of the
occult, people refuse to
recognize it. They are asleep to
the realities around them and
refuse to open their eyes.
Even those who do confront
the shadows do so with a
sense of dread. Exploring the
unknown promises rewards,
but also risks unforeseen
consequences. Are the
potential rewards worth
the risks? Every step into
mystery is onto unsafe
ground, and few
march boldly into
the night.
2
Atmosphere - Threatening
Symbolism Combine theme and mood in the fogbound streets,
rave clubs, towering penthouses, midnight woods and
cloistered sanctums of the World of Darkness. Add a hint of
the otherworldly bleeding through the walls of reality now and
then, and you've got the perfect atmosphere for chilling horror
Storytelling. Everything in the World of Darkness has
foreboding significance. Nothing is necessarily what it seems.
A dead tree might secretly harbor a bitter spirit. A car might be
a reservoir for magical energies that could kill the unwary.
Everything is a cipher for something else, lending mysterious
significance to otherwise coincidental events.
Is it just chance that you receive a letter from a schoolmate
you haven't seen or heard from in years, and you read the next
day about his horrifying death by exsanguination? Dare you
open the letter? The World of Darkness rarely communicates
its secrets directly. Instead, mysteries can be read in places and
things all around symbols of deeper, unsettling truths. It's
easier to ignore these signs than to face them. Many people
are willfully blind to these messages, fearing what they reveal.
"It's just coincidence. Meaningless happenstance." Just keep
telling yourself that.
Setting - A Sense of Place
The World of Darkness is not about someplace long ago and
far away. It's our world today, but different. Looked at from a
global perspective, it seems the same. Looking closer, though,
the details differ. That house down the street isn't just
abandoned, it's haunted. Nobody goes to the old quarry
anymore. Some teenagers didn't come back.
That new nightclub is so cool, but creepy. Did you see that guy
who kept staring last night? The advantage to playing a game
of contemporary horror is that it can take place in your own
backyard, literally. You can populate your hometown with all
manner of secret terrors, imagining how the local convenience
store clerk might really be the thrall of a supernatural creature.
Perhaps he helps his master to feed by collecting the corpses
of the homeless people who sleep in the bushes out back. Or
your blowhard mayor might be a member of a secret society
dedicated to keeping the spoils of power within a small clique,
preventing others from awakening to their true potential.
Characters in the World of Darkness can blur the line between
reality and the occult. Indeed, that's what it's all about.
Exploring a world of mystery that tries to keep itself hidden. A
world that punishes those who look too deep. But those who
refuse to look suffer even worse.
They're rocked on seas of conspiracies of which they go
unaware. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. There are no
easy answers, and knowing is not half the battle.
It's only the first shot in a long, grinding war against the shadows.
 Gameplay
World of Darkness is played in two main conventions: Scenes
and Action Rounds. These can be switched between freely as
the Storyteller keeps pacing for the game. Typically the game
is played in Scenes a majority of the time, but Action Rounds
are great for high energy combat, chases, or even some back
and forth high-stakes social drama.
In any given Scene or Action Rounds the players and the
storyteller are working together to describe what each actor is
doing, who else is there, what the scene surroundings look like,
and any other details that would be helpful to make the scene
more interesting or interactive. But not every single detail
needs to be there from the start. Describe as much as you
need to get the drama going and then run with it, adding in
details as each person adds their narrative to the scene.
Pacing of Scenes or Action Rounds should use the rules of
Tactical Plotting when a series of events needs some
amount of planning or precreation. And they should use
Flashbacks whenever a player wants to establish new
elements into the game at that time.
These are actions that are defined by a particular scene in the
game. Their duration is variable and based entirely on the
events of that one scene that they are activated in. So they
might start in the ‘chase scene’ but end when the chase scene
ends – however long or short that may be – the scene is over.
They are narrative based, and so any abilities used are
seamlessly roleplayed along with whatever is currently
happening in the fiction. Rolls can be made, but should be kept
brief, and poignant. Let players run away with the in character
first person roleplay here before you pick up the dice. Just
because someone commits a violent action does not mean you
have to jump into Action Rounds. If it can be resolved in 1 or
2 quick dramatic actions, leave in Scene narrative and keep the
intensity high. But if things get messy or complicated, feel free
to jump into Action Rounds.
3
There are several types of Actions that can take place in rounds
that take place in the game each one has its own timeframe,
duration and rules. The players will draw Action cards to
establish initiative and roleplay the fiction in that order. If the
Action turns into full blown combat, go into 1 second Combat
Rounds (see Combat: Rounds section for details), otherwise
the duration of each action is up to the scene fiction.
Storytellers, remember to ask your players how their character
is actually doing their action. Open ended questions and
asking what items they are using can help. Make sure the
scene and the location are well described to them, maybe even
use a simple diagram to show major/obvious item and
character locations. You don’t have to draw a cartography
map, but a few illustrations can save a dozen questions or a
hundred misconceptions.
Players, you must describe the action with enough detail and
narrative so that everyone has a clear mind’s eye picture of
what they are doing. You can’t just say “I pick the lock”. Try to
say something more along the lines of, “I pull out a small
leather wrap, unfold it and pick through a few slender shiny
silver picks before choosing one, then kneeling before the lock.”
And maybe add some dialog in there to bring your characters’
personality to life, “Damn these Edmondson locks! They are
always rusting if not regularly oiled. Hey John, toss me that
lantern oil you have in your sack, I have an idea…” Hell, now
the character can even have a +1 to their roll for cleverly using
an item to help and they made the scene more interesting!
Actions
There are several types of Actions a character can take. Each
is broken down into narrative types to give an impression of
how long or how complex an action is.
 See Action Cards under the Combat chapter
for taking Actions in Combat Rounds.
ONE ATTEMPT
In most situations characters are limited to a single attempt to
complete an action. Make the roll and deal with the consequences. If
the character really wants to make another attempt they will need to
do something that changes the fiction in a way that will allow them to
find a new approach to the problem.
FREE
Free actions are ones that happened either so fast they are as
near instant as does not matter, or they are so simple to
perform they do not interrupt any other action taking place.
This might be shouting commands in combat, hitting a button,
or activating an innate power.
INSTANT
These actions take 1 Action Card to use when in combat, and
typically a few seconds at most when not in combat. When in
combat, they take place when that actin card is called. This
might be something like shooting gun, punching someone, or
activating a discipline power.
REFLEXIVE
These are opposed dice pools roll in reaction to someone or
something else’s action. Maybe someone is trying to cast a
strange power over you, or perhaps they are simply
performing some action that is causing reaction in your
character. Most often the attacker will have skill or ability that
tells you what to roll in response to their action. In that case,
simply roll the dice pool as specified. If not, or if the Storyteller
determines a different set of Attribute and Skill is more
appropriate, then roll that instead.
4
HELD
These are actions that are contingent on another action
happening first. This might be to hold an action to shoot
someone as you aim at a corner, waiting for them to peek
around the corner. Or waiting to hit the button to detonate
the bomb until your friend has run far enough away. An action
that is Held takes place when the stated event occurs, right
before the event is executed. On your Action Card, state what
you are waiting for to happen, and make it fairly specific. Then
play continues while you hold onto your Action Card. If the
round goes by and the expected action never happened, you
can act at the end of the Turn, or, instead of drawing a card
next round, keep the one you have Held and as normal based
on when the Action Card you Held is called.
If you are holding your action until someone is about to punch
you, you use your Held action to strike them first when their
Action Card is called.
EXTENDED
These are also not determined by a single roll as all the others
are. The player rolls their dice pool once for each increment
of time as specified by the Storyteller (which may be in rounds
or hours, or days, or months - so not all Extended actions can
be done in Action Rounds). The player is attempting to gain a
number of successes equal to the target amount specified by
the Storyteller.
This would be used for things like picking a lock. If the lock need
15 successes, and each attempt takes 1 minute – the player rolls
Dexterity + Larceny until they have accrued 15 successes. The
number of times they rolled is the number of minutes it took them
to pick the lock.
Finally, some Extended rolls also have a terminus—a limit
(usually time-based) on how much time the character can put
into the effort before overall success or failure is determined.
An extended roll’s terminus is the number of rolls the
character can make before time is up. Not all Extended rolls
have a terminus, but most will. It may be from danger
oncoming, or it may simply be due to exhaustion.
Extended actions are only used if you want there to be a series of
Complications or Storyteller Actions. If there isn’t a chance for
drama or dangerous complications, then don’t roll the dice at all,
just use the character’s skill dots as a gauge of how long the task
narratively took.
GROUP
When everyone is trying to get a task or result, everyone does
not roll. Instead, the character with the lowest dice pool
makes the roll. So if the group is trying to run away from a
gang, only have the character with the lowest Wits +
Streetwise roll and narrate the results starting from them and
possibly affect or encumber the rest. If characters are split or
can suffer effects of a scene in separate ways or locations then
have them roll separate.

World of Darkness is a Narrative game. This means that the stats on
your character sheet describe a person and their abilities at most all
given activities. As you play the game, narrate out in first person what
you do and talk and discuss and debate with the other characters and
storyteller characters to create an involved and responsive scene –
just like you might see in a movie or a play. When it comes time to
see if chance has a role to play in the outcome of events, it’s possibly
time to roll some dice and let fate take over.
The Dice Pool
Whenever you want your character to do something for which the
outcome isn’t certain, the first thing you do is state narratively to the
ST and the other players what your hero is trying to do, make it sound
dramatic, make it sound atmospheric and interesting. Describe the
character, how they interact with the environment and any other
pertinent details. A roll is then made by taking a number of d10s
equal to the number of dots in the one or two traits the Storyteller
called for which were based on your described action. This will often
be two stats added together, but can also be only one. It might be an
Attribute plus a Skill or two Attributes, or two Skills or any other mix,
or just a single stat; plus any Bonuses or minus any situational or
contest Modifiers then adding them together.
This is called the Dice Pool. Once you’ve added dice to the pool, it no
longer matters where they came from; you don’t need to keep track
of which dice came from what Skill or Attribute, for instance. Roll your
dice, right out there in the open, and leave them on the table for the
time being. It may be helpful to arrange them in groups; 1’s, 8’s and
above, and 2’s through 7’s. A roll of 8, 9 or 10 is a success. Set aside
all of the dice that come up 1 for now; we want to keep track of them.
SUPPORT ROLLS
Sometimes you have a few allies with you, they are not sure how to
help, or are not skilled in the task at hand – but they want to help.
Once you have described what you are doing the Storyteller will
determine if anyone can aid you in your task. Each person the
Storyteller says can aid you narrates out how they are helping then
makes the skill roll for your task. Their successes are added to your
dice pool as bonus dice, so once they are done rolling, you make your
roll, adding in the bonus dice from their help.
Botches
A roll where you get 0 successes - no dice come up 8’s; and you got at
least a single die that came up as a 1, is a Botch. A botch represents
a moment in the fiction where the unexpected happens. This could
be anything from the action not going as planned, or it failing in some
harmful way, or simply to the action succeeding with unforeseen
consequences. The botch is a complication meant to insert drama into
a scene as determined by the Storyteller (see Storyteller Actions
below), the results of a Botched roll may never be simply that the
characters’ action fails and nothing more. A Botch always results in
added strife, even if it’s off screen or the advancement of an enemy
agenda.
Chance Roll
Sometimes it’s not about the odds or about how well your plan was
executed. Sometimes, luck (good and bad) befalls you, and you find what
you were looking for or succeed where there seemed no chance at all.
Should your dice pool be reduced to exactly 0 dice, then the ST can offer
that you succeed at a cost. Name what you are willing to lose, sacrifice,
or suffer and the ST will tell you what you can achieve despite it. This is
not a complication, this is a dramatic moment where the Tides intervene
and your story grows greater for the loss you suffer.
5
Bonus and Negative dice
Bonuses and Negative dice are listed as +1, +3 or -2 and that is the number
of d10s they add or subtract from your pool before you roll. These can
come from useful equipment, other characters aiding your attempt, or
maybe there are problems in the scene that are complicating matters
such as house fires or thick smoke. Scene bonuses should be +1 or +2, and
complications or dangers in a scene should be between -2 and -5.
NARRATIVE BONUSES
At any time, the Storyteller may give a +1 to a players’ dice pool if they
gave a thoughtful and interesting narration of their action, or they pulled
extra meaning or emotion from the scene and added to the drama.
SITUATIONAL AND CONTEST MODIFIERS
Any time your character is going to perform and action, there will
likely be modifiers to reduce their dice pool. These modifiers indicate
the difficultly of what they are doing and what opposes them. There
are two ways a dice pool will typically be reduced: when an NPC
opposes you with their own Skills and Abilities. Or when the narrative
situation or your actions describe complex or difficult actions.
Narrative situation modifiers typically range from -1 to -5.
Examples of situational dice pool modifiers are:
Situation Modifier
Unfavorable (distracting events around you, environmental or
weather obstructions, someone spoke out against you)
-1
Difficult (locating the source of a whisper, creating a memorable piece
of art, walking a tightrope, you don’t have the related Skill Specialty) -2
Challenging (locating the source of a whisper, creating a memorable
piece of art, getting out of a burning house)
-3
Hard (convincing a cop that this isn’t your cocaine, rebuilding a
wrecked engine block, reprogramming a computer)
-4
Nearly Impossible (finding one specific homeless person in Los
Angeles in one night, flawlessly reciting a long text in a language you -5
don’t speak, running blindfolded through forest and not hitting a tree)
Automatic Successes
Any time a power or ability would grant you automatic successes to a roll,
these are treated differently than Bonus dice. Instead you make your
normal dice pool roll as usual and determine the results of that. If that
roll had 1 or more successes and did not Botch, then the Automatic
Success points are added in as additional successes. However, if the roll
itself only generated a single success, then it still is a Success with
Complications. If the roll Botched or Failed, then those Automatic
successes are lost and the roll is treated like a Botch or Fail as appropriate.
Willpower Dice
Willpower may be spent to gain bonus dice to your dice pool as long
as you have at least a dice pool of 1 after any subtractions. Willpower
gains you +2 dice for each point spent. You may spend a point of
Willpower after you roll and can keep spending until you either
succeed as you wish or are out of Willpower.
Don’t Repeat Actions!
All scenes should be interesting and dynamic. A Storyteller is encouraged to
apply penalties to dice pools to a character that keeps doing the same action in
a scene over and over. In combat, try different attacks and moves. In social
scenes, don’t just roll Persuade over and over as you chat up partygoers. Think
of different approaches and ways to go about the scene that expresses different
aspects of your character and opens up new opportunities within the scene. This
goes double for Botched and Failed rolls. Any Botched or Failed roll requires a
character to not use that same action or skill again in that scene (unless some
other change in the scene make sit available again). Your character failed their
action as planned (even if you still hit or got a beneficial result). So whatever you
do next, change it up keep all of your characters abilities and goals in mind.
Extended actions handle multiple same rolls differently, as they represent effort
over time. See Action Rounds: Extended for more.
 DRAMA AND DICE ROLLING
A roll of 8, 9 or 10 is a Success. Set aside all of the dice that come up 1 they are Botch dice; we want to keep track of
them. After you roll the dice, the Storyteller (ST) or another player may roll their dice in response to see who got the
most successes; but most of the time it’s just your roll, then the Storyteller narrating the results. Any time there’s a
meaningful choice to make, you can bring out the dice. Not every situation needs you to “roll the bones,” however.

You don’t always roll dice. So, how do you narrate out the results of a character’s actions in game if the player doesn’t
roll dice? Well sometimes the drama doesn’t come from the success or failure of a character’s single action, but from
the repercussions of their actions. If what the player wants their character to do with this action will certainly lead to
drama or danger – just let them go for it! The ST can narrate out the world’s response according to the scene fiction
and introduce complications or danger as appropriate.

When there is little chance of failure and they have time to do the task the skill dots say they know how to do, you can
simply narrate out the results of the action using their Skill dots as a guide for their Degree of Success. Let characters
shine when they have the time to do so. The Storyteller can narrate out the results or let the player do so and add their
own take to the scene they are playing out. This can even be done in stressful times when the outcome can be built
narratively by the group of players and the Storyteller. In general its best to let the Storyteller narrate the results, and
the player narrate out the attempted actions.

WHEN TO ROLL THE DICE WHEN TO NOT ROLL DICE

 You want to try something that’s bold, challenging, or dangerous
and the challenge is enough to cause concern for drama in failure.
 You want to oppose, challenge, or thwart another player character.
 The fiction dictates that your actions will likely result in interesting
drama.
 The outcome isn’t an interesting part of the story.
 There’s no risk, challenge, or threat involved.
 If the Storyteller says you can succeed based on the merit of your
narration alone. In which case you auto succeed at the narrative
description based on the dots you have in that skill or attribute.

Roll Results
5+ AMAZING SUCCESS!
At 5 or more successes the character succeeded so well they not only should narrate how
they did amazingly, the Storyteller or Player can narrate something additional – and
always beneficial and more interesting - this is not an automatic win.

2–4 SUCCESS
2 to 4 successes means the character succeeded as they intended to, and the story should
quickly move on. The only drama here is from what happens next.

1 SUCCESS WITH COMPLICATIONS

1 success. The Storyteller will narrate that the character still succeeded, but with an
interesting complication from Soft Storyteller Actions below.
Remember that the character succeeded at their intended action, the Storyteller must
acknowledge that despite added drama. The Storyteller should not bury the characters in
complications – keep the scene moving!

0 FAILURE
0 successes and no 1’s. This means the character failed to do what they were attempting.
The character must change their approach, and may not repeat this action again unless
they do something new in the fiction to allow them to try again.

1’s BOTCH
More 1’s than successes. The character may have succeed at their efforts or not, either
way their actions are bent or altered by the Storyteller to create a dramatic narrative to
the scene. Botched rolls are usually a Hard Storyteller Action – be prepared for the worst!

6
 STORYTELLER ACTIONS
These can be “soft” actions or “hard” actions. This terminology refers to the immediacy and severity of the effect on the characters. However,
this is a continuum, not a binary. In general, you should introduce a situation with soft actions, and then apply gradually harder actions as
the situation builds towards a climax. In the least; move the narrative forward and keep pacing and progress going. Letting them succeed
while making the world confronting them more dangerous and complicated is far better than them simply failing roll and having to try again.

 A Soft action has a mild effect, affect something minor, or sets up future danger and consequences.
 While a Hard action applies that danger directly and immediately and makes it hit big or take away something significant.

The Storyteller makes one of these narrative actions when:

 The story or situation dictates added complications would be interesting
 They have no idea what to do and need dramatic direction
 A player gets a Success with Complications or Botched roll result

REINFORCE THE THEME OFFER A HOOK TURN THINGS BACK ON THEM

Take a moment and narrate out the visuals and setting
and how they are affecting the characters based on a
specific theme of your game, and apply emotional
feelings or sensations on them. If it’s a horror, make it
thunder and rain suddenly. If it’s a mystery, have a mist
roll in and obscure things. If it’s a romance, describe
powerful emotions. If it’s the apocalypse, reveal the
hopelessness.
ADVANCE A PLOT
When the events seem to be leading towards the
actions of an antagonist or a plot event, it may be a
good time to say that this players’ roll represents the
advancement of a plot point. If the characters would
be aware of the event, describe what they know;
otherwise, just let them know something happened
offstage.
ACTIVATE ENEMIES
When the situation warrants, make a move belonging
to a relevant antagonist in that scene. This is not to
advance a plot. This is to give immediate action and
agency to an NPC that will cause direct impact on the
scene. This is not to deal damage, that’s a different
action; this is to do drama: take an item, kidnap a
person, or activate a bomb; something to dramatically
escalate the scene.
Think about the strengths and proclivities of the
individual party members, and choose one as the basis.
Then give them a new clue or hook where there was not
one before – that puts them in even greater danger
should they go for it. Its benefit must be real and useful,
make the bait worth the pain!
REVEAL AN UNWELCOME TRUTH
To their dismay, something is not as it seemed. The gold
is iron pyrite; that wound becomes infected; the prisoner
is someone else in disguise.
ENDANGER THEM
When the time is right—or when it’s all wrong—confront
them with a threat that they are not able to handle: and
let them know: “It’s time to run!”
Choose it based on established information, enemies or
plot threads. This may make for a good chase/escape
scene…
PUT SOMEONE IN A TIGHT SPOT
Yes, they can do that thing, but there’ll be a price to pay.
Tell them what it is, and let them decide whether it’s
worth it. Force them to make a tough choice by putting
someone or something they care about in a dangerous or
difficult position.
Counter their action with a narrative action made in
kind. They ambush the leader, but an NPC companion
is captured; they steal an item, but later the party
discovers their base has been ransacked.
USE UP THEIR RESOURCES
They need their stuff to survive, and their stuff is
limited. You might break an unreliable piece of gear,
drop/lose a helpful or plot related item, decide that
rations have spoiled, or batteries or ammo is out.
COMPLICATE MATTERS
Present a new obstacle or complication for outside that
scene or area; that they must deal with now or in the
near future. Choose it based on established
information, enemies or plot threads.
DEAL DAMAGE
Someone suffers a physical blow, or mental stress.
Notice how this is last in the list? This is the least
interesting option, so try some of the others first. But
if the characters are in a knife fight, well… someone’s
gonna’ get stabbed.

7
 Social Confrontation
Social Confrontation is the ultimate reminder that battles
are not only won by bullets or blades. They are more often
won (and lost) by minds and hearts, and if you can shatter
their morale then your victory is no less assured than if
you had broken their bodies. The Social Confrontation
system also extends itself throughout the complex, multi-
layered society of the World of Darkness. You’ll find it in
corporate boardrooms, on street corners, at high-stake
hostage negotiations, and in romantic first dates.
Advertising and propaganda seek to shape the mind, the
threat of punishment influences the behaviors of many
would-be criminals, while spies and confidence tricksters
use the greed and preconceptions of others to achieve
their goals. It is, at heart, the relationships between
people. More so than any other action scene, therefore,
you’ll find the principles of Social Confrontation
permeating every aspect of your game.
A lot of every day interactions don’t require the full might
and majesty of the Social Confrontation rules. This is
particularly true of simple, face-to-face conversations.
Just as you wouldn’t hack a government server to search
for some piece of trivia on cats, you wouldn’t use the
Social Confrontation rules when asking someone if the
seat next to them is taken. Some complexity and
structure can be introduced to these interactions by
requiring a character to inflict a Compel to achieve a
desired result, but a single Persuasion or Subterfuge roll
will often suffice for determining whether or not a
character can convince or coerce a particular target. (And,
similarly, an Empathy roll can quickly determine if
someone is withholding information, or secretly in love
with their commanding officer.)
Just as with martial combat, the lives of many can be
decided with words as powerful as any sword or spell.
Below is listed the basic rules for social confrontation;
Compels, Attacks and Commands. This is a characters’
ability to manipulate, intimidate or cajole someone into
doing as they wish. These are not a set of superpowers,
nor are they a guarantee of an action being carried out
unerringly. However it will grant you control over your
foes if used wisely. These rules are to can be used when
players either chose not to roleplay out the social scene
for whatever reason, or there is a meaningful possibility
that despite what the player says/acts on behalf of their
character, they may still fall under sway or manipulate
someone else. When in doubt, roleplay it out and then
decide if rolls are needed from there. Not all players
know exactly what their character might say, and not all
people are as suave or gullible as their character.
Characters in World of Darkness are complicated and
nuanced people who have seen some crazy shit in their
lives. So it’s not going to be just as simple as saying a few
pretty words or snarling to get your way. Characters can
attempt at any time to try and influence someone in
whatever way they narratively see fit.
8
The means by which this change can be affected are as
limitless as the possibilities of human interaction. If an
Federal Agent needs someone to believe something to be
true (or at least act as if it were), for example, then it’s
their choice whether to employ direct methods like
persuasion, deception, and torture, or indirect methods
like spreading rumors, issuing official propaganda, or
planting false information on their social streams.
Doing this requires:
 Gaining knowledge of your target, their connection,
allies, assets, and desires
 Gaining either direct or indirect access to your target
via Social Zones
 Making Social actions in order to create Compels,
Attack their resolve, or Command their actions
There are many ways to play the game of intrigue and
manipulation in World of Darkness. Be it direct, from the
shadows, or affecting their connections – you can impact
the lives of those you set your sights on. What follows is a
basic list of typical ways someone might go about trying to
use the Social Confrontation rules. They are by no means
exhaustive, they are simply to remind players of the myriad
of ways the world manipulates your characters.
Persuasion
Persuasion ultimately lays at the center of most social
interactions. It can be achieved through personal magnetism
and charisma, by use of compelling arguments or rhetorical
techniques, or by exploiting emotional connections, but it all
comes down to one person trying to convince another to
take an action that they might not ordinarily take. Context is
vital to persuasion. Everyone can be persuaded if the time,
place, and lies they have been fed all add up to them.
Deception
A lot of social conflict can be overcome through the careful
use of deception. Deception itself isn’t a method of
confronting a target directly; rather, it serves as a means of
shaping the conflict in the deceiver’s favor. No deception, no
matter how skilled the deceiver, can completely change a
person’s beliefs, or make them believe something that runs
completely counter to their perceptions and expectations.
Deception isn’t that overtly powerful. Deceiving someone
works most effectively when the deception plays into that
person’s existing beliefs, or does not challenge their
perception of the world around them—the lie appears
reasonable in context. Skilled deceivers capitalize on this,
often by keeping their lies close to the truth, or by studying
the target to learn what lies are more likely to go
unchallenged. Deception is a form of social manipulation. A
good lie opens doors, but the lie alone cannot achieve the
liar’s goals. Instead, the lie serves as a foundation upon
which other techniques can be used. Lies can be
problematic, however. A failed attempt can jeopardize
future attempts to lie; or even future attempts to act in good
faith. Once trust is broken, it can be hard to rebuild.
Negotiation
A useful way to make persuasion work is to offer something
else in return. Negotiation is, in this case, the process of
determining what people want in exchange for some favor,
service, decision, or action. Some targets may be reluctant
to reveal the price of their compliance, but everyone has a
price. Determining this may require investigating the target
to uncover their secrets. Or it may be the result of back-
and-forth conversation—which can potentially be a long
and arduous process in its own right, with a series of offers
and counter-offers. The price does not necessarily need to
be large—it could be something small and personal, but
very specific; or it could be assistance in the fulfilment of a
dream or desire; or even the promise of affection and
intimacy (i.e., a seduction). Any price, of course, can be a
false promise based on deception.
Intimidation
Effective in combat and other high-tension situations,
intimidation is simple, straightforward, and decisive, but it
is also quite likely to backfire against determined,
disciplined, or confident foes. Threatening someone with a
weapon is an easy option. This might be holding a foe at
knifepoint or gunpoint, or it might be a warning shot or
suppressive fire. Alternatively, intimidation may include
the threat of losing something (or someone) important, or
the threat of revealing some incriminating or embarrassing
facts as blackmail or extortion. (This, of course, requires
that the intimidator actually possess such proof… or is
capable of convincing their target that they do.)
Rumor
Spreading rumors can be effective by either damaging the
reputation of a target or by manipulating their perception
of a situation (and, thus, the actions they take in response
to that information). This means you need to know where
the target sources their information from, and how to
seed those sources with rumors. This can also be planting
evidence or altering facts and files with false accusations.
Seduction
Seduction is the art of turning someone’s desires to act in
harmony with your own hungry wants. It is the promise
of intimacy, the creation of carnal desire, or the offer to
fulfil the same. Most often associated with gaining a
reciprocal level of sexual activity or aroused interaction
where their affections can be shown off or indulged.
Sedition
Sedition is the actions that encourage those who follow
or are employed by someone to rebel, act out, or rage
against their leader. It can be done in many ways, and is
often overt - such as speeches and organization of rallies.
Sedition often includes subversion of established rules or
laws, and incitement of discontent toward, or
insurrection against, established systems of conduct.
9
First, choose which Social action you will take:
Compel, Attack, or Command.
As with all dice pools, most often an Attribute is paired
with a Skill minus the target’s relevant Attribute or Skill;
plus any other situation modifiers which are appropriate.
This defines the tactic the person is approaching the
scene and the way the scene will play out. (See Compels,
Attacks, or Commands for the results of the roll.)
Thus a person using Manipulation + Persuasion is using
idle threats, blackmail, or suggestion to give their subject
fear of not doing what they ask. If a person is using
Charisma + Persuade with a specialty of Intimidation they
might be smashing tables, shouting or giving their target
the “evil eye.”
The target’s relevant Attribute or Skill subtracted from
the attackers’ dice pool is based on their reasoning or own
social skills. This may be their Resolve to hold their cool,
their Intelligence to figure out what is really going on, or
possibly even their Empathy to realize the subtleties in
your turn of phrase or inflection.
Resolving Social Confrontation
When a roll is declared and made, the results effects are as real
as a wound from a sword strike. You can no more say
“I disagree” then you can say “your sword missed me”.
Remember, this is an attempt to summarize the effectiveness
of your character’s abilities to either express something or
manipulate someone or to resist such effects. While you might
be able to see through the manipulations, your character may
not. So if the attacker wins the roll, the Compel tells them how
much control they have over the defender and everyone should
move along with the scene likewise.
Unlike a wound, this can lead to characters committing actions
they never intended by their player. While this is a real threat
that is meant to be portrayed here, it’s not meant to ruin
anyone’s fun. This requires team-work on the compelled
character’s part and the ST’s part. The compelled character
should play up the scene as determined by the Compel as best
they can. Even if it means going against their own desires. The
player should be honest with the challenge set before them and
make it feel like they were really cowed or convinced or
whatever the Compel was.
This is not to say that this social confrontation is like a mind
control device. It will not force a person to do whatever you
tell them. But it will change a characters’ goals or reasoning in
many situations. You are still free to play your character as you
see fit, only now the attacker’s words are your truths or your
fears. Keep in mind, that just like with a sword, the results of a
social confrontation are not predictable. And just because you
won may not indicate you completely get your way, or that
things go according to plan perfectly. As with all things social
confrontation is best when used in appropriate situations.
Social Situational Modifiers
Situational Modifiers can reduce your dice pool based on
the target’s current state or relationship towards you or
your goals. It’s easier to convince people to do some things
than it is others. (For example, convincing someone to loan
you some money is probably easier than convincing them
to kill someone for you.) The difficulty can also vary
depending on the individual. The unwillingness of a
particular target to do a particular thing is measured by
their Situational Modifier based on the fiction. Most of the
time, the social situation will be Unfavorable. Some
situations in which it might be harder to affect a target are
as follows, but by no means an exhaustive list.
Flipping any of these by roleplaying and making them on
your side, or beneficial to you, or secrets known to you, can
make these modifiers into bonuses.
ACCESSIBILITY
Social zones modelling private or secure groups, events,
and locations (i.e., social zones which do not belong to a
specific character).
ANTAGONISTIC
Characters who enter, pass through, or start their turn in
an antagonistic social zone must make a social skill roll.
Failure on the test means that the character suffers some
form of consequence. Antagonistic social zone effects
represent the abstract, general activity taking place which
are counter to your character or your goals.
INSULAR
Some individuals and communities are secretive and
resistant to interacting or cooperating with outsiders.
(Examples can include sectarian organizations,
intelligence agencies, and parochial settlements.)
LOYALTY/ENMITY
A social zone’s Loyalty or Enmity, if any, is directed at the
target or group important to the target. If a Social
Confrontation attack would harm, hinder, or otherwise be
against the wishes of the person or organization that a
zone has Loyalty to, the Situational Modifier will apply.
STRANGER
Anytime the target you are going after isn’t known to you,
or you know little to nothing about their Vice, Virtue,
Concept, or Script Lines. It’s really hard to convince
someone or manipulate them if you don’t know anything
about them.
ALLIES
If a fellow of yours is being compelled, you can join in
their social defense, roleplay how you do so. This treats
their Resolve as +1 higher for this one defense.
However, if the roll still succeeds, you too suffer the same
Compel, Attack, or Command, if applicable. Multiple
defenders do not increase this bonus.
10
You are able to compel this person and the narrative fiction
via your knowledge of what motivates them or influences
their desires. State what emotion or state of mind you are
trying to compel the character to have in a short phrase (i.e.
‘trusting’, or ‘aroused’, or ‘panicked’, or ‘supportive’, or
‘dreamy’). This is not a specific command to action or getting
them to say something specific. This is simply to compel them
to behave or look at things how you want to them to. The
Storyteller will help you determine your dice pool based on
your approach and which aspect of the character you are
using to compel them. The number of successes on the roll
determines the strength of the Compel.
(i.e. You got 2 successes to make someone ‘Fearful of guns’,
then they now have a Compel - Fearful of guns 2).
Anytime the character acts in a way that this Compel could
apply, the number is subtracted from their dice pools if it
conflicts or limits their action. Or it adds to their dice pool if
they go along with the Compel and let it guide their actions.
Removing Compels
A Compel goes away once the character has acted in
accordance with the Compel and the scene is over.
During that scene, the fiction may allow for the
Compelled character to spend 1 point of Willpower to
make 1 action disregarding the Compel (or in some cases
to remove the Compel altogether). This typically takes
something to jar them to their senses or jog their memory
or to dangerously challenge their actions. Something that
gives the player a reason to regain control over their
character by force of will alone.
Sometimes you just want to break someone. You don’t
care much what they do after you are through with them –
and hopefully they will be too addled to think straight or
oppose you. Roleplay out the exchange, likely involving
shouts, or threats, or blackmailed evidence given by
grandstanding before an audience. Or possibly even a
series of Social Confrontations you set up from the
shadows to slowly wear the target down or make them
paranoid and afraid. Then roll dice based on your approach.
If you gain 1 to 2 successes, they lose 1 point of Willpower.
3 to 4 successes and they lose 2 points of Willpower. And
5+ successes and they lose 3 points of Willpower. If the
target is reduced to 0 Willpower, then they suffer a
Meltdown. The target then choses to suffer one of the
following which is narratively influenced by their Vice:
 Blather your Defense, saying anything that comes to mind;
give everyone there an additional Compel over you.
 Break down Emotionally, and reveal your fears or
weakness; commit a regrettable action based on your Vice.
 You get Taken Out; it may be violent, it may simply be to
faint or something else, the Storyteller will tell you how.
When trying to get another character to do what you wish to do in fairly direct terms, roleplay the exchange then roll
dice based on the relevant approach you are using to get them to do you bidding. This is most often to get someone to
perform a specific action for you, but can also be to give up information or change sides. A perfectly reasonable request
that a friendly target can easily carry out will have only you roll and the results are what they are. If the target has
reasons to be unwilling to comply, or dislikes the character, or the request is something dangerous, against the target’s
morals or ethics, or liable to come with personal consequences, then additional dice penalties may be applied.

This can be for more than an in-the-moment command or persuasion. It could be also to convince a character to take
care of or address some problem meaningful to the plot off-screen. Acting in that case as an extension of your own
character and your desires or abilities.

When a Player Character is the Target

If you succeed at your Command roll: if the PC target goes against what you wanted them to do, those successes are
subtracted from their rolls. If they go along with your demands, then they gain those dice as a bonus to their rolls. This
lasts until your demands are fulfilled or the scene ends – whichever makes more sense for the fiction. If the player
whose character is being imposed upon goes along with the other player’s character’s demands, they gain +1XP for
going along with the demands, especially if they were in some way detrimental or burdensome to the character.

When an NPC is the Target

In the case of most NPCs the storyteller can use the following chart to assume how the NPC might act out you winning
a social roll over the NPC. If your character has been commanded by someone else, you can use this as a guide for how
you might succumb to the demands of another.

1 or 2 Successes
Lie/Persuade: You convinced the target, but they still have doubts. They will obey your words, but they
might be easily convinced otherwise or if they come into hardship due to your words they may simply
abandon your request or betray you.

Intimidate/Interrogate: They are shaken by your words or actions. You might get a bit more information
out of them, or they might be at a -1 to fight you.

3 or 4 Successes
Lie/Persuade: The target mostly agrees with on all the major points and maybe a few of the finer details
as well. They will go through a fair amount to complete the task you set before them, and they might
even try to convince others to do the same. However they still retain the inkling of doubt from their
original beliefs and will likely revert back to that if confronted with moral or physical threats.

Intimidate/Interrogate: The target is afraid of you and will obey or avoid you as best they can. They won’t
even try to attack you unless bodily threatened and even then they might be hesitant. They might be at
-2 dice to all actions around you.

5+ Successes
Lie/Persuade: The target whole heartedly believes you. In fact they likely are willing to convince others
to join your cause and will fight for your beliefs as their own. They would have to suffer quite a lot or be
confronted with overwhelming evidence to go against your will.

Intimidate/Interrogate: You have broken them, their will is utterly destroyed and they fear you as god
himself. They will act irrationally to flee or supplicate to you. They might be at -3 to all their action around
you.

Complications
Lie/Persuade: The attempt may indicate that the target is willing to do what they’re being asked… for a
price. Or that they do what you ask now, but stab you in the back or sell you out later on. Or the target’s
attitude towards the deceiver being permanently turned to the worse.

Intimidate/Interrogate: They may take you where you want to go but lead you into a trap, or give you
the information that is laced with just the right lies to get you into trouble.

11

Social interaction does not stop when each party leaves
the room. You don’t need to be face to face to influence
or manipulate someone. With Social Confrontations, the
same concept of range zones are used to model the
target’s interaction with the world. Each social zone
represents either a social actor or the means by which
social actors connect with each other. These can include
(but are not necessarily limited to):
 Personal
 Connections
 Groups
 Locations
 Events
These social zones are connected by social links— the
emotional, professional, practical, familial, or
coincidental ties which bind people together. The exact
nature of each link isn’t specifically important (and, in
fact, most people are bound together by a complicated
weave of interests and mutual experience); what’s
important is that those links can be navigated and
manipulated in order to access and influence people.
During a Social Confrontation, you can roll Investigation
to “see” any of the social zones they’re aware of in the
social network. (i.e. You can become aware that so-and-
so is talking to such-and-such, or that Laura is the person
spreading rumors about you, but you can’t see Sebastian
loading his gun in the privacy of his own room.)
Social Zone Types
As noted above, there are four broad types of social zones.
PERSONAL
When you want to influence someone’s thoughts or actions
– you need to know what makes them tick. This comes from
learning about their Script Lines, Virtue, Vice, or their
Concept. But you don’t get to know these out of hand. You
must roleplay with your target in person, such that you learn
what motivates them. State which aspect of the character
you wish to discover, and then begin roleplaying with your
target. Should you make some intuitive Empathy rolls or the
like, you will learn what one of those defining aspects is (i.e.
they have a Vice of Greed) and the relevant narrative details
around it (i.e. they are sate their greed on trying to acquire
all local business in a given area or market). Only then can
you use these Personal aspects of Virtue, Vice, Scripts, and
Concept to influence the target.
CONNECTIONS
These are direct links to people. It may be employees,
family, friends, lovers, etc. What Connections represent
are people who have rapport with the target and already
can influence them greatly with their actions, words, or
emotions. Connections also gives you a glimpse into the
type of person the target is. Who they surround
themselves with, and who they care about tells you a lot
about how to engage and manipulate them.
12
GROUPS
They can include formal organizations (including
corporations, clubs, political movements, unions, NGOs,
educational institutions, and the like) and informal
communities (including cultural groups, social circles, and
casual online groups). While Connections to people make
up Groups, what Groups really represent is the overall
effect that Group and its goals, ideals, and assets as
related to the target. No one person in the group is
important. Only the Group’s actions as a whole.
LOCATIONS
These are places of importance to the target. Locations
of work, living, social play, and so on. The people or the
group who use these places are not important. The
Location’s function, usefulness, and assets the target has
access to - is what matters here.
EVENTS
Events create opportunities between everyone who
attends them. Some events are recurring (on either a
regular or irregular schedule), but others may be one-
time-only affairs. Events usually force specific timing on
those using them. The Connections, Groups, and Location
of the event is not important. The theme and activity of
the event and how effective its draw is - letting them
directly interact or be accessed is what matters here.
Zone Ranges
Social Zones range is not based on physical relation of you
to the target. It is instead the amount of Zone Types you
have available to you. Moving into a social zone often
means framing a new scene: How are the characters
approaching that person, organization, location, or event?
CLOSE
You are considered to be Close to your target, and able to
affect the target directly if you have 3 or more of the Zone
Types together in one scene. You gain a +2 to all Social
Confrontation rolls at Close range. However, any
attempts for the target to detect you manipulating them
gain a +1 since you are a part of so many elements of their
social network (i.e. if you have Personal Vice
opportunities the target indulges in at an Event the target
enjoys going to which is at a Location the target finds
useful in their life).
NEAR
You are considered to be Near to your target and able to
influence their life, but not they themselves. If you have 2
Zone Types together in one scene. You gain a +1 to all
Social Confrontation rolls at Near range. However, your
target can choose to investigate the rumors or influences
you have had on their social network since your actions
are coming up in multiple zones. (i.e. you are working with
one of the target’s Groups at a Location the Target gains
benefit from)
FAR
You are considered to be Far to your target and able to
influence if you have only 1 Zone Type in the scene. There
are no bonuses for being Far range other than having the
opportunity affect your target from such a degree of
separation. However, the benefit of being at a Far social
zone is that unless you roll a Complication, the target has
little chance to know it was you doing anything and can’t
make a roll unless the fiction points them at your
interaction. (i.e. you are talking to a Connection
important to the target.)
Social Stealth
At the beginning of a Social Confrontation, a character
may make a Stealth roll and enter a hidden state (i.e.,
their target doesn’t know they’re poking around yet).
Social Confrontation does not differ from combat when it
comes to stealth because many Social Confrontation
actions are inherently “noisy” actions that may
automatically result in detection (you can spread rumors
about someone but who you talked to may tell your
target it was you they got the rumor from).
13
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
A character or organization can attempt to detect other
characters targeting them (or others) for a Social
Confrontation using the normal rules for actively
detecting stealthy characters. When trying to figure out
how suspicious a particular group is (i.e., whether they’re
performing counterintelligence activities) or how
pervasive their surveillance is (i.e., how often they’re
making counterintelligence checks) the Players or
Storyteller can roll Intrigue to scrutinize their social
network for anomalies or influencers.
AVOIDING SUSPICION
When attempting a hidden or masked Social
Confrontation, a player can have their character roll a
Subterfuge social action to add a false lead or
complication for anyone trying to detect their activities in
their social network. Their successes create a Situational
Modifier against the target’s attempts to detect them.
This lasts for one scene or one action, whichever makes
more sense in the fiction.
 Tactical Plotting
Too many times have games gone into the most tedious and
boring of events – planning the ‘big hit’. Maybe you are
thieves trying to plan a heist, or maybe you are thugs
planning a hit on a rival gang. Or maybe you are government
agents who are planning complicated espionage in enemy
territory. Or maybe you are trying to make a deal at a
complicated social event. Sure the idea is that your crew
spends time planning each score. They huddle around a
flickering lantern in their hideout, looking at scrawled maps,
whispering plots and schemes, bickering about the best
approach, lamenting the dangers ahead, and lusting after
wealth and glory. But the reality is that players spend several
tedious hours arguing and debating ideas with other players
to try and plan for, and counter, every possibility the plot and
Storyteller can throw at them.
So let’s not do that.
Instead you, the players, don’t have to do the nitty-gritty
planning. The characters take care of that, off-screen. All you
have to do is choose what type of plan the characters have
already made. There’s no need to sweat all the little details
and try to cover every eventuality ahead of time, because the
Approach rolls ultimately determine how much trouble
you’re in when the plan is put in motion. And the Flashbacks
show character competency and forethought. No plan is
ever perfect. You can’t account for everything. This system
assumes that there’s always some unknown factors and
trouble—major or minor—in every operation; you just have
to make the best of it.
There are six different Engagement Plans, each with a
Missing Detail you need to provide. Simply choose the plan
and supply the missing detail and make the roll. The
engagement roll assumes that the characters are
approaching the target as intelligently as they can, given the
plan and detail they provided, so we don’t need to play out
tentative probing maneuvers, special precautions, or other
ponderous non-action. The engagement roll covers all of
that. The characters are already in action, facing the first
obstacle - up on the rooftop, picking the lock on the window;
kicking down the door of the gang lair; maneuvering to speak
with a lord at the masquerade party; etc.
Plan Detail Engagement Stat
ASSAULT Do violence to a target. Strength
Detail: The point of attack.
DECEPTION Lure, trick, or manipulate. Manipulation
Detail: The method of deception.
STEALTH Trespass unseen. Dexterity
Detail: The point of infiltration.
OCCULT Engage a supernatural power. Intelligence
Detail: The arcane method.
SOCIAL Negotiate, bargain, or persuade. Charisma
Detail: The social connection.
TRANSPORT Carry items through danger. Perception
Detail: The route & means
14
The Detail
When you choose a plan, you provide a missing detail, like
the point of attack, social connection, etc. If you don’t
know the detail, you can fist run a scene to roleplay
gathering information in some way to discover it.
Approach Roll
Once the players choose a plan and provide its Detail, the
storyteller cuts to the action— describing the scene as the
crew starts the operation and encounters their first
obstacle. This is established by the storyteller narrating
out the results of the Approach Roll.
Storytellers: Don’t make the approach roll and then
describe the characters “approaching the target”. It’s the
approach that the roll resolves. Cut to the action that results
because of that initial approach—to the first serious
obstacle in their path from the Plan Progression below.
BONUSES AND NEGATIVES
Sometimes there will be narrative plots that led to this
plan, or maybe it is the culmination of other plans coming
to fruition. You can roleplay out scenes to gain these
bonuses or incorporate some of the negatives based on
prior events and plots.
+ Is this operation particularly bold or daring? Add an additional
1 die.
- Is this operation overly complex or contingent on many
factors? Subtract 1 die.
+ Does the plan’s detail expose a vulnerability of the target or hit
them where they’re weakest? Add an additional 1 die.
- Is the target strongest against this approach, or do they have
particular defenses or special preparations? Subtract 1 die.
+ Can any of your allies or contacts or equipment provide special
aid or insight for this operation? Add an additional 1 die.
- Are any enemies or rivals interfering in the operation? Subtract
1 die.
ROLL RESULTS
Each player makes an individual Approach Roll to see how
their character is starting off in the plan.
Willpower may not be used here.
 The dice pool is the Engagement Stat + Wits.
Successes Results
5+ Exceptional result. You’ve already overcome the first
obstacle and you’re in a controlled position for what’s
next.
2-4 Good result. You’re in a controlled position when the
action starts.
1 Mixed result. You’re in a risky position when the action
starts.
Botch Oh Shit result. You’re in a desperate position when the
action starts.
After the approach roll to see how things got started, the
storyteller will provide several additional scenes to fully
narrate out the plan through completion. The storyteller can
break out the plan into however many action and drama
points they desire, but in general there should at least be at
least one each of the following drama scenes to play out and
one or more characters should be posed with roleplaying a
single action to resolve these short vignettes that will add up
to completing the plan – maybe they are together, maybe
they are separate; based on the player’s narratives of their
character locations.

And don’t forget to use Flashbacks to keep the action going!

This takes some getting used to. Players, you may balk at
first, worried that you’re skipping over important things
that you want to do. But jumping straight into the action
of the plan is much more effective once you get used to
it. When you see the situation you’re in, you’re “planning”
via flashbacks; will be focused and useful, rather than
merely speculations on circumstances and events that
might not even happen.

DEALING WITH INTERNAL DANGERS: This could be guards,

security systems, traps, labyrinthine layouts, and more.

GETTING THE GOODS: This could be hacking a computer,

stealing a crown jewel, or rescuing the kidnapped victim or
whatever else the plan calls for them taking from the
antagonists.

TAKING DOWN THE HEAD OF THE SERPENT: This could be

them assassinating a key antagonist, or it could be neutralizing
a threat from the current plot greater story arc.

GETTING OUT: This is a chance for chase scenes, explosions in

the background, or harrowing combat through armed ranks
and file minions of the antagonist.

For Social Engagements you might try something like:

MAKING AN ENTRANCE: This can be getting legitimate access
to an exclusive club or party. Or it could be entering with a
needed amount of reputation or status. This likely deals with
all those people who would either see you excluded or arrive
as a nobody …or worse.

WORKING THE CROWD: This is dealing with all of the side

actors to the social event, trying to get them on your side or
get information or gossip out of them.

MAKING THE DEAL: This is the major confrontation and goal

of the night. It might be to get someone powerful to do your
bidding, or to gain a powerful ally, or to elevate your standing
across an organization. This could also be to bring down a
social rival or to ruin their reputation.

LEAVE ON YOUR TERMS: Get out while you are still loved. Or
at least before anyone is angry enough to start a fight. This is
for not only leaving the situation, but also for tying up loose
ends, or ensuring there won’t be any retaliation (not too soon
anyway).

15
 Flashbacks
Sometimes some additional drama or added element is
needed in a scene and we just don’t want to have to plan
for everything before entering into a new scene, that’s
tedious. A player might think the narrative would be
benefited by an NPC who was not established to be in the
scene, arriving just in the nick of time. Or perhaps when
the gun got kicked out of their hand and they were
punched to the ground, there just so happened to be the
knife they hid under the table edge earlier that night -
now within grasp for them to turn and surprise stab their
attacker with. If the players want to include a
remembered secret, or special preparation, or clever
setup, or added helpful item that would aid them in a part
of the scene they are currently in, they can do so with
Flashbacks. There is no limit to how far back the Flashback
can go in time. If your character is over 800 years old,
then the Flashback can be from 800 years ago! The player
pays the Flashback Cost and narrates out in a cutaway
flashback vignette how the item or person, etc - got there.
Once any scene is started, especially for Tactical Plotting
scenes, you can invoke a Flashback to add info, an item,
or person to a scene from the past that impacts your
current situation. When the Storyteller describes the
current scene, they will give details on how might the
strange, occult, or horror, social tension and so on;
present a stressful position for characters. The Storyteller
sets a Stress rating of the scene based on how unlikely
the past events are related to, or you were able to
prepare for this current scene. Stress determines how
many points of Temporary Willpower must be spent to
activate a Flashback. This spent willpower does not grant
the normal bonus dice gained from spending a point of
Willpower. Once the Stress is paid, the item or narrative
addition is in place and works as the player needs it to.
It’s as simple as that.
In some cases, the Storyteller may call for you and other
characters to narratively describe or roleplay out the
Flashback scene. Any rolls or drama in the flashback cannot
cause the Flashback scene to fail to render its benefit, even
if there’s some danger or trouble involved; we are doing
this because we just need to find out how things went.
Storyteller: Use this opportunity to show how the
characters are dangerous and capable. Don’t
resolve a Flashback as useless to the characters,
or they won’t trust the technique in the future.
They paid the willpower, so let them use it!
16
Limits of Flashbacks
A flashback isn’t time travel. It can’t “undo” something
that just occurred in the present moment. For instance, if
Inspector Helker confronts you about recent thefts of
occult artifacts when you’re at Lady Bowmore’s party, you
can’t call for a flashback to assassinate the Inspector the
night before. He’s here now, questioning you—that’s
established in the fiction. You can call for a flashback to
show that you intentionally tipped off the inspector so
she would confront you at the party—so you could use
that opportunity to impress Lady Bowmore with your
aplomb and daring.
And of course, if any flashback item or narrative
addition or person you are trying to add simply makes
no sense to the Storyteller, they can always decline
the flashback as being just too unlikely or impossible.
Flashback Examples
1 Stress: AN ORDINARY ACTION FOR WHICH YOU HAD EASY
OPPORTUNITY OR SOMEWHAT USEFUL ITEM.
She consorted with her friend to agree to arrive
at the dice game ahead of time, to suddenly
spring out as a surprise ally.
If this needs to have a value assigned to it, then it
offers 1 automatic success to relevant rolls.
2 Stress: A COMPLEX ACTION OR UNLIKELY
OPPORTUNITY OR BASIC USEFUL ITEM
Earlier he stashed his pistols into a hiding spot
near the card table so he could retrieve them
after the pat-down at the front door.
If this needs to have a value assigned to it, then it
offers 2 automatic successes to relevant rolls.
3 Stress: AN ELABORATE ACTION INVOLVING SPECIAL
OPPORTUNITIES OR CONTINGENCIES OR AN
ITEM THAT IS EXACLTY WHAT YOU NEED/RARE
She has already studied the history of the property
and learned of a ghost that is known to haunt its
ancient canal dock—a ghost that can be compelled
to reveal the location of the hidden vault.
If this needs to have a value assigned to it, then it
offers 3 automatic successes to relevant rolls.
 Combat
Combat should not always be broken out into rounds. If
it’s a quick scuffle or three guys jumping you by surprise
in a dark ally, you may not ‘go into rounds’. Sometimes
you should just narrate out how you ‘shrug one guy off
into a dumpster, head butt the other guy, and kick the last
guy in the junk.’ And maybe you make a few rolls to
determine how that goes or if there are complications.

A Storyteller always has the prerogative to narrate out an

effect if it makes logical sense for it to have occurred.
Maybe, after failed perception rolls or the like you were
caught unaware and someone shot you in the back of the
head. No roll is used for this. You are shot. In the head.
You die. Or maybe you’re an undead vampire and this just
pisses you off as you spend Vitae to heal and then tear
this thug a new one. Either way, this is still a part of the
Narrative play that World of Darkness represents. Work
with the Storyteller to narrate out an interesting and
passionate combat scene, back and forth as you build on
what each other said. A good storyteller will make it
dangerous but ultimately, winnable. A good player will
make it interesting and ultimately, memorable.

Be prepared to get hurt!

There is always more than one way to end a fight. If things

are not going your way, or you are getting bloody and
backed against the wall – try a different approach! Throw
money at the problem, beg for mercy, offer a deal, try to
bluff or intimidate the antagonists. Remember, this is
your character’s story, so think of something interesting!

Bloody Their Faces

Nothing says you are willing to go for broke like shooting
a guy in the face while surrounded by his compatriots.
Making a quick Wits + Athletics roll might be just the trick
you need to getting your gun out first and their assess
diving for cover. Don’t just say “I shoot them”. Make it
interesting and see if you can use the elements of the
scene to make your attack even more effective. Don’t
forget your allies, sometimes a well-timed attack can give
you a one-two punch to drive the enemy back. Narrate
your attack with style and let the dice fall where they may.

Even the Odds

Or better yet, put them in your favor. Dive for cover,
throw up sand, or cut the lights. If you got caught off
guard or by surprise, think of something that mixes things
up. If they have to shoot though their own men, then
maybe they will hesitate just enough for you to break free
or get a few shots off. Narrate your idea and how it gets
you out of a tight spot or causes havoc in your favor.
Never forget the surrounding environment, it can be your
best weapon.

17
A round represents approximately 1 second of time. A round
is broken up into Actions by drawing a number of poker
cards per character (usually just 1, but some powers allow
you to draw more). There are two full 54 card decks (that’s
52 + red and black jokers). Players draw from the Protagonist
deck, as do their allies. And the Storyteller draws from the
Antagonist deck.
Once everyone has their Action cards, the Storyteller starts
counting down from an Ace, then King, Queen, all the way
down to 2. Suits matter. When multiple characters have the
same order card, such as a King or a 4, then who goes in that
segment is ordered by suit starting with Spades, then Hearts,
then Diamonds, and lastly Clubs.
When one of your cards is called, toss it into the discard pile
and narrate to the group and the Storyteller what your
character is doing that segment. Be descriptive, mention the
environment, and if you can - add in some first person dialog
or interesting narration to bring the action to life.
NOTE: Don’t use the same action over and
over. Each round you need to use a different
action and if possible, a different skill.
Once everyone has played their card that round, a new
Round starts, everyone draws and new card(s) and actions
start again. Do not reshuffle the deck at all during a game
night unless a Joker was pulled.
Action Cards
Each Round each player draws 1 Action card from the
protagonist card deck for player character and their allies, or
the antagonist deck for Storyteller actors. Players may get
additional cards if they have special powers, abilities or
events.
 Always reshuffle the action card deck after a joker is pulled.
The storyteller draws 1 Action card for each group of NPCs
from the antagonists’ deck following the same rules as for
players. Special NPCs get their own cards drawn separately
from the general minions.
USING A TAROT DECK AS ACTION CARDS
For the basic suits, you would use Swords as Spades, Cups as
Hearts, Pentacles as Diamonds, and Wands as Clubs. Use 2 through
Ace as normal. Discard the High Arcana and the Paige cards. Then
use the Fool as the Red Joker and Death as the Black Joker. A note
on the Fool and Death: the Fool represents Fate leading the
character on. So when this card is pulled, add the extra
interpretation on the Fool as the Red Joker as some aspect of the
character’s destiny coming to light or being realized or revealed. As
for Death, that represents change, transition, and external
influence. So when this card is pulled and tragedy falls, bring in
narrative elements from external sources. Or have something
external to the current scene become darkly affected. Use it to
cause change or bring something to an end – which may or may not
result in harm or death.
18
HOLDING ACTIONS
Sometimes you might want to wait until someone does
something before you take your action. Say you know some
slavering beast is about to burst into your fallout shelter and
you want to blast a hole in it the moment it comes crashing
through.
The way to do this is by “holding” and keeping a single card
as Held Action. When the card you have would normally be
played, tell the storyteller what you’re going to Hold that
action for and turn the card sideways. You can only ever have
one card held.
When the conditions of the Held card are met, whip it out,
show it to the ST, take your action, and discard it. If you want
to interrupt someone else’s action with a held card, you will
likely have to beat him in an opposed Wits+Dexterity match.
You’re never guaranteed to beat someone just because
you’ve got a held card, but at least you’ve got a chance. You
can hold a card from this round to the next, but you do not
draw cards that next round. Assuming you don’t use it, you
can hold on to your held card until the fight is over, anyone
draws a Black Joker, or an opponent forces you to discard it
through an attack Effect or some such.
JOKERS
Jokers are fate, destiny, random chance, or plain ol’ luck
sticking its nose into everyone’s pie. A joker is a Disruptive
event. It does not end a scene, but it certainly should
complicate it. Jokers should always make a scene more
interesting and dramatic. From sudden monster attacks, to
sudden explosions, to sudden allies or incredible feats of
bravery, skill, and daring.
 Black Jokers cause a player to lose all cards drawn
immediately and a tragic accident befalls them that round.
This may not mean their death, and it may not mean their
current action fails (though usually it does). It simply means
that something went majorly wrong, or something majorly
got in their way and complicated or ruined their efforts or the
scene as a whole. This is always more impacting than a mere
gun jam or a trip and fall. This is a major event that turns the
tides of battle or screws up all your plans or possibly even
causes great harm or adds an item or situation to make the
characters’ life harder (or the bad guys’ life easier). The
events of the Black Joker occur as soon as possible, or
whenever the Storyteller feels they best can. They are
narrative events, and have nothing to do with dice pools (and
might negate dice rolls altogether).
 A Red Joker drawn means fate is on their side. They can go
at any time in the combat round, before any suit and gain a
narrative benefit that the player gets to suggest. Ultimately
it’s still up to the storyteller to decide the effects of a Red
Joker. Just like the Black Joker, this is a game changer – but
in the favor of who drew it. It’s never an automatic win, or
automatic kill. But it might be an affliction or crippling effect,
or a huge lucky event or action that turns the tide in their
favor or maybe an item or part of the scenery can be used to
great effect.
World of Darkness uses 3 range increments called Range
Zones: Close, Near, Far. You might have a couple of
modifiers to your Attack roll. These things come up often
in a fight. Sometimes even stranger things can happen.
Then it’s up to the Storyteller to figure out a modifier for
that particular situation.
Zone Ranges
CLOSE
Close range describes anyone within physical striking
range of your character. Be it a sword or a fist, you can
reach out and hit someone. This also includes short quick
movement within that area, maybe 10 or 20 feet or so.
About the distance you can cover in 1 second or less.
NEAR
Near range is the next Zone away. So maybe it’s across
the street, or the window a floor above you, or the guy in
the outfield. Typically this is far enough away that you
would have to dedicate you whole Action Card to just
getting Close to the target. This might be as far away as
50 yards or so.
FAR
Far range is the furthest attacks in Rounds get typically.
Anything further away is purely narrative and based on
the fiction you have established. In game terms Far range
zone is something that likely you would have trouble
reaching on foot during a combat, and may not even be
possible to reach on foot in time. This could be the sniper
on top of a 5 storey building, a car several blocks away, or
a deer on the other side of the valley. This might be a
couple hundred yards away.
Maximum Range
Every weapon has a maximum effective range. Beyond this it is
unlikely that the projectile will do any damage or hit at all.
ZONE SCALE
Sometimes you are not fighting on the streets with knives
and pistols. Sometimes you are on starships with Close
range weapons that measure in the hundreds of miles.
The above zone regions still are used, they simply refer to
a completely different set of weapons, all of which must
be narratively effective in the same range scale. (Ok, so
sure, maybe your plasma sword can cut a ship’s hull, but
if a Close zone target is eighty miles away, you are not
gonna be cutting anything anytime soon.) Let the
narration of scale guide movement and action and
determine if an attack is effective and can be used in a
Close or Near zone.
19
A character can move around in a Close Range Zone once
as a part of their Action card.
If you want to move from Close to Near, it takes the use
of 1 Action card in which all you do is move to your new
location. While this makes that Near location now your
character’s Close location zone, it does not make you any
closer to a Far zone. You are still Near allies in the zone
you left, and you can move back on subsequent Actions if
needed.
During combat rounds, you may not move to a Far
location zone unless you have some quick means to do so
that make sense for the fiction (i.e. a car, a jetpack, a
superpower, etc). Otherwise, Far range zones are just not
reachable in the few seconds a round takes.
Running
Whenever your character is running they are at a -2 to all
actions, including combat attacks. Whenever your
character targeting someone running the Storyteller
might consider them to be Dodging for how hard it is to
hit them.
All Out Movement
If they are sprinting or swimming, or otherwise using all
of their ability to move as fast and best as they are able,
they can take no other actions at all that turn they move
all out.
Dodging
A player may discard their highest action card to perform
a full body dodge. This is effectively the character bodily
throwing themselves aside as quickly as possible, hoping
to remove themselves from the area of the attack or dive
for cover. This doubles their base defense value, before
any modifiers are deducted. Some special powers, such
as Celerity may also be added in (see whichever power
you are using for details). The character is then
considered to be at a disadvantage for a counter attack
and quite often too far away for any physical combat on
their attacker. They may need to regain their footing or
close the distance if they wish to fight.
It’s also likely this is not possible if the character is
surrounded or in such a circumstance that they cannot
move far enough to avoid the attack. Typically a 5 foot
step or full run is needed to successfully Dodge. Any
dodge should be narrated by the player just in case the
action is not possible or effective as determined by the
storyteller.
Dodging Ranged Items
Unlike the standard defense that is ignored by firearms and
other ranged weapons like bows – a Dodge is assumed to
preempt the firing of the weapon, and thus the player gets their
doubled defense against the ballistic attack.
This applies to all non-ranged attacks. So knives, swords,
fists, grappling, and more. In general it means you are up
close and in the face of your attackers.
The Melee Attack Roll
Making attack rolls is a lot like making other rolls. You use
your Strength + Brawl or Strength + Weaponry for your
attack pool (plus any Specialties you might have).
Subtract the target’s Defense, and if they have a weapon
that gives them a defense bonus, subtract that too.
The damage dealt is Bashing damage, unless you are
wielding a Lethal weapon (knife, sword, spear, etc).
As long as the attack gets at least 1 success, the attack hit.
Roll on the Hit Location Chart for details.
Special Melee Maneuvers
Many times in a combat one or both combatants might
be trained in melee or physical fighting. Any special
moves are purchased as part of a Merit package. (Such as
Boxing or Marital Arts of Fencing, see Merit section for
more) However it can be assumed that in a combat each
fighter is dodging, ducking weaving parrying and so on.
The rolls that are made and any resulting damage can be
considered the high points of the fight, or simply the
attacks that actually drew blood or caused an effect more
than cuts and minor bruises. Thus it is sufficient to
describe parries, weaves and ripostes in the resulting
contact that occurred on a successful hit. The maneuvers
below help guide those attacks, however...
 Most of the time an attack for Effect is
what you should be using.
DISARMING
When attempting to knock or pull a weapon from an
enemy’s hands there are two steps involved. First, you
must be able to hit that location. Use the Targeting
Locations rules as normal. Once you have hit the location
and item, if your successes were greater than the target’s
Strength, it’s knocked out of their hands. If it was equal
to or less, then the target rolls their Strength to keep a
hold of the item, needing more successes than you got on
your attack roll. When performing a Disarm, no damage
is done. If you wanted to attack their hand, do damage
and hope they drop their weapon, then the ST may make
them roll Strength, Stamina, or Resolve needing to get
equal to your damage or greater to keep a hold of their
weapon. Disarmed weapons fall to the ground 5 feet
away from the target in a random direction.
20
CHARGING
This includes ramming, and other similar actions like
jousting from a mount. In order to initiate a charge you
must have a straight line to your target for a distance of
greater than 10ft, or greater than 20ft for any kind of
mounted charge. You can’t have anything in your way
that might make you jump, swerve or otherwise slow you
down. This is a somewhat reckless attack and so you
don’t get your Defense the turn you Charge, though you
do count as Sprinting and get the +2 to your Defense due
to moving so fast. The on foot Charge attack uses a dice
pool of your Size + your Strength +1 for every 10ft you
covered in that single move, up to +3. The mounted
Charge uses your Dexterity + Athletics +1 for every 20 feet
your mount ran, up to +3. The attack is resolved as
normal. Damage is applied evenly to across all areas as
Bashing damage, be it yours or your mount’s body
slamming into theirs. It may be Lethal if you were using a
weapon that can be used for charging, like a Lance.
Additionally the target may be knocked over (or off their
mount), they must make a Dexterity + Strength roll
needing a number of successes to stay standing greater
than the number of successes you got on your attack, or
else they tumble to the ground, and lose 1 Action that
Round.
GRAPPLING
Grappling, wresting, pinning and most all forms of
unarmed attempts to subdue or hold an opponent. First
the attacker makes a Strength + Brawl roll to get a hold of
their target. This is like any other attack (Strength + Brawl
– Targets Defense). If successful, the target is grabbed by
the attacker, but not pinned or held in place yet. When
the opponent gets their next chance to go, they may opt
to break free of the grapple or they may instead attack as
normal. If they chose to attack, it is resolved as normal
except that the attacker gets only half their defense
rounded down.
If the defender didn’t try to break the grapple, the
attacker gets a second chance to initiate the pin on their
turn. They make another Strength + Brawl roll minus the
targets Defense + Strength. If they succeed then the
target is held firmly but not helpless. At this point, the
target may not move or attack, they may only fight to free
themselves. If the attacker succeeds a third and final
time, the target is rendered helpless in a pin or chokehold
or some such.
If the defender is trying to break free (and not yet
rendered helpless) then it is simply an opposed Strength +
Brawl roll against the attacker. Succeeding means they
break free of the grapple. Failure means they do not
break free, and a botch means they are automatically
pined and helpless.
SPLIT ATTACKS
A character may attack multiple targets with a single
Action card. You simply take your attack pool and split it
however you want between targets. All targets must be
in range. Each target’s Defense is subtracted from the
amount of dice you allocated to that target. Both attacks
are resolved on the same Action Card.

(i.e. if you have a Strength of 4 and a Weaponry of 3 and

a specialty in longswords, which grants a +2; you have an
attack dice pool of 9 dice. If you are attacking two targets
you can split dice between them. So perhaps you assign 4
dice to go to target A and 5 dice go to target B. When you
roll to attack target A you subtract his Defense (which for
this example is 2) from your 4 dice you allocated to him,
leaving you with 2 dice to roll you attack on him. Same
then goes for target B (who also has an example Defense
of 2) with your 5 dice, bringing your attack on him to 3
dice.)

Note that you may also do this against a single target.

Splitting your attacks against a single target works the
same way as two targets, as you subtract their Defense
for each attack. And if the target Dodged, then their
Dodge action affects all of your attacks.

 You may only split your Attack dice pool a maximum

number of times equal to your Dexterity.

TWO-HANDED WEAPONS
Small weapons like pistols and SMGs only require one
good arm. Heavier firearms like rifles, shotguns, and
machine guns, and hand weapons like big axes and
chainsaws, need a good, two-handed grip, but sometimes
you just can’t manage that.

Anytime your character is forced to use a two-handed

weapon with one hand, subtract –2 from the attack roll.

However, when a weapon calls for two hands, you get a

bonus from the heft of the swing. When attacking with a
melee weapon with two hands, you get +1 damage bonus
to successful hits.

21
There often comes a point when you need to turn some
dastardly villain’s head into mulch. This section tells you
how to do just that.
The Ranged Attack Roll
There are two types of ranged attacks: Ballistics and
Athletics. Ballistics represents a tool or weapon, like a
gun or a bow or a sling. Generally these offer mechanical
advantage over just chucking a sharp thing at your target.
Athletics represents the stuff you throw, knives, axes,
spears, grenades etc – they hit only as hard as you throw
them and go only as far as you can chuck them.
Ballistics Attacks
There are lots of tools made by man to say “Hey, I want
to stab that guy, but only when he is way over there.”
Ballistics is used for tools that do the throwing for you,
guns, rocket launchers, bows, slings, and more.
Your Ballistics Attack Dice Pool is Dexterity + Ballistics
All you need is one success and you hit, then roll hit
location as normal. The ballistic weapon’s damage is then
applied to the target. Many weapons have special rules
attached to them. Bows need time to nock another arrow,
guns may have full-auto fire modes and so on. See the
Equipment section for details on each.
DEFENSE AGAINST BALLISTICS ATTACKS
Any attack with a Ballistics weapon is generally too fast to just
move out of the way of. In this case, people don’t get their
Defense, though they might get a running Modifier or Cover
Modifier. You can’t dodge a bullet, but you can make yourself
a harder target! Some special powers might override this.
Athletics Attacks
There are two ways to chuck stuff, Thrown and Lobbed.
Your Athletic Attack Dice Pool is Strength + Athletics
minus the Targets’ Defense.
If you get at least 1 success you hit, roll hit location as
normal. The ballistics weapon’s damage is then applied.
Thrown weapons are ones where, like a baseball or a
knife, you are aiming for a target location - either way,
this kind of attack is done the same.
If you are just Lobbing the grenade or item at a general
area then you can chuck it a lot further, but with less
accuracy and will suffer Deviation.
 Lob Deviation: When most ranged attacks miss their target, you can
usually forget about them. For some weapons, however, like
grenades, missiles, or even area-effect spells that have a chance to
miss their target, you need to know just how far the shot deviates.
Lobbed items use the Deviation Hit Location Chart instead of the Body
Hit Location Chart.
22
Special Ranged Maneuvers
Ballistics attacks have a variety of typical special actions
you can use, though some may only be available based on
certain weapon types.
CALLED SHOTS
See Hit Locations for more.
AIMING
A normal shot assumes your character aims his gun only
for a heartbeat before squeezing off a round. If a
character spends an entire Action card “drawing a bead,”
she can shift the first location for free the next firing
action. She may spend a further round aiming to shift two
locations. Gun-toting killers can never draw a bead when
fanning or firing bursts. Lead showers are just too erratic.
Likewise pain and sensory shock can ruin your aim, if you
take damage or your senses are affected (bright light,
blast concussion, loud noise, etc) you lose the Aim bonus.
QUICK DRAW
Drawing a weapon takes an action, as does cocking and
firing. What if you don’t have that kind of time? A skilled
gunfighter can whip out his pistol, cock it, and plug a
werewolf in the eye all in one action. How can someone
pull that off? Easy. The quick draw action not only lets you
draw a weapon as a simple task, it also lets you cock it if
needed. If the roll is made, the weapon is drawn—or
drawn and cocked if needed.
 Roll Dexterity + Perception to Quick Draw and cock a
weapon.
The penalty to Quick Draw a weapon is based on the
weapons size and complexity. A simple 9mm pistol
imposes -1, while a rifle might impose a -2, and a heavy
double barrel shotgun impose -3. Typically it’s broken
down into two categories:
 Small Weapon (pistol, uzi, sawed off shotgun) is a -1
 Medium Weapon (rifle, shotgun, machine gun) is a -2
 Large Weapon is anything bigger than a rifle, in which
case it can’t be Quick Drawn.
RELOADING
Sooner or later, your piece is going to run out of ammo smack
in the middle of a firefight. It happens to the best of us. So
many people; such small magazines. Fortunately, it only
takes a little reloading to get the bad guys dying in bloody
droves again. It typically takes one full action to put a single
bullet into a pistol or rifle, or a single shell into a shotgun, or
a pre-loaded clip in a magazine-fed weapon (typical
handguns and semi-auto rifles). Reloading any kind of
weapon can be hastened with the speed-load action. A
skilled speed-loader can get his gun smoking again much
faster than some other person fumbling through his spare
“change” for just the right size bullet. Speed Reloading and
chambering a round/clip requires a Dexterity + Wits roll
needing 2 successes.
SHOOTING FROM THE HIP
Sometimes a glowing, three-eyed, liver-eating monster
isn’t going to wait for you to ready your weapon and take
a shot at him. They’re rude that way. If not, you have to
shoot from the hip. Single-action revolvers, rifles, and
other weapons with a Speed of 2 can fire faster by
sacrificing a little aim. This is called “shooting from the
hip” and subtracts –2 from the shooters Firearms roll.
THE TWO-GUN KID
Some folks have too much ammo and like to fire two guns
at once. They usually don’t hit much, but they sure make
a lot of noise. If you are wielding a weapon in each hand
that are both considered to be one-handed weapons, you
are considered to be dual wielding. To be used a character
must be dual wielding two pistols or the like.
 For Ballistics attacks: the character splits their dice pool as
per Split Attacks above dice pool for each attack but still
gets the -6 to your off-hand and -4 to your main-hand.
23
Multiple Targets
Multiple targets can be hit by a multi-shot burst - here’s
how. Choose a primary target. The first bullet hits this
unfortunate fellow as normal. For each number of
successes after the first, if they equal the next target’s
Defense, they hit them too. You may repeat this until you
run out of unused successes. Targets can be no further
than 3 meters apart from the previous target. Determine
each target’s hit location and damage separately.
(i.e. Assuming your weapon has Rate of Fire of 3 or more
…If you get 4 successes on your attack roll, then you hit
the first target, down to 3 successes, then you keep your
gun arm moving and hit the second target whose Defense
is 2; down to 1 success left. Since the 3rd target has a
Defense of 2, you don’t have enough successes to hit them
as well so the bullet goes wide.)
When you are attacking someone you may want to create
some kind of narrative effect or result. Maybe you want
to shove them over the ledge, tie them up, scare them off,
or create some blinding or distracting effect. Narrate
what you want to do and the Storyteller will consider the
target’s skills and abilities and reduce your dice pool by
the relevant counter Attribute or Situational Difficulty
which best matches to your effect.
For example, you may want to trip someone, so you may
have your Strength + Brawl be reduced by the target’s
Defense + Athletics dots; which if you are successful, they
are tripped and hit the dirt hard. If you want to shoot their
rifle and make it go off in the person’s hands, then you
would roll your Dexterity + Ballistics with dice pool
reduced for how small the gun trigger is. Maybe you want
to throw a dagger at an awning above someone to make it
fall on them, you might roll Dexterity + Athletics minus the
target’s Perception + Wits to see if you hit the awning and
catch them underneath it, entangling them. If you make
your roll, you do the thing and they have to deal with it.
Compels as Attacks
Wily characters can use their words or skills to trick,
disorient, confuse, or otherwise hinder a target, leaving
them vulnerable. The target of an Interactive Attack must
be within range to be affected. The range required
depends on the type of Interaction Attack attempted.
Roleplay your interaction then choose an Attribute and
Skill as your approach dice pool, and minus the target’s
Resolve. If your Effect attack roll succeeds, then the
target gains a Compel equal to your successes. This
Compel will affect any relevant dice pool the target has –
including reducing Defense or Attack if it applies.
Or you can use an environmental effect or hazard to add
to the chaos of the combat. Success on such a roll means
it occurs as you expect and the Compel does not affect
you or your allies. A failed or complicated roll indicates
that something has gone wrong in your attempt. Your
dice pool to trigger the item as you expect may be
reduced by scene difficulties or the target’s Wits score.
Some suggested Skills to use are:
Skill Result
Athletics
to push your enemy or cause them to move
in a direction you wish
to feint, bluff, or trick your enemy into a
Subterfuge
poor position
to throw your enemy off balance with
Intrigue
careful words
to use nearby equipment to confuse or
Technology
weaken your enemy
Academics
to cause your enemy to misstep or reveal
their plans
To make or modify an item that when
Crafts interacted with by the target it harms or
weakens, or hinders them
Persuasion to menace your enemy, cowing them
24
Each of these modifiers may apply to either melee or
ranged combat.
Bound
Be you tied up, grappled by someone, or pined by debris,
it’s harder to get a swing in. This can vary by situation,
but in general will be a -1 to a -5 depending on just how
caught up you are. -1 might be for when you are in a
tussle but nobody has a good hold on you yet. -3 might
be for when a couple big guys have a hold of you. -5 might
be for when you are fully bound in rope and can barely
hold the knife in your hand.
Distance Modifiers
Which Range Zone you are targeting determines your
Distance modifier.
 Close zone: no distance penalty
 Near zone: -2 when you are attacking anyone with a ranged attack
who is in a Near zone.
 Far zone: -5 when you are attacking anyone with a ranged attack
who is in a Far zone.
Moving
It’s a lot harder to hit a target when you’re on the move.
This isn’t for Dodging, this is for when you or your target
is simply already in motion more than the other (the
target is already running away, you are in a car trying to
take a swing at a stationary target, etc) Any turn in which
your character runs, he suffers a –2 penalty to any other
things he might try to do; like shooting whatever’s chasing
him. Any time a target is moving faster than a walk;
subtract the same.
Target’s Size
If a target is half the size of a man, subtract a penalty of
–1. If it’s one-quarter the size of a man, subtract –2, and
so on. The opposite is also true. A target that is twice as
big as a man gives the character a +1 bonus, a target three
times the size of a man has a +2 modifier, and so on, up
to a maximum of +6.
Cover
Use the Cover rules and the Hit Location Table when a
target is partially concealed.
Lighting
It’s hard to shoot something you can’t see.
 Low Light (moonlight): -1
 Darkness (very little ambient light): -3
 Pitch Black (no light whatsoever): -5 but only after
you have an indication you are even firing in the right
direction at the target.

Once you have successfully hit your target, you roll to see
where the strike landed. Roll 1d10.
Roll Location
1 Head
2-3 Right Arm
4-5 Left Arm
6-8 Torso
9 Left Leg
10 Right Leg
Shifting Locations
For each success you got on your Attack Roll you may spend a
number of your successes to move up or down a number of
locations to better aim your attack. This reduces the number of
successes as the end result of your attack in exchange for letting
your adjust where your attack has struck. You may never have
less than 1 success remaining.
1 Success = Up or Down 1 location
3 Successes = Up or Down 2 Locations
5 Successes = Up or Down 3 locations
For example: If on your attack you get 4 successes – and your
roll for Hit Location is a 7: you hit the target’s Torso. If you spend
1 success you can move 1 location “up” to the Left Arm, or
“down” the Right Leg. Hitting that location with the remaining
3 successes. If you spend 3 of your successes you can move the
location of the attack to “up” the Right Arm or “down” the Left
Leg. Which leaves you with only the 1 remaining success to
determine damage, etc.
Targeting Locations
You can also spend your successes to target specific areas within
a location you just rolled and hit based on their size. To narrow
down to a specific spot in that location see the chart below:
Successes Needed Location Size
1 Shin/Forearm/Belly
3 Gun/Fist/Foot/Sword
5 Ear/Eye/Finger/Pendant
For example, if you hit the Torso with 4 successes, then you can
spend 1 success to hit the Belly (half the size of the torso
overall), or 3 to hit a Lung (about the size of a hand), or 5 to hit
a Golden Lapel Pin (about the size of an eye).
The effect of this targeting is only to create a special effect with
the attack. This might be to knock a weapon out of the
opponent’s hand, knock the wind out of someone, or to put out
their eye. This is drama driven so the effects will vary for each
attack. The damage, however, is applied to the location as
normal. Thus 3 Lethal knife damage to the eye means you still
did 3 lethal damage to the head, but now the eye is cut badly,
Bashing damage to the eye is a black eye possibly swollen shut
for a day or so, and Aggravated damage to the destroys the eye
utterly. In any case, the person’s eye is no longer useable for at
very least that scene, possibly longer.
25
Cover
Cover indicates the target is hiding behind some kind of barrier
between them and the attacker. Cover only comes into play for
ranged attacks; it cannot be used for melee. If the defender
peeks out from cover on their action card, their cover amount
changes to however much they peek out (more so if they want
to attack, less so if they just want to take a look). This changes
their cover until their next action card which they can then use
to duck back behind cover as much or as little as they like. The
defender simply announces how much of their body is covered,
and the attacker will have to Shift Locations to successfully hit a
location not behind cover. The defenders’ Defense is still
subtracted if applicable. If the hit cannot reach an exposed
location by the Location roll or by Shifting Locations, then the
shot misses (hitting the cover). Note that the Storyteller can
override the players’ exact specification of how much they are
exposing to enemy attack should the scene and description and
location and cover items alter things. (i.e. Gaining cover from
wooden crates might only offer a reduction in damage as
opposed to a missed shot as many bullets can pass through such
items.)
Deviation Hit Location
Some weapons are just less accurate than others. For all
weapons that call for the Deviation Hit Location table, roll once
each on the tables below to determine deviation distance and
direction.
Deviation Range
Target location for these weapons uses the following Launcher
Hit Location Chart. Roll a 1d10 as normal to determine hit
location. Note that explosive weapons still follow the rules for
explosive damage allocation as outlined in the hit location
section. This hit location chart is for the projective itself or if the
projectile is not explosive.
Roll** Location
1-5 Within 10 meters of target
6-7 Within 5 meters of target
8-9 Within 1 meter of Target
10 Target Hit*
* If you roll Target Hit, you may then spend 1 success to
move the hit to the targets Torso location. From there use
successes to navigate the hit location chart as normal.
** The above chart applies to targets of size 6 or smaller.
For each size increment your target is above 6, add 1 to
your launcher hit location roll to a max of 10.
Deviation Direction
Now that you know how far it deviated from the target, you
must find out which direction it went. Roll 1d10. The direction
of the Target from the attacker represents ‘North’ on this chart.
Thus if you roll a 1 on this chart it means the missile sailed past
the target by the number of meters as determined above.
Roll Location
1-2 North
3 North-West
4 North-East
5-6 South
7 South-West
8 South-East
9 East
10 West
 Damage and Healing
World of Darkness is a narrative storytelling game, and as
such first and foremost the rules are meant to aid that
immersion. Damage is one of those major ways in which the
narrative is affected viscerally. When your attack hits, make
sure to describe what that attack looks like, how you moved,
the sound and colour of the action.
There are three main types of damage World of Darkness
tracks. Use your own judgement as to which one your attack
does, but most weapons will be listed in this book to give you
an idea of what kind of damage they do and how much.
See Wound Penalties for taking Damage and roll modifiers.
BASHING (B)
(-1 die) Bruises, blunt damage, falling harm, minor cuts, etc.
LETHAL (L)
(-2 dice) Knife stabs, bone breaks, gunshots, stuff that hurts
but a human body will heal back to normal in time.
AGGRAVATED (A)
(-5 dice) Burns, loss of limbs, artery cuts, explosions, stuff
that will cripple you forever or you will die from if you don’t
see a surgeon or good horse doctor.
Situational Damage
All situational damage should first fall under the sway of
the narrative. These situational damage effects can be
added to any attack as a part of the narrative damage or
they can be outside of combat based on environmental or
situational happenings. The storyteller should come up
with a good scene or set of scenes to describe the harm
affecting the character and narrate out effects and allow
the character or others to roleplay out finding cures,
doing field surgery, making serums and more. So what
follows is a set of guidelines for the storyteller and group
to use which describe the general effects and dangers of
situational damage and offers suggested rolls in case you
want to determine a chance of failure or complication or
miraculous recovery.
BLEEDING
Anytime your character is shot by a gun, is stabbed by a
knife, or some other similar lethal weapon, they are very
likely Bleeding. The Storyteller will announce if the
weapon causes Bleeding, or not if it’s not obvious. If the
attack causes Bleeding then you have only a number of
combat rounds equal to your Stamina + Resolve before
you fall unconscious from blood loss. Out of combat this
time is in minutes. Stopping Bleeding takes a minimum of
1 minute to make an Intelligence + Academics with a
specialty in First Aid roll wrap the wound, staunch the
blood flow and cut off most of the blood flow to that area.
This is not a long term fix, but will get you to the doctor
who can clean and stich the wound. Until stitches are
applied (and possibly more in the case of gunshot
wounds) you will not heal the area that was Bleeding and
could even lose the limb or die!
26
COLD
Trudging through deep snow for hours on end, or facing
biting, bitter winds, can dehydrate and fatigue a character
as quickly as blazing deserts. Every four hours spent in
weather below freezing (32° F), a character must make a
Stamina roll. Failure means the victim subtracts 1 from
the victim’s Stamina roll for every 20 degrees below
freezing to a maximum of –3. The roll assumes the
character is wearing warm clothing. If not, subtract an
additional 2 from the dice pool. Modern winter gear adds
+1, and advanced gear (arctic suits) add at least +3 or
more depending on the setting.
Effects of Freezing: Make a Stamina roll, a success means
you are dying and have severe frostbite in extremities.
Failure means the same as above but you also
permanently lost toes or fingers. Botch means you are
dead.
Recovery: Warmth and shelter from the elements allows
a character to recover in a few hours.
DISEASE
Diseases cover a wide range of maladies, from long-term
debilitating illnesses to those which might cause
immediate spasms or death. To handle such a diverse
range of diseases, we’ve broken them down into those
most likely to come into play in a typical game or
campaign session. If you’re trying to model a specific
disease, you’ll want to adjust the rules to better reflect
that illness’ symptoms.
Recovery: Unless the disease description says otherwise,
it can only be treated with specific medicines or very
powerful magic. If the proper medicine is available, all the
victim’s ailments vanish in 3d10 days minus his Stamina
dots, to a minimum of one day. If not, healers can make
the victim more comfortable but have no further effect
on his condition.
Effects of Disease: As per Disease Type.
Contracting Diseases
Diseases may be acquired in one of the following ways:
 Airborne: The toxin is in the air. If a character is aware of the
toxin he can hold his breath for a number of minutes equal to
his Stamina dots, or half that if he wasn’t prepared. If in
combat or physically exerting himself then it is holding his
breath for 2 round plus his Stamina dots. After that he must
breathe and automatically contracts the disease. If the victim
is surprised by the release of the disease (such as a creature
with exploding spores), he must make a Wits roll to hold his
breath before the tainted air enters his lungs.
 Touch: The victim must make a Stamina roll immediately on
being touched. If successful, the disease didn’t manage to
“take” and there is no effect. Failure means the disease takes
immediate effect as described below.
 Induction: The disease must enter the bloodstream, most
typically by an animal’s bite, or a cut by an infected weapon.
In these cases, if a victim is wounded by such an attack, he
must make a Stamina roll. If failed, he contracts the disease.
If successful, the disease didn’t manage to get into the
bloodstream and there is no further effect.
Disease Types
 Majorly Debilitating, Fatal: These diseases cause
constant irritation and exhaustion and eventually end
in death. Leprosy, untreated tuberculosis, and similar
fatal diseases fall into this category. Victims have
frequent spasms and coughing fits. At the start of every
game session, the character must make a Stamina roll.
If botches that roll, he’s going to pass away before the
end of that session. The Storyteller is encouraged to let
the character go out with style if possible, but he will
perish before the game ends this time.
 Long-Term Chronic, Debilitating: This works exactly as
above except the unfortunate character is constantly
fatigued at -2 dice to all rolls. Examples of this kind of
disease include malaria, fantasy diseases such as the
touch of certain undead, or living in a foreign and
slightly toxic environment.
 Short Term: These are extremely rare in the real world
but are very appropriate for fantasy or science-fiction
settings. They are typically acquired from the scratch of
a creature or breathing air laden with toxins (see
Airborne and Induction, above). A victim who fails his
Stamina roll and contracts the disease begins to cough
and wretch uncontrollably. Once he recovers from
being sick he may act normally but the disease remains
for 2d10 days while the sickness works itself out.
 Lethal: Even more rare are diseases that can kill in
seconds. Treat this exactly as Lethal Poison (see
Poison). If a character survives the poison, it lasts 2d10
hours.
DROWNING
Water is deadly to those who aren’t prepared for it. Here
are some standard water hazards and how often a
character must make an Athletics (swimming) roll.
 A character with at least 1 dot in Athletics does not have to
roll when in calm water.
 In rough water, all characters must make an Athletics roll
every minute.
 In white water rapids, the character is swept into eddies and
whirlpools (hydraulics) and rolls Athletics every round.
 A character forced to tread water for long periods without a
flotation device must roll Stamina once every hour.
Modifiers:
 Subtract –2 from a character’s Athletics rolls if he is trying to
hold something up, including another character.
 Add +2 to the roll if he’s wearing a life vest.
Recovery: Once a character is out of the water, he
recovers in about five minutes.
Effects of Drowning: Death in a number of minutes equal
to the victim’s Stamina dots minus 10. If someone can get
to the victim within five minutes of the end of this time,
he can be resuscitated with CPR, an Academics roll at –1
per minute past.
27
ELECTROCUTION
Lightning strikes, a live wire hits your character or he
touches a conducting item. Some supernatural beings
even possess mastery over electricity and can direct it at
your character. Electrocution automatically causes
Bashing damage per turn of exposure. No attack roll is
made. If harm from electricity is more than just
instantaneous - there's a constant flow such as through
power cables - a victim may not be able to escape. His
muscles contract, which can prevent him from pulling
away. Roll Strength as a reflexive action in each turn of
contact. Failure means your character is still connected to
the source and suffers its damage each turn until a
successful roll is made. Worn armor may or may not
provide protection against electrocution.
Source Description Damage
Wall socket Minor 4 (B)
Protective fence Major 4 (L)
Junction box Severe 3 (A)
Main line feed or
subway rail Fatal 5 (A)
FALLING
Falling damage is Bashing damage equal to (Feet Fell *
1/3). Round all fractions up. The total Bashing damage is
evenly distributed between each body location. (i.e. If you
fell 10ft you would take about 3 points of Bashing
damage). This is not a hop down or a controlled drop, this
is uncontrolled, hit the ground hard falling.
Sometimes a character is falling in such a way that they
have time or ability to tumble with the impact of the fall.
In this case they subtract their successes from a Dexterity
+ Wits roll from the damage dealt to them.
Other times a character might be in a vehicle during a fall
(like a plane or an elevator). In which case the damage is
the same, but there may be reduction in damage based
on the vehicle and its crash site. Such as crashing a plane
into water or an elevator into its crash pad shocks and fall
brake pads. In general, if an item is majorly designed to
survive a fall specifically (like an elevator), then damage
should be capped at 40 Bashing damage. If it only has a
few counter measures (like a plane), then cap the damage
at 70.
Anything else should be narrative and likely result in
death, severe damage, permanent scarring or
debilitation.
FIRE
The damages here reflect only a momentary contact with
the fire. This damage is dealt each round (3 seconds) the
subject is in contact with the fire. Anything that is
Flammable is automatically “caught on fire” and cannot
be put out by simply rolling around or blowing it out.
Chemicals or water must be used to douse the flames.
 Torch: 1 point of Lethal
 Bonfire: 2 points of Lethal
 Inferno: 8 points of Lethal
 Welding Torch: 3 points of Aggravated
 Chemical / Molten / Surgical Laser burn: these are
mostly situational but for the most part they instantly
destroy the area they hit, doing likely 7+ points of
Aggravated damage in a single hit, slicing off the limb,
vaporizing the limb or burning it to the bone nearly
instantly.
Smoke Inhalation: Fires in confined areas produce deadly smoke.
Every round a character is in such an environment, he must make
a Stamina roll. A wet cloth over the face adds +2 to the roll, and a
gas mask negates the need for the roll entirely. If the roll is failed,
the character starts to suffocate and choke and get a cumulative -
1 to their Stamina roll. Once their Stamina reaches 0 they pass out
and start to suffocate and die.
HEAT
Intense heat, typically that over 90 degrees Fahrenheit,
can cause heat exhaustion and heat stroke, both of which
are very dangerous. The actual danger is from
dehydration, so well-supplied and conscientious
characters can greatly improve their chances in extreme
heat simply by carrying a good amount of water and
drinking frequently. When the temperature reaches 90
degrees or more, the storyteller should pay attention to
how much water characters are able to drink. If they are
able to drink at least four quarts of water a day, they may
be tired and sunburned, but are in no immediate danger.
If that amount of water isn’t available, characters must
make Stamina rolls every four hours. Failure means the
character starts to fall unconscious and suffer heat stroke,
another few hours out there and they likely die.
 Subtract 2 from the roll if the character has half the water
he needs, and subtract 4 if he has less than half.
 Subtract 1 from the roll for each additional 5 degrees above
90 degrees Fahrenheit.
 Add +1 if the character stops all physical activity.
 Add +1 to the roll if the character has substantial shade.
Heat Stroke Effects: If a character suffers heat stroke and
may suffer brain damage. Make a Stamina roll. If the roll
is failed, the victim’s Intelligence and Strength decrease
by one dot permanently (to a minimum of 1).
Recovery: A victim who receives sufficient water recovers
in 5 days minus their Stamina dots (to a minimum of 1
day).
28
HUNGER
Humans need approximately one pound of food every 24
hours. If sufficient sustenance isn’t available, a character
begins to suffer from severe hunger. Starting the first day
after the meal was missed, the character must make a
Stamina roll. Subtract 2 if the character has less than half
the required amount of food. Failure means the character
begins to starve. After the first day, the character must
roll for hunger every 12 hours, and thirst every 6 hours.
Starvation Effects: A starving character by hunger dies
3d10 hours later.
Recovery: At least a pound of decent food allows a
character to recover in about 5 days minus their Stamina
dots (minimum 1 day).
POISON
Poisons can be delivered many ways. If ingested, its
effects occur automatically. If a victim is wounded by a
bite or weapon coated in poison, he must make an
immediate Stamina roll against the type of poison listed
on the Poison Effects Table below. If the poison has a
modifier associated with it for potency (such as
Venomous [–2]), the victim’s Stamina roll is modified
appropriately. The Storyteller must decide which
category is appropriate based on the poison. Most real-
world animals are Venomous with only a few falling in the
Lethal category. Fantasy Ghouls might have paralyzing
poison in their claws, while spies might use Knockout
poison in drinks or gases.
 Characters who suffer Paralysis or a Knockout are
unconscious until they recover.
Treatment: To treat a poisoned victim, the healer can try
an Academics roll minus the strength of the poison itself
(found in the poison’s description). If successful, the
victim’s life is saved and the poison no longer has any
effect—paralyzed victims can move and those rendered
unconscious wake. Characters may only attempt one
Academics roll per incident to cure the poison, another
character with dots in Academics may make a second
attempt only if they have more dots than the previous
person who attempted, and so on.
Recovery: Differs per poison, usually a serum or anti-
venom is needed for recovery and that can take hours to
days to recover from.
Poison Effects Table
Type Failure Success
Lethal Death in 2d10 1 Bashing wound per
rounds round / 3 seconds
Venomous Death in 2d10 1 Bashing wound per
minutes round / 3 seconds
Paralysis Paralyzed for Paralyzed for 1d10 rounds
2d10 minutes
Knockout Knocked out Knocked out for 1d5
for 2d10 hours minutes
RADIATION
Radiation sickness can be acute, happening soon after
exposure, or chronic, where symptoms appear over time
or after some time, possibly years later. A person who
experiences an atomic explosion will receive two doses of
radiation, one during the explosion, and another from
fallout, when radioactive particles float down after the
explosion. The effects of radiation are cumulative.
Damage to cells is irreversible.
 Below 30 rads: Mild symptoms will occur in the blood
 From 30 to 200 rads: The person may become ill.
 From 200 to 1,000 rads: The person may become seriously
ill.
 Over 1,000 rads: This will be fatal.
The signs and symptoms of acute radiation poisoning are:
 Vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea
 Loss of appetite
 Malaise, or feeling unwell
 Headache
 Rapid heartbeat
Symptoms depend on the dose, and whether it is a single
dose or repeated.
A dose of as low as 30 rads can lead to:
 Loss of white blood cells
 Nausea and vomiting
 Headaches
A dose of 300 rads dose may result in:
 Temporary hair loss
 Damage to nerve cells
 Damage to the cells that line the digestive tract
 There may also be skin redness, cataracts, and heart
problems.
If the whole body is exposed to, say, 1,000 rads within a
short time, this could be fatal.
A person who is exposed to 3,000 rads will experience
nausea and vomiting, and they may experience confusion
and a loss of consciousness within a few hours. Tremors
and convulsions will occur 5 to 6 hours after exposure.
Within 3 days, there will be coma and death.
Different doses, different effects
The risk of illness depends on the dose. Very low doses of
radiation are all around us all the time, and they do not have
any effect. It also depends on the area of the body that is
exposed. If the whole body is exposed to, say, 1,000 rads
within a short time, this could be fatal. However, far higher
doses can be applied to a small area of the body with less
risk. After a mild dose, the person may experience
symptoms for just a few hours or days. However, a repeated
or even a single, relatively low dose that produces few or
no visible symptoms around the time of exposure may
cause problems later on. Localized exposure may lead to
changes in the skin, loss of hair, and possibly skin cancer.
Exposure to certain parts of the body is more dangerous
than others, for example, the intestines.
29
SLEEP
Most people need a minimum of six hours sleep out of
every 24. A character who goes without this amount of
sleep must make a Stamina roll at a cumulative –2 every 12
hours thereafter (maximum penalty of –6). A large amount
of coffee, soda, or other stimulant adds +2 to the roll.
Effects of Exhaustion: A character who suffers this much
simply falls into a deep sleep for 2d10 hours.
Recovery: Every four hours of restful sleep removes a
Stamina -2 penalty.
SUFFOCATION
The need to breathe is essential for most all living beings,
taking this away will cause incapacitation and eventually,
death. Panic and fear can cause a person to choke and
lose their breath even faster. Any time you character
cannot take a breath, be it from being under water or
from being strangled, you are in a suffocation situation.
In combat or other high exertion situations you can hold
your breath a number of rounds/seconds equal to your
character’s Size + Stamina. (Fortitude multiples this per
dot in Fortitude). If you take damage during this time you
must make a Wits + Stamina to not lose all of your
remaining breath. One this time is out (or you took
damage and failed your roll), you are choking, gasping and
blacking out. Each turn/second you make a Stamina roll
to not pass out.
Effects of Suffocation: While suffocation your character is
in a panic situation and is at a -4 to all actions that are not
simply trying to escape to where they can breathe. Once
unconscious they go limp and are unable to do anything.
Recovery: If the person or creature is no longer in a
situation that would prevent them from taking a breath
(not under water anymore or being strangled anymore),
then after 5 seconds goes by they may make a Stamina
roll to regain consciousness. This roll may be made each
second for 60 seconds. If the victim has not made this roll
by then they are dead.
THIRST
An average-sized man requires two quarts of water a day.
This requirement is doubled in both very dry conditions
(such as the desert) and areas of high humidity (the jungle)
as the character perspires constantly and begins to
dehydrate. If enough water isn’t available, the character
begins to suffer from dehydration. Starting the first day
after the water runs out, he must make a Stamina roll.
Subtract 2 if the character has less than half the required
amount. Failure means the character suffers Incapacitation
effects below. After the first day, the character must make
the required Stamina roll every 6 hours.
Effects of Severe Dehydration: Death in 2d10 hours.
Recovery: Two quarts of water allows a character to
recover in a few hours.
The Health dots track is a representation of how big and
or tough your character is, how much punishment they
can take before they are Taken Out or Dead.
Wounds
To represent damage, the game uses a description of the
attack along with how much damage it did for healing
purposes and how much your character is negatively
affected with dice pool modifiers.
When an attack successfully hits, write on the character
sheet a brief Wound Description of the damage.
(i.e. gunshot, knife stab, 3-storey fall, fire burns, etc).
Then along with that description you will note the
Amount of damage it did and Type; (B) Bashing, (L) Lethal,
(A) Aggravated.
(i.e. gunshot 5L, 3-storey fall 5B, fire burns 6A, etc).
WOUND PENALTY
The Type of damage it did will determine the Wound
Penalty type you character suffers from pain, debilitation
or overall damage to the wounded area. These wound
penalty types are dice pool modifiers. Each one will stay
with your character until all points of damage from that
attack wound have been healed. Some attacks can do
different types of damage based on the fiction in the
scene. For example, a character getting hit by a bus could
result in 6 Bashing (they got sideswiped), 6 Lethal (they
got hit full on), or 6 Aggravated (it hit them at high speed
and flung them into a wall).
Bashing -1
Lethal -2
Aggravated -5
These dice pool Penalties do not stack for each wound
your character successively takes. You only apply the
single highest wound Penalty. So if you get shot for Lethal
damage and are at -2; then you get hit with a baseball bat
for Bashing damage -1: you are still at -2 to all actions
from the pain, bleeding, shock, broken bones, etc.
Note that the amount of damage you took does not
affect the modifier. (i.e. if you took 5 Lethal, and then
took 3 Lethal from a second hit, both are a -2 because
Lethal, so you are at a -2 for actions, but you have gone
down by 4 on your Health track, -2 from each wound.)
Taken Out
When all of your total wounds Penalties are equal to or
greater than your character’s Health dots – you are down
and out of the fight. Maybe you had the wind knocked out
of you really bad, or you got beaten half to death or shot and
are in shock. You will narrate the way your character is
struggling to stay conscious or bleed out as they die. You
cannot make any actions with your character at this point
except to writhe in agony, try to stay conscious, or babble
semi-coherently. If you wish to act, you must spend 1 point
of Willpower, in which case you may make 1 action at no
penalties. Depending on the action, the storyteller may claim
it causes your wound to worsen or you to need a Stamina +
Resolve roll to not pass out after this desperate action. As
long as the fiction allows, you may continue to spend
Willpower to act.
Soaking Damage
Any item or ability that can Soak damage simply reduces the
amount of damage by that value (to a minimum of 0). So if a
bullet proof vest has 6 Lethal Soak, and your character takes 5
points of Lethal damage – that damage is reduced to 0. If you
had instead taken 7 points of Lethal damage, then the armor
reduces it by 6, leaving you still taking 1 point of lethal damage.
Burning Dots
Attribute dots, as well as Willpower Dots, are never spent as a
part of typical play. However, some supernatural powers or
horrific experiences, or terrible damage can permanently take
dots away from your character’s Attributes or Willpower. A
power or storyteller Move will explicitly call this out as Burning
a Dot, in which case it is reduced by 1 and can only be gained
back by experience.

Instant Death
If a person was to take over double their Health dots in a
single Wound, there is a good chance it killed them outright.
The typical character has 7 Health; which means that 15+
damage in a single wound should kill them. If the Storyteller
thinks there is a reasonable chance they are hanging on by
the thread, or had a ‘lucky bounce’ – they can call for a
Stamina only roll (Willpower may be spent as normal) to be
narratively still alive but at deaths door. If the roll is made,
then roleplay how someone or something comes to their aid
and their slow recovery.

30
Characters who face danger and who live to tell the tale
still need time to recover physically. They need to heal
their injuries. If your character does not have a Specialty
in some field of medicine, then the Storyteller is
encouraged to impose harsh Situation Modifiers. Not just
anyone can pick up a scalpel and perform open heart
surgery.

Once a character’s Wound damage value has been

reduced to 0, the wound is gone. If they do get into
vigorous activity too soon after being patched up or they
get wounded again; all those old wounds come back with
a Storyteller Hard Move.

Healing Actions Natural Healing

To heal someone up, look at the damage types below and
see which skills are need to aid someone. These are nasty
wounds that almost always kill someone if they don’t see
a proper doctor, and even then if the doc doesn’t have
proper tools and a clean place to work, you still might die.
With not too much exertion, the body will heal on its own
from many wounds – but not all.
BASHING DAMAGE
Each day 1 point of Bashing damage goes away.

Botched rolls indicate complications in the attempt to heal

someone. It may be accidentally breaking a bone that was
only cracked when trying to set it. It make be cutting and
artery when trying to remove a bullet. It may be the patient
going into cardiac arrest from the shock.
BASHING
Intelligence + Academics will reduce Bashing damage to 1
location down to 1. It takes about 30 minutes per location
to apply patches, salves, braces, or bandages. You may
attempt this roll once per location, per day.
LETHAL
Intelligence + Academics will turn all Lethal damage in 1
location to Bashing damage of its original amount. It takes
about 2 hours per location of light surgery or stitching and
to apply patches, salves, braces, or bandages. You may
attempt this roll once per location, per day. You may not
attempt any further rolls to heal that location and remove
the Bashing, it must now heal the mended wounds,
internal and externa, in due time.
AGGRAVATED
Intelligence + Academics will stabilize an Aggravated
wound, which will turn all Aggravated damage in 1
location to Lethal damage of its original amount. Though
any bleeding or other ongoing harm is halted. After the
initial surgery is successful, a number of days later equal
to the damage value of the Aggravated wound you can
attempt a Lethal healing roll to further aid the patient.
Note that certain effects or scars may remain even after
the damage is healed. It’s even likely that this limb is
completely maimed and destroyed and all the doc could
do was sew you up and seal the stump.
31
LETHAL DAMAGE
Each week 1 point of Lethal Damage goes away as long as
you go easy on that wound.
AGGRAVATED DAMAGE
You cannot naturally heal Aggravated damage unless you
have a supernatural ability to do so.
Healing Aids
None of the following items can be combined, they simply
do what they do on their own. All of them are 1 time use.
Though with roleplay you may be able to restock or clean
and reuse them.
FIRST AID KITS
Having some kind of equipment to help heal someone up
can provide +1 to +3 dice depending on what it does and
what components it has (or what’s left).
FIELD SURGEON’S KIT
Typical around military encampments, this has most of
what a medic would need out in the field. Trauma kits,
doping drugs, sterile equipment and so on. It’s typically
the size of a backpack or so. These allow all Academics
rolls to gain +2 automatic success on a successful
Academics roll.
PREPPED SURGERY ROOM
This is a clean room that has access to all manner of
surgical tools, sutures, stabilizing equipment and so on.
The nature and makeup of the room is determined by the
Storyteller and the era you are in. Regardless, it typically
provides +3 dice to all Academics rolls, and 1 Botch die is
ignored on all Healing rolls.
 Equipment
Enemies lurk in the shadows. Killers hide in the closet, under
the bed. Foes wait beneath pale streetlights, hungry for
blood on their knuckles, claws and teeth. It’s certainly
possible for a character to survive and dominate her
opponents with nothing more than her own bare hands and
bared teeth. A commitment to such hostile asceticism speaks
to a kind of purity. Unfortunately, her enemy might be armed
with tooth, claw and a .308 sniper rifle with an infrared
scope. People can say equipment gives characters an edge
against the night, but it would be a lie. The truth is,
equipment barely levels the playing field. This is the World
of Darkness, and the threats lurking in the uncertain distance
are often larger than they seem. Best be prepared.
No character can prepare fully for the dangers the World of
Darkness will throw at him, but a smart and resourceful one
can make a brave attempt. Herein are presented a wide
variety of equipment, useful in all sorts of situations, from a
desperate brawl in a tool shed to an escape from an
archeological expedition’s collapsed excavation tunnel. They
are still, however, only general examples. The action and
pacing should never slow down to look up the caliber of a
gun, or the stopping power of a cast iron skillet. Whether an
item is listed here or not, the players can add whatever
makes sense to the fiction and the ST can assign it a typical
value of up to +3 or down to -3 and in-between. Items can
ignore the effects or protections of others if the fiction has
built up to that. Remember, it’s about a good story, not a
simulation of reality.
32
Money is greatly abstracted in World of Darkness. You
can roleplay in-character using terms of dollars or yen or
franks to help set the theme and plot setting. But in
actual rules, you never keep track of money amounts.
Instead the game uses relative buying power as a way to
inform the players and storyteller if there should be
drama around you acquiring items or pure wealth.
This is done by using the Resources Merit as your measure
of buying power on a scale of 0 to 5 dots. Unless you have
put points into the Merit: Resources, all characters start
with 0 in Resources. Essentially they have no money to
spend and likely are doing all they can to not be homeless
and starving. See the Merit: Resources for details.
You must have the Merit: Resources equal to or greater
than the item’s Cost. If no drama is likely, you simply
obtain the item – no rolls needed.
If there is some possible drama or danger in purchasing
an item, Then roll your Merit:Resources dots (You may
treat this value as 1 Higher if, in picking up the item, you
will be harmed or under danger in some meaningful way
(and thus have to play out that scene of danger).
2+ successes and the item is yours as fast as the fiction
can get it to you. 1 Success and the item comes to you
but with a complication of some sort. 0 Successes and the
ST will offer you a Devil’s Bargain to obtain the item, as
there is some hidden cost involved. If you Botch, there is
some problem with your finances, perhaps they are under
attack. The ST will let you know how and what you need
to do to get your Resources back.
Equipment, weapons and items throughout these
rules are assigned costs in dots, 1 through 5. The
Storyteller will assign dots to items during play for
anything not listed in this book.
Your character's Resources dots aren't ‘spent’ and don't
go away. They represent available cash at any given
moment. The only means by which your character's
Resource dots might decrease is if story events conspire
against them to remove that job or monetary asset from
your character. Perhaps your character's fortune is wiped
out, he loses his job or his company is subjected to a
hostile takeover. The story therefore influences how your
character's dots might decrease, and whether they can be
salvaged. Increasing is more player directed. You roleplay
out how you are building a steady flow of income or
acquiring a massive haul in cash or assets and that opens
the doors for you to spend XP on increasing your dots in
the Merit: Resources.
If something is important to the plot or story, then likely it
should always be role-played to acquire. Just remember to
keep it interesting. Hand waive details on getting jobs or
saving cash or making deals to sell stuff if these scenes are
not going to lead to interesting drama and danger.
The weapons chart listed below is just a suggested
guideline for the storyteller and players to have a base
idea of what damage a given weapon does. The charts
are not meant to be realistic or representative or real
world physics. They are simply a basic rules set to
represent the additional damage done by a given
weapon, the rest should be narrated out by the
storyteller.
 Note that some weapons and armour listed
in this section are fictional and may not be
available to any given chronicle.
Weapon Attributes
RANGE
For the most part, ranged weapons can hit most targets
in a Close zone. And many more can hit targets quite
easily in a Near zone. The Range numbers given for each
item are only used when some specific measurement of
distance is needed. Refer to Distance combat Modifiers
for attack rolls. And make sure to note the size of each
zone as that may determine a weapon’s effectiveness.
DAMAGE
Weapon damage is added to the successes of an attack
roll. There must be at least 1 success, and you may not
have botched, in order for you to deal a weapon’s
damage.
(i.e. When using a pistol - which has Damage of 4 Lethal; you roll
your Dexterity + Ballistics. If you had 2 dots in each that’s 4 dice.
If these dice came up a: 2, 5, 4, 8 = then you got 1 success. You
would do 5 points of Lethal damage: 1 for success and 4 for the
pistol.
If you instead rolled: 3, 5, 4, 6 = no successes. Then you did 0
damage as the shot missed. Likewise if you Botched the roll as
well.)
Improvised Weapons
Any item not listed in the Weapons sections is
considered an Improvised weapon and is at a -2 to
use and -1 damage. This is typically for things like
bottles, chairs, rocks, and other such unbalanced,
oddly shaped items.
33
RATE OF FIRE
Rate of Fire (RoF) applies to firearms, bows, and other
such weapons. Rate of Fire is the amount of Shots per
Action Card and how many actions it takes to reload. Any
weapon that fires more than 1 Shot per Round suffers
from Recoil.
(i.e. a 9mm pistol has a RoF of 3(1). This means that it can be
fired up to 3 times on a single Action Card, and it takes 1 full
action card to reload it.)
BURST FIRE
Some weapons can fire three-round bursts or fully
automatic firing (the gun keeps firing as long as you hold
the trigger and it has ammo). One Burst represents a
number of shots automatically fired very, very quickly in
a single pull of the trigger, on a single Action Card. Every
success on an Attack Roll represents 1 bullet that hit, up
to the Burst Fire number; doing damage and rolling
location separately for each. Roll the weapon’s full
damage for each bullet that hit. Any weapon that fires
more than 1 Burst per Round suffers from Recoil.
(i.e. If a machine gun has a Burst Fire Rate of 5, and you got 4
successes on your to hit roll, then 4 bullets hit.)
RECOIL
Firing off a hail of lead is hard to control. Each Shot or
Burst fired after the first in the same Round suffers a
cumulative –2 recoil modifier.
(i.e The third burst suffers a –4; or a third Round fired would be
at a -4, and so on)
Archaic Weapons Recurve Bow
This is the bow made famous by the Turks, for being re curved.
ARCHAIC WEAPONS CHART It is short as a short bow, but more powerful than a long bow.
Damage: B=Bashing, L=Lethal, A=Aggravated
The range, while possible to go longer than a long bow, is
Ranged Weapons Damage Rate of Fire Range
Shortbow 4L 1(1) 10m/30m denoted for the effective kill range these bows are created at.
Longbow 3L 1(1) 100m/300m Someone could make a long range recurve bow, but it would be
Recurve Bow 4L 1(1) 20m/60m very, very hard to pull back as you have less pull leverage than
Compound 5L 1(2) 20m/80m with a long bow.
Crossbow 3L 1(2) 30m/60m
Heavy Crossbow 5L 1(3) 40m/80m
 These must be wielded two handed.

Blades
Knife 2L
Crossbow
Short Sword 3L These have a hand pull to so they can be shot one handed
Long Sword 3L but have to use both hand to reload and pull back. They
Great Sword 4L
Battle Axe 3L
were intended for militia men who had no time to learn
Great Axe 3L to shoot a bow and so sacrifice arrow speed and power
for point and shoot ease of use.
Spears
Javelin 3L
 These may be fired from a mounted, riding or sitting
Spear 3L position.
Halberd special
Lance special
Heavy Crossbow
Bludgeons These were mostly used on the field of battle to bring
Sap 3B
Club 2B
down horses or heavily armored enemies. They require
War Hammer 3B putting your foot in a stirrup and pulling back hard to set
Great Hammer 4B the bolt. They require two hands to fire as they are very
War Pike 4 L or B
heavy, and they require hands and feet, or a crank to pull
Exotic Weapons back.
Katana 3L  These must be wielded two handed.
Scythe 2L
Tiger Claws 2L
Main Gauche 2L Arrow and Bolt Ammunition
Whip 1L
Flail 2L
For bows and crossbows different types of ammunition
Rapier 2L can be purchased. Each of the items below can be made
Mace special for either bows or crossbows.
Garrote Wire special

Mounted Weapons Damage Rate of Fire Range Arrow quivers can hold up to 10 arrows of any type, but
Ballistae 5A 1/5 100m/500m mixing types can be a terrible idea in the heat of combat,
so it is highly suggested a quiver holds 10 arrows of the
RANGED WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS same type or at least 5 of each. Also note that arrows for
Most of these weapons require a young adult or greater Compound bows are not compatible with recurve or
strength to operate. Some weakened or injured or very young long/short bows (While they may fire, they will likely
characters may not be able to use them. greatly divert from the target due to opposite layout of
fletching.)
Short Bow
This is an old world straight bow that has no recurve. They were  All arrows cause Bleeding, excepting Blunted and
often used mostly for rabbits and other small game. Noisemaker arrows.
 These may be fired from a mounted, riding or sitting position.  Noisemaker: makes a loud whistling noise audible to all
 These must be wielded two handed. within 30 meters. These are non-lethal and cannot do harm.
 Piercing: Cuts armor and natural Fortitude values in half but
Long Bow range is halved and maxes out at 30 yards
This refers mostly to a tall straight bow that has no recurve and  Bloodletting: Does normal damage, plus additional 3 points
was mostly just use en-masse on the field of battle to fire big of lethal when removed that is unable to be soaked.
arrow as far as possible to land in a huge group to kill bunched  Blunted: damage done is non-lethal Bashing damage.
up enemies. This would make an average to poor bow for
hunting or short range.
 These must be wielded two handed.

Compound Bow
A modern bow using cams to create even faster arrow flight and
higher damage hits. These require a trigger release to use as
pulling one back with your fingers could cause permanent nerve
damage or loss of fingers.
 These must be wielded two handed.

34
BLADE WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS
 No blade weapon except the Dagger may be used in
a grapple.
 All Blade weapons cause Bleeding
Dagger
These represent most any sharpened item held in one
hand typically from a bread knife size to a bowie knife
size.
 These may not be wielded two-handed.
Short Sword
 These may not be wielded two-handed.
Long Sword
 These may be wielded one or two handed.
Great Sword
 These must be wielded two-handed
 These require minimum 3 dots strength to use
Great Axe
 These must be wielded two-handed
 These require minimum 3 dots strength to use
SPEAR WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS
 The damage for these only applies to stabbing or
piercing motions.
 These may be used to keep an enemy at bay,
imposing a -2 to attacker’s trying to get close enough
to attack the spear-wielder.
Halberd
 This weapon must be wielded two handed
 It may be used with Spear profile or Battle Axe
profile.
 These require minimum 3 dots strength to use
Lance
 A Lance may only be used in a Charge special
maneuver, see Charging for more.
 Lances may be Blunted or Pointed.
o Blunted Lances do +4 Bashing damage
o Pointed Lances do +3 Lethal damage
 Lances are made of wood, metal, or metal braced
wood.
o Wood lances, if they hit their target they are
broken upon impact.
o Metal-Braced wood lances roll 2d10 and are
broken if either die is a 1.
o Metal lances do not break unless the Storyteller
calls for it.
35
BLUDGEON WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS
All Bludgeon weapons only do Bashing damage.
Sap
 This weapon deals no damage. Instead, when this
weapon is used to attack, the attacker must do equal
to or greater than the targets Size in a single swing.
 The attack must be made upon an unaware or
helpless target in which case the attack would
automatically hit the targets head and they would get
no defense.
Staff
 This weapon must be wielded two handed.
 When splitting dice to attack twice you gain 1 bonus
die to each attack pool.
War Hammer
 This weapon may be wielded one or two handed.
 These require minimum 3 dots strength to use
Great Hammer
 This weapon may only be wielded two handed
 These require minimum 3 dots strength to use
War Pike
 This weapon is a War Hammer on one side and a Pike
on the other. Treat the pike as a Short Sword for
damage and rules.
EXOTIC WEAPONS DESCRIPTIONS
Garrote
 This weapon must be used with 3 successes on a targets
head. This attack is a Dexterity + Brawl attack vs. the
targets defense. If the location attack is successful then the
target begins to suffocate. After 1 round per point the
target has in Size, they pass out for 10 to 30 seconds. Each
round the target can make a Stamina + Brawl roll vs the
attackers Strength + Brawl. It takes two successive rounds
to get free. Each round the defender wins the roll, it
reduces the number of Size choke successes the attacker
got by 1.
Katana
 This weapon will do no damage to heavy armor and
has a 5+ chance of shattering if used against a solid
metal object.
 This weapon reduces all Leather and Natural Soak
values by half, round down.
 It may be wielded one or two handed
 Causes Bleeding
Scythe
 This item must be wielded two-handed.
 This item may not be used against an unarmed Brawl
opponent who is attacking the wielder.
 This item has a normal reach plus 3ft.
 Causes Bleeding
Tiger Claws MOUNTED WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS
 This item uses an attackers Brawl stat. Ballistae
 This item may be used in a Grapple.  These weapons use the Deviation Hit Chart and
 This item grants a +1 die to Climb rolls. cause are effect damage
 This item cannot be Disarmed
 Causes Bleeding

Main Gauche
 This item grants a Short Sword or Long Sword or
Rapier user a +1 to defense against Brawl and
Weaponry attacks
 Causes Bleeding

Whip
 This item has a reach of +10ft .
 This item may not be used if target is 5ft or closer to
attacker. (note that this 5ft range is the typical sword
attack range. So assume that if the enemy is within
sword striking range, they are too close for you to use
this whip)
 This item grants a +1 to Climb rolls if the terrain has
limbs or outcroppings the whip can wrap onto.
 Besides making big red welts, whips and lariats can
be used to entangle and trip a person too. Tripping is
an opposed roll of the attacker’s Dexterity +
Weaponry skill versus the opponent’s Strength +
Athletics. The ST should feel free to apply modifiers
according to the situation. Obviously, if your lassoed
character is being dragged behind a motorcycle
(ouch!), it’s going to be a bit tougher to break free
than it might normally be.

Flail
 This item may not be used to Aim at specific target
locations.
 This item does its Lethal damage first, then adds that
same damage again as Bashing damage
 Causes Bleeding

Rapier
 This item grants +2 to location adjustments.
 It may only be wielded one handed
 Causes Bleeding

Mace
 They require a minimum Strength of 3 dots to wield
 They are one-handed weapons but may also be used
two-handed

These can be one of three types, Blunt, Bladed, or Spiked.

 Blunt: 2 lethal damage forces opponent to roll
Dexterity to stay standing or be knocked over. Only 1
or more successes needed.
 Bladed: 3 lethal damage, causes Bleeding
 Spiked: 2 lethal damage, ignores 1 point of armor,
causes Bleeding

36
BLACK POWDER FIREARMS
There are two types of firearms for this setting, the
Matchlock and the Flintlock. Both work under the same
premise, only the firing mechanism differs.
 All black powder weapons do Lethal damage and cause
Bleeding
 All weapons use approximately the same charge (for
simplicity purposes) which is 70 grains or about 4.5
grams of gunpowder
 Black powder can never get wet, if it ever does, the
powder is useless and is never able to be used again.
Reliability
Neither of these are reliable. Many things can go wrong,
sparks may not be enough ignite the powder, the powder
might be wet and unable to be lit at all, the bullet might
get loose in the barrel and fire poorly and more. When
firing the gun roll 1d10 before you roll to hit your target.
If the roll is equal to or above the gun’s Reliability Rating,
then the shot goes off as normal. If it is below that
number, then the gun misfires, roll on the misfire table
below to see what happened.

Loading Misfire Table

Roll Result
All guns work by adding a pinch of gunpowder to the flash 1 Explosion! The barrel of the gun bursts and hot shards of steel and
pan chamber. There is a sliding cover for the flash pan so lead blast you in the face, chest and hands. You take 1d10+2 points
of lethal damage (spread the damage evenly across each arm, the
as to be able to set a charge and hold it there until ready chest and head)
to fire. This cover is not waterproof, but it will prevent 2-3 Puff! Nothing but gun smoke. The powder is wasted and a new
charge must be loaded.
accidental firing of the gun even if the trigger is pulled. 4-5 Snap! Nothing happens. Relight the Match Cord or scrub the flint
and try again. This requires one Action to do this.
Once the gunpowder is loaded, a round lead bullet about 6-7 Boom! The gun fires, but a second after you expected it to. -2 to hit
your target.
the size of the tip of your finger is loaded into the barrel 8-10 Click! Nothing happens, you may try to fire again on your next action
from the muzzle. A rod that is held underneath the barrel
is used to gently tap the bullet into place, unless the gun Rifles and Pistols
is violently bumped, the bullet won’t fall out too easily There are two types of firearms that can be found, rifles
(but it can!). and pistols. Both work the same way but have differences
in accuracy. These weapons are not accurate weapons.
Firing Each Range increment is a cumulative -2. Additionally
The gun is now ready to fire. This process of loading a gun black power firearms have a max effective range of 240ft.
is called Rate of Fire (RoF) and determines how often you
can fire the gun. Typically it takes 30 to 45 seconds to load Black Powder Firearm Table
a black powder gun. This means that it will take about 10 Gun Type RoF Range Damage Reliability
to 15 consecutive action to reload one of these guns. Each Matchlock Pistol 1/15 30ft 4 5
Matchlock Musket 1/15 50ft 7 5
action you must be able to perform the some part of the Flintlock Pistol 1/10 30ft 4 4
reloading task. You cannot do this while being hit with Flintlock Musket 1/10 50ft 7 4
melee weapons or being grappled. Flintlock Rifle 1/10 100ft 7 4

For Matchlock guns there is still one more step – lighting

the Match Cord, a rope of hemp or flax that fits into a
pinch holder on the trigger mechanism. Once lit, this rope
burns with embers slowly and needs to be manually fed
into the pinch holder as it burns down. You then open the
flash pan slider and take aim. Once the trigger is pulled,
the hot Match Cord slaps down onto the black powder
and ignites it, sending a blast into a small breech hole in
the barrel behind the bullet, firing the gun.

Flintlocks are a bit easier to use. They have a small tile of

flint and a raw steel striking pin then when the trigger is
pulled it causes a spark to fall into the flash pan with the
black powder and make the gun fire.

37
Modern Weapons Launchers
By no means is this a comprehensive list. It is meant to only Grenade launchers, rocket launchers and other such massive
illustrate the typical weapons found in drama films and settings. caliber projectile weapons fall into this category. Be they
mounted or held, they all share one main rule = they never roll
for a body part hit location. These weapons, even with the best
MODERN WEAPONS CHART of targeting systems and practice, are inaccurate and highly
Damage: B=Bashing, L=Lethal, A=Aggravated affected by wind and range drop off.
Hand Carried Weapons Damage Rate of Fire Range
Taser 1*** 1(1) Contact/20ft
Flare Gun *** 1(1) 30/300yds  They use the Deviation Hit Location Chart.
Pistol (Small Caliber) 4L 3(1) 10/100yds
Pistol (High Caliber) 6L 3(1) 20/100yds
Machine Gun (Small Cal) 5L 10(3) 10/100yds Machine Guns
Flame Thrower (Gas) 5L 1(1) 10yds These are very heavy weapons that must be mounted as they
Flame Thrower (Liquid) 6L 1(1) 20yds weigh 40lbs empty and their ammo will weigh another 20 to
Rifle (Standard Caliber) 7L 3(1) 100/1000yds
30lbs.
Rifle (High Caliber) 10 L 3(1) 100/2500yds
Shotgun (Spread) 5* 2(1) 40/40yds
Shotgun (Slug) 6* 2(1) 20/100tds  Machine Guns use Burst Fire as their main attack. Some may
have the option for single fire, but most do not. Typical
Mounted Weapons Damage Rate of Fire Range
7.62mm machine guns have a Burst Fire Rate of 100.
Machine Gun (High Cal) 10 L 30(3) 500/8000yds
Canon (Ball) ** 1/2(varies) 200/1600yds
Canon (120mm shell) ** 1 15mi Rifles
Missile (Explosive) ** 1 20mi
Missile (Incendiary) ** 1 20mi
Rifles can have multiple ammo magazine sizes.
* At close range, under 5m, add +2 to this value.  If the rifle has no scope, its max effective range is 300 yards
** See Explosive Weapons chart for damage and each range increment is -2 instead of -1.
*** See Weapon Description for damage  If the rifle is bolt action, its default magazine size is 3+1(in
chamber) rounds
 If the rifle is a semi-automatic rifle, its default magazine size
MODERN WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS
is 30 rounds.
Shotguns  Some rifles can do full auto or three round burst fire, they use
Shotguns and scatterguns unleash a hail of tiny balls, filling the Burst Fire Rate of 3 (three round burst) or 10 (full auto). Larger
air with lead. This makes them ideal for unskilled shooters, magazines can be found for each rifle type, some weapons,
though they cause less damage as the buckshot spreads. Anyone such as bolt action rifles, may have to be modified to
firing a shotgun adds +1 to her Firearms roll. Its damage accommodate a larger magazine.
decreases the further it travels. Each range increment the target  For some very high caliber sniper rifles, they require a long
is from the shooter decreased the damage dealt from a range scope, range finder, wind meter, and spotter person or
successful hit by -1 to a minimum of 1. DOPE (Data on Previous Engagements) book to be used at full
1 mile distance effectively.
 Slugs: Both shotguns and scatterguns can also fire slugs, which
are basically huge, hunks of lead. Slugs subtract -1 from the
attacker’s to-hit roll because of their poor rifling. On the plus side, MODERN WEAPON ACCESSORIES
they do an additional +2 damage regardless of range. Pintle Mount
This is a hard mount to either a heavy metal tripod stand, a
Tasers vehicle, or emplacement. It reduces the recoil of a weapon
Also known as a “Gentle Reminder”, this simple device produces under full-auto fire to a max minus of -1.
.04-.08 amps and about 4-8 joules of power delivering around
50,000 volts to the assailant. Target takes its 1 point of Bashing Long Range Scope
damage and is paralyzed while in contact. No matter how many This gives you your first range increment for no minus.
times struck or any other damage the target has taken, the
“Gentle Reminder” cannot do any damage type other than
Night Vision Scope
Bashing. Taser damage never wraps to a higher damage type. If
This allows for sighting a target at night with no lights at a -2
the assailant comes into contact with the user, the charge is
modifier to hit up to ¼ the weapons max effective range.
diverted grounding the effect harmlessly. Contact will have to
be disengaged to re initiate the attack.
Silencer
This reduces muzzle noise by 50%. All chances to detect your
Flare Guns
location at close range are at a -1. At long range they are at a -3.
These burn with a phosphorus powder slugs at around 2600
degrees Fahrenheit. They often bounce off a target with a
harmless hiss. But the wad can ignite and become a sticky slug Flash Suppressor
that hits and burns on its target with aggravated damage. When This prevents muzzle flash but makes the gun an extra 8” longer.
a flare slug hits roll 1d10. On a 1-3 the flare bounces off the
target harmlessly. On a 4-10 the slug hits and burns long enough
to do at least a 1 point of Aggravated damage. It can then be
knocked off (usually by falling to the ground and rolling and
flailing around). If it sticks it will also ignite any flammable items
it is in contact with. Also note that these are not accurate items.
They suffer a -2 to hit when firing at a specific target.

38
Explosives Explosive Weapons Chart
Grenades Damage Blast Area*** Force AP
There are few things as much fun as blowing stuff up. Frag 40 10m / 15m 3 -
Here’s how to handle what happens to all those Pipe Bomb 45 5m / 7m 2 -
unfortunate enough to be nearby something that goes Stun * 10m / 12m 1 -
Thermite** 70 5m / 10m 4 4
boom. There are two types of Area damage delivered in White Phosphorus** 48 5m / 10m 4 1
an explosion, Blast and Force. Molotov Cocktail** 20 5m / 10m 0 -
Smoke * 10m / 20m 0 -
Tear gas * 10m / 20m 0 -
Blast Area represents someone caught in the effect zone
of the explosion, the area where the explosion is designed Rockets/Cannon Shells Damage Blast Area Force AP
to do the most damage. Anti-Tank 288 10m / 25m 15 -
Anti-Tank, HE** 303 5m / 20m 13 -
White Phosphorus** 282 10m / 25m 14 4
Force Area is everything just outside the main area of the Illumination - 500m / 800m 0 -
Cannon (12lb ball) 40 10m 5 -
explosion, but still close enough to be affected by the
Canon (120mm explosive) 280 10m / 25m 23 2
blast. (Generally from debris, flame or concussion and the Missile (Explosive) 540 20m / 40m 30 8
like) Missile (Incendiary)** 500 10m / 40m 28 4

Explosives Damage Blast Area Force AP

Damage from explosives is taken differently than other Nitroglycerin, 1 oz. * .5m / .5m 0 -
weapons, and most of the time it’s going to be Aggravated Dynamite, 1 stick 100 10m / 15m 12 1
TNT, 1 stick 160 10m / 15m 14 2
damage type. A location is never rolled and successes to C-4, 1.25 lb. block 200 20m / 30m 20 4
hit never add to damage. Instead damage is spread C-4, .5 lb. sheet 100 10m / 20m 20 3
evenly across each body part location, with any odd ANFO, 1 gal. 100 10m / 20m 20 4
Semtex, 1 lb. 100 10m / 20m 20 4
remaining damage being applied to the location that was
closest (or possibly even touching) the explosion point of Demolition Charges Damage Blast Area Force AP
origin. Also, all explosives cause Bleeding. Satchel Charge 88 10m / 20m 40 8
Cratering Charge, 40 lbs. 590 50m / 80m 100 40
Shaped Charge, 15 lbs. 400 20m / 40m 40 25
 Primary Blast Area: The diameter of the main Breeching Charge, .25 lb. 200 10m / 20m 40 20
explosion in meters. Those caught in the Primary (P) * See weapon description for effect.

Blast Area the full damage as Lethal. Armor soaks this ** These items also set the target ablaze with flame. Each turn after the first,
as normal. anything still in the blast area continues to suffer fire damage equal to the
explosive’s Force.

 Secondary Blast Area: Bystanders caught in the *** The first number is the Primary Blast Area, the second number is the
Secondary Blast Area
Secondary (S) Blast Area take only half the Lethal
Damage. Armor soaks this as normal.

 Force Area: In addition to the damage from being in

either the Primary or the Secondary blast area
anything considered ‘alive’ takes concussive force
damage as Bashing damage. To determine how
much, roll Strength + Stamina – Force (if you are
reduced to 0 or less dice, you automatically take full
damage). With 1 or more successes you were able to
hit the ground, tumble or otherwise roll with the
blasts’ force. If you fail or botch the roll you take
1/10th the explosion damage as Bashing.
o Armor does not soak this, but Cover does.
o The amount taken is the same for those in both
the Primary and Secondary Blast Areas.
o Victims are thrown a number of feet equal to the
Force (minus 1 for every point of Size they are
over 5).

39
Protection can come in the form a suit of armor or a police
officer’s riot shield. Armor can range from simple vests to
full suit-like armor that requires a second person to help
you put it on. In general, armor is something typically only
found when people are ready to go into a combat
situation. Armor is heavy, stiff and awkward to function
in and can get in the way of many menial tasks. So
typically it is not worn all the time, but only put on in
preparation of a combat.

Armor
If you are wearing armor it will have a rating for each type
ARMOR REPAIR
of damage it can Soak. That number is subtracted from
Most armor can be repaired, but not always to its original
the Damage from the attack, to a minimum of 0. If any
condition. Here are the general guidelines for armor
damage still makes it through the armor, it is applied to
repair:
the character - then at the end of the scene the armor is
considered ‘broken’ it must be repaired before it can be
 Archaic Armor Repair Rule: All Archaic armor (made of
used again.
cloth, metal, and/or wood) can be fully repaired to its
original condition, however this requires a forge /
ARMOR MOVEMENT PENALTY blacksmith / leatherworker. It takes 1 day (8 hours) per
The Defense Penalty is the amount your Defense and Hit Point restored up to its original max.
Dexterity are reduced while wearing that armor. This can
go into negative values, indicating you are moving so slow  Modern Armor Lethal Repair Rule: Modern armor can
and cumbersome you are an easy target or are just be repaired to one less than its previous maximum Hit
stumbling along. And it applies to all rolls and actions that Points. After enough repair attempts the armor will be
use either Dexterity or Defense. rendered useless. It takes a modern armor company
about 2 days per Hit Point restored to repair.
 The Defense Penalty applies even if only one body location or
more is armored with that type of protection.
 Aggravated Repair Rule: Armor cannot be repaired if it
 If your Defense becomes a negative value, then that many
dice are added to the attackers dice pool. took Aggravated damage. Any armor that suffered
 Note that armor does not soak falling damage and other types Aggravated damage is unable to be repaired.
of environmental damage.
 The values given below are for Torso and Leg armor values.
Arms and Head reduce each damage soak type by 1.
 The weight represents a full suit that covers arms, legs and
torso but not the head.

ARCHAIC ARMOR
Armor Soak (B/L/A) Defense Weight
Penalty*
Leather (soft) 1/1/0 0 3lbs
Leather (hard) 2/2/0 1 11lbs
Steel (chainmail) 1/3/0 2 30lbs
Steel (half-plate) 5/4/0 3 75lbs
Steel (full-plate) 7/5/1 4 150lbs

MODERN ARMOR
Armor Soak (B/L/A) Defense Weight
Penalty*
Bomb Suit 80/40/40 No 90lbs
defense
Bullet Proof Vest I (soft) 5/6/0 2 11lbs
Bullet Proof Vest III (plate) 10/9/1 3 21lbs
Bullet Proof Vest V (plate) 15/10/6 4 45lbs
Flak Jacket 3/4/1 1 17lbs
Police Riot Suit 12/9/2 4 65lbs

40
Shields
A shield is essentially like portable cover. Depending on their
size and use and technique they simply add to the
character’s Defense value if used against physical attacks,
and against ranged attacks. Certain circumstances may
negate or alter the way the shield works, so it’s best to be
descriptive with your actions with a shield.
DAMAGE AND SHIELDS
Damage taken while using a shield works differently than
normally. When you take damage from an attack while using
a shield, it provides Soak against the attack. Your character
takes no damage unless the attack did over the shield’s Soak
in a single strike, in which case you take any damage in
excess of the shield’s Soak.
Kite Shield
These are typically about 18 inches wide and about two feet
long, often in a diamond shape or an upside-down-tear
shape. They give better cover, usually the head, chest and
shield arm are easily guarded.
 Forearm goes through strap and hand holds shield, so the shield-
hand may only be used to hold shield.
 Dexterity is reduced by 1 while wielding a Kite shield.
Tower Shield
These are massive walls of reinforced wood or plated steel.
They are heavy and awkward to fight with. Usually they offer
protect to the entire body, even allowing the user to hide
completely behind it or to make a mobile wall with
companions with tower shields.

Broken Shield  Forearm goes through strap and hand holds shield, so the shield-
Shields are typically plates of material built with hand may only be used to hold shield.
reinforcements in order to withstand multiple attacks.  Dexterity is reduced by 2 when wielding a Tower Shield
Even still, they can break, the arm strap can tear off, or  May not be used mounted (on horse or otherwise)
holes can be pierced though them. A shield can break
anytime the Storyteller makes a Storyteller Action move, Riot Shield
or it takes Aggravated damage. Riot shields are similar to the Tower shields of old. But
instead of heavy metal for protection they are made with
SHIELDS AND BALLISTICS modern anti-ballistics and anti-explosive compounds which
are often clear to see through or have view ports. Typically
All shields, when used for defense, allow a defender to
they cover the whole body.
get their Defense against Ballistic attacks. Throwing
away a card to Dodge doubles their base Defense then
 Forearm goes through strap and hand holds shield, so the shield-
the Shield Defense is added to that value.
hand may only be used to hold shield.
 Dexterity is reduced by 1 when wielding a Tower Shield
SHIELD STANCE
Shields are cumbersome to attack with; and a swing with a
sword, baton, or shot from a gun is hampered by their use. SHIELD SPECIAL ATTACKS
Thus any turn in which the character used their shield to
Shield Breaker
defend (i.e. an enemy attacked them and they used the
Skilled opponents know how to get around even the best
shield’s Defense value against that attack) – their attack dice
defense. When attacking someone who is using a shield you
pool is reduced by 0 (Buckler) or 1 (all others) for each can try to get them to let their guard down or to get inside
attack any enemy took against them that they used their
their shield or move around to their off-shield arm and
shield against - Reducing their dice pool (to a minimum of
attack. This is done by rolling your Dexterity + Athletics –
0).These modifiers remain until the character takes one Defenders Wits. A success indicates you successfully moved
action to Reset Their Stance. No other action may be taken around the shield or feinted in some fashion – the soak the
on the card they reset their stance with. shield offers is negated. This takes one full action card to
perform and goes away if the opponent choses to reset their
SHIELD LIST stance. Note, this would not count against the shield
Shield Defense Soak Bash Weight opponents minuses for blocking attacks.
Bonus
Buckler 1 1 0 3 to 5lbs
Kite (wood) 2 2 1 8 to 11lbs Shield Bash
Kite (steel) 2 3 2 15 to 20lbs
Tower (wood) 3 4 2 18 to 24lbs
Shields are heavy objects. This makes them excellent for
Tower (steel) 3 5 3 45 to 60lbs knocking opponents around. You may use your shield to
Riot (polymer) 3 6 3 15 to 20lbs knock an opponent off their feet or shove them around. A
roll of Strength + Shield Bash Bonus (see each shields
SHIELD DESCRIPTIONS description); is made. The number of successes reduces the
targets defense by one for each success. Reducing the
Buckler
targets defense to -1 or lower means they are knocked off
These are metal banded wooden plates, sometimes square
their feet and fall to the ground or are otherwise knocked
sometimes circle. They are about one foot in diameter and
back some five feet in distance.
they buckle to the forearm. They typically only give
protection to the head and shield arm and perhaps a bit to
the chest.
 Covers shield arm and head
 May still use hand that shield is buckled to

41
Most objects in World of Darkness have generic stats that Locks
can be assumed to be often close to what you are This is the list of typical locks, they may vary from this
encountering in game. These are: Durability and Structure. within reason. The task is an Extended Action using
Dexterity + Crafts, requiring a number of successes based
Durability is the objects ability to absorb or resist damage. on the toughness and sophistication of the lock. Typically
the roll is not even allowed if the character has no tools
Structure is the function and shape of the item before it is to crack the lock. And unless the ST allows it, simply
rendered unusable or compromised. Each time the object is shooting or blasting the lock won’t work – leaving the lock
hit and takes any amount of damage its structure is reduced
sealed shut (but might work fine for simple doors,
by 1. Once at 0, it is broken, damaged, punched or cracked
padlocks, and the like.)
through, and otherwise no longer works or offers protection.
Certain attack types my do more than 1 structure point of
Any lock could be a Mastercrafted Lock doubling its
damage.
difficulty back in to represent its excellent work, silent
movement and sturdy construction.
Objects
Not always can a character don special armor to avoid
MECHANICAL LOCKS
damage. Sometimes they will have to duck behind a table or
hide behind a wall or door. Here is a list of typical materials Mechanical locks are the most common type, found in
and their average soak values. most homes, cars, warehouses. These require physical
Item Durability (B/L/A) Structure keys to operate. And either simple lockpicks or
Car door 100 / 25 / 5 6 locksmith’s tools to crack.
Bank Vault door 100 / 25 / 5 100 Lock Difficulty Typical Type of Lock
House interior wall 100 / 25 / 5 8 2-3 Suitcase or diary lock
Coffin 100 / 25 / 5 5 4-7 Padlock or a house lock
Metal chair 100 / 25 / 5 4 10-15 Combination lock
Wooden table 100 / 25 / 5 4

DIGITAL LOCKS
Materials Digital locks are ones that don’t use physical keys. They
These are raw materials and their values, they are mostly may be biometric scanners (fingerprints or facial
to factor into the construction of an object or structure. recognition), or they may be number pad coded and the
These do not correlate to an object or structures like. No lockpick or toolset will typically bypass these as
Durability or Structure points directly, as joints, shape, they are often magnetic or robotically locked. Instead you
and function will alter that dramatically. Some materials may need special NFC (near field communication) or case
might have special properties such as heat absorption or cracking drills, and wire-tapping with a pc coded to send
elasticity. The values given here are for a 1’x1’x1” ‘plank’ false signals to circuit boards. Either way, this is a
of the item. complicated process that very few know how to do or
have the tools for. The difficulties below represent the
Material Durability (B/L/A) Structure
Glass 1/-/- 1 sturdy and technical complexity of the digital lock. Rolls
Wood 4/1/- 3 should not even be allowed without the correct
Plastic 6/1/- 4 equipment.
Aluminum 20 / 5 / 1 5
Lock Difficulty Typical Type of Lock
Steel 30 / 10 / 3 10
2-3 Home door, keypad
Cement 15 / 3 / 1 5
4-7 Commercial security door; NFC
Brick 12 / 3 / 1 4
10-15 Military or Advanced modern tech; biometric
25-50 Bank vault; multi-layer embedded robotic
deadbolts behind reinforced hidden hinge door

42
Now you know how to shoot, stab, drown, and blow up your
fellow human beings. Let’s focus all that destructive energy
on vehicles.
Attributes
Most all vehicles are just what the base model is and does.
But some can be modified or come with special functionality.
When roleplaying acquiring a vehicle, or using Merit:
Resources or Merit: Belongings to get a vehicle discuss with
the Storyteller how many Attributes your vehicle will get
(normally 0 to 5). An attribute is a narrative aspect of the
vehicle which can come into play at any time in gameplay. If
a vehicle Attribute seems to apply to the fiction at hand, then
it grants either a bonus die or a narrative opportunity. Some
vehicle Attributes might be: armored, fast, flashy, blacked-
out, off-road, maneuverable, etc.
Ground Vehicles
Vehicles are split into two types of action: Combat Rounds
(Usually because some number of combatants are still on
foot) and Narrative (usually for a chase or race scene). The
Storyteller will reduce your dice pool if the vehicle is in some
way damaged, you are panicked or hurt, rain, difficult
terrain, and the like, or has very poor handling.
Air Vehicles
For all intents and purposes any time characters get into
any kind of flying craft, it is a narrative event. Beyond
their rolls to be able to fly it and maneuver it, treat
everything else as only in Narrative scenes.
Chase Scenes
For chase or race scenes the Storyteller will determine how
hard it is to beat your opponent(s). This will be chosen as
either by 3 (quick/easy) or 5 (long/difficult) successes.
The Fleeing party makes a Wits + Streetwise roll comparing
successes against the Pursuer’s Perception + Streetwise.
Whoever got the most successes gets 1 point towards their
goal of 3 or 5 to win.
If someone gets 5 or more successes over their opponent
then the ST will either award them 2 points or allow them to
add a complication or to harm their opponent. If someone
botches a roll, then the ST will make a Narrative Move which
may, but not always, end the chase/race (more likely the
botch will be interpreted as damage, or careening out of
control or some other cinematic moment.)
43
Movement
Unlike pedestrians, vehicles are not broken out into a walk,
run, sprint speeds. Instead they are given as Accelerate, and
Brake. Obviously there are a great number of vehicles and
eras of vehicles as well. What we give here is simply a most
common type typically found on the streets in most cities
around the world from about 1990 to now. The Storyteller
will adjust values for cars older or of a special type or
capability using Vehicle Attributes as above.
Accelerate is typically for a vehicle starting from a dead stop
and then going as fast as it can. It can also mean cruising
down the road and then suddenly going full throttle. The
value used is in feet from a standstill and in miles per hour
(mph) increments per Action card for increasing speed once
going. A vehicle can only accelerate once per round
regardless of how many action cards you have.
Brake is typically for a vehicle going at some speed and trying
to stop as fast as it possibly can. You will make a typical
Dexterity + Athletics roll to keep control of the vehicle as you
mash on the brakes. More importantly, not all vehicles stop
as quickly as others. The value in the Brake column is for
about how short a distance a vehicle will come to a complete
stop in. These are not meant to be used as exact values in
roleplay, but simply to inform the narrative as to how close
or far away you might be when you desperately need to stop.
 Note that it will take about 1 second (1 round) per 30 feet
of brake distance for how long it takes to stop. That
means that a car with a 120ft stopping distance at 60mph
will come to a complete stop in 4 seconds, or 4 rounds.
VEHICLE CHART
Type Movement
Accelerate Brake
Car 0-30 = 30ft 30-0 = 30ft
10mph 60-0 = 120ft
100-0 = 400ft
Truck 0-30 = 25ft 30-0 = 30ft
8mph 60-0 = 120ft
100-0 = 400ft
Motorcycle 0-30 = 50ft 30-0 = 30ft
Sport 15mph 60-0 = 120ft
100-0 = 400ft
Motorcycle 0-30 = 30ft 30-0 = 30ft
Cruiser 10mph 60-0 = 120ft
100-0 = 400ft
CRASHING
Every once in a while, a vehicle whacks into something it
shouldn’t have. When this happens, the vehicle takes 1d10
Bashing damage (adding up the values) for every 20 miles an
hour it was moving. Damage is spread evenly across all
locations.
KABOOM!
In the real world cars don’t explode. They catch on fire,
but even then it’s not common. Only on a Botch with a
crash or weaponized explosion or the like should a vehicle
explode or erupt into flames. If the fiction seems right, or
you just want a damn big boom, then go for it!
Sailing Ships
Each ship will have the same stats as a mortal in World of
Critical Hit Effects
Darkness. Here is the interpretation of each stat: Chart (roll
1d10)
 Strength = Number and quality of cannons the ship can bring 1 Mizzen mast hit! Speed reduced to half
2 Crew Hit! 1d5 members slain or sent overboard (on a roll of
to bear 10(5) a “named” crew member is one of the victims.
 Dexterity = the ships ability to maneuver in rough 3 Hull Hit! Ship is taking on water (each successive Hull Hit result
waters/coral reefs/alcoves/shorelines requires 1 additional crew member to pump/haul buckets of
water out of the hull, for each hit not attended by a crew
 Stamina = the duration the crew can stay at sea and function member, the ship gains 1 Sinking! Point. If the Sinking! Points
at full capacity equal the ships Size = the ship is sunk! It takes 4 hours for the
 Intelligence = the navigators ability to chart the seas and stay ship carpenter to repair 1 Hit. Once all hits are repaired – all
the course in a storm Sinking! Points are removed.
4 Hull Hit!
 Wits = the crews ability to take orders and obey them 5 Hull Hit!
correctly 6 Sail Hit! One of your sails has a huge tear and is no longer
 Perception = the crow’s nest ability to spot rocks, reefs/ships functional. Movement is reduced to 1mph till it is repaired (if
all sails are hit, then movement is 0)
etc
7 Gun hit! One of the cannons is hit and destroyed (if the ship has
 Charisma = the crew’s ability to intimidate or impress others no cannons treat this as a Hull Hit!)
 Manipulation = the captains ability to maneuver the ship in a 8 Rudder hit! Ship may no longer turn by the rudder, manual
sea battle rudders with oars is the only way to steer – may not steer in
combat or in stormy weather.
 Resolve = the crews ability to withstand fear from storms, 9 Main mast hit! You main hast has gone down, assuming you
pirates/attacks, bad omens, too long at sea, have any other masts you will only move 1 mph till you get to
 Willpower = the crews ability to push themselves/ship port to get it fixed
10 Gunwale hit! No appreciable effect
beyond their abilities
 Health* = the number of points of structural damage a ship
can take before it’s sunk or dead in the water. The ships Ship Types Size Average Speed (knots)
Health is ONLY equal to the ships Size. (Health)
Sloop 8 13
 Morality = the overall crew/captain morality and what crimes Schooner 8 10
they are willing to commit Pink 9 16
 Speed = a ships type determines its base speed in mph Brig 10 11
 Size = a ships size is determined by its type Galley 10 2 (up to 7 for short burst)
Clipper 12 19
Galleon 11 8
*Most damage a ship takes will be Lethal. For each point of Aggravated Junk 10 5
damage the ship takes – roll on the Critical Hit Chart below. Thus the Modern Frigate * 14
ship never marks “aggravated” damage on their health chart, each hit * This is a modern ship made from steel and modern structure so its Health is not
that would cause aggravated damage, regardless of number of damage equal to its size, as it would be a narrative vessel. It is only listed here for speed
references.
points = equals only one roll on the critical hit chart. The ship has no
natural healing, the ship carpenter must repair the ship, and some Ship Cannons Range Damage
repairs may require the ship put into port. 3 lb
4lb +1
Merits ships can take: 8lb +1
12lb +2
 Swift (bonus to Speed) 18lb +3
 Ironclad (soak lethal) 24lb +3
 Matchstick men (crew trained to use firearms) 32lb +4
42lb 300ft +5
 Boarding Gear (able to board other ships against
their will)
 Ramming Prow (able to ram other ships and take
less damage)

Additional Ship Combat Rules:

 Every Critical Hit requires a Crew Morale roll
 Enemy ships can be intimidated, each degrees of
success you beat them by reduces their crews moral and
orders rolls for one turn. If you get 5 successes over
them, they are broken and will run or give up. This can
only be done before fighting begins.
 A crew may board and attack another ship. Combat is
resolved as normal, however the main bulk of each
ship’s crew is rolled as if it were 1 character – each lethal
point removing someone from the fight, and each
aggravated point kills a crew member. Dice are gained
or lost only if the crew is outnumbered /out numbers
the other crew by 2:1, 3:1, 4:1 and so one gaining 1
bonus/minus die for each outnumbering category.

44
Animal Mounts whatever the storyteller feels represents the creature’s
Perception in game.
MOUNT STATS
Hit Points: Animals have only a single Health Track and
Animal Traits are relative, so don’t worry about your
they will have as many hit points as the Storyteller feels
trusty mount outsmarting your character. A horse with a
represents the animal best. A cat might have 3 or 4, a dog
3 dot Intelligence knows a few simple commands and can
might have 5 or 6, and a bear might have 15 to 20.
figure out a new rider’s instructions, but he won’t be
performing simple math any time soon.
Athletics: Animals have Athletics comparable to the stats
used for humans. Which means that a 2 dot animal has
Strength: Animals have Strength comparable to the stats
roughly the same Athletics as a 2 dot human. A dog like a
used for humans. Which means that a 2 dot animal has
beagle might have an Athletics of 2 or 3. A chimpanzee
roughly the same Strength as a 2 dot human. A dog like a
might have an Athletics of 6 or 7. Unlike humans which
Doberman might have a strength of 1. A bear might have
may only have a max of 5 dots in Athletics, animals have
a Strength of 5 or 6. Unlike humans which may only have
whatever the storyteller feels represents the creature’s
a max of 5 dots in Strength, animals have whatever the
Athletics in game.
storyteller feels represents the creature’s Strength in
game.
Brawl: Most animals can’t really fight per-se. But they can
bite, maul, gore, or trample just fine. These dots
Dexterity: Animals have Dexterity comparable to the
represent two things, how easy it is for the animal to
stats used for humans. Which means that a 2 dot animal
inflict damage, and how likely they are to be an attack
has roughly the same Dexterity as a 2 dot human. A dog
type animal. A horse might be 1 or 2 dots as they are not
like a retriever might have a Dexterity of 1. A parrot might
aggressive animals and can only trample or kick. Whereas
have a Dexterity of 2 or 3. Unlike humans which may only
a bear might be 3 or 4 as it is a predator and has many
have a max of 5 dots in Dexterity, animals have whatever
means (claws and powerful jaw and sharp teeth) to attack
the storyteller feels represents the creature’s Dexterity in
with. Animals tend to never have more than 4 dots in
game.
Brawl, but it is possible should the storyteller be
attempting to depict a one-of-a-kind natural real beast or
Stamina: Animals have Stamina comparable to the stats
a supernatural beast of some sort.
used for humans. Which means that a 2 dot animal has
roughly the same Stamina as a 2 dot human. A dog like a
Speed (walk/run/sprint): just like normal characters
Labrador might have a Stamina of 2 or 3. A horse might
animals have a mph speed for each for out of rounds
have a Stamina of 4 or 5. Unlike humans which may only
movement and a feet per card for each for in rounds
have a max of 5 dots in Stamina, animals have whatever
movement. Animals with flight will have speeds for both
the storyteller feels represents the creature’s Stamina in
walking and flying separately.
game.

Intelligence: Intelligence for all animals including mounts EXCEPTIONAL MOUNTS

is not equivalent to human intelligence. A 5 dot creature
intelligence would equal a 1 dot human intelligence. A 4
dot creature intelligence would be as smart as a chimp, a
3 dot intelligence would be as smart as a dog, a 2 dot
intelligence would be as smart as a parrot or rat, and a 1
dot creature intelligence would be as smart as a rabbit.
Wits: Animals tend to be strongly Fight or Flight instinct
based. Wits represents an animal’s ability to not panic
and enter their fight or flight mode. Typically no animal
has over 3 Wits, as they are more about preservation that
tactical thought. But it is possible should the storyteller
be attempting to depict a one-of-a-kind natural real beast
or a supernatural beast of some sort and give them a
higher Wits. A tiger might have a 3 wits, and a horse might
have a 1 or 2 wits.
Perception: Animals have Perception comparable to the
stats used for humans. Which means that a 2 dot animal
has roughly the same perception as a 2 dot human. A dog
like a bloodhound might have a perception of 4. A crow
might have a Perception of 2 or 3. Unlike humans which
may only have a max of 5 dots in perception, animals have
45
Exceptional mounts can be found on occasion, if the
character knows where to look or maybe even just gets
lucky. If the character roleplays finding an exceptional
mount, then they may buy it with Merit: Resources or the
Merit: Belongings. Below are a few qualities that might
be found among uncommon stock. Many more are
possible.
 Brave: This mount stands fast even in the face of extreme
danger. The animal has a Wits of +2.
 Fast: Too bad the Pony Express didn’t get a hold of this animal.
The mount has a Movement of 1.2 normal.
 Smart: The animal responds exceptionally well to its master’s
commands. The mount’s owner can add +2 to her Empathy rolls
when directed at this mount.
 Strong: Strap this mount to a plow and he’ll make any farmer
proud. Huge and burly, the mount has +2 dots in Strength.
 Surly: The mount is ill-tempered to those he isn’t used to. He
kicks and bites with only a little provocation to anyone but his
owner. This animal has +1 dot in Brawl.
 Tough: The mount is made of tougher stuff than normal, and has
+5 hit points.
 Characters
Listed in this section are rules for playing characters and
character creation.
There are fundamental questions you have to ask yourself
when creating a character for a storytelling game. These
are things that will guide in working with the others to
create an interesting and rich gaming experience. In
storytelling, all forms of character drama is expected.
From love interests, to rivalries, to achieving grand goals.
This is not game about defeating an evil lord, or about
saving the world, or going on adventures. Those things
might happen, but they are all just chapters in the great
story that is your characters life.
These are the 16 requirements for roleplaying in a World
of Darkness game. You must do each of these each game:
ONE. Do stuff.
Job One for you as a player is to do stuff; you should be
thinking, at all times – “What are my goals? And what can
I do to achieve them?” You are the stars of a very personal
universe, and you are not going to get anywhere by sitting
on your arse and waiting for adventure to come and
knock on your door.
Investigate stuff. Ask questions. Follow leads. No-one
needs you to point out that this is an obvious plot thread
while you do it. Mix up scenes, talk to people, get up in
their grill. If you’re not playing the sort of character that
would do such a thing, find something you can affect, and
affect it.
If you keep finding yourself pushed to the back of scenes
and twiddling your thumbs – why is such a boring character
hanging around with the sort of people that Get Shit Done?
Be active, not passive. If you learn nothing else from this
section, bloody learn this.
TWO. Realize that your character does not exist outside
of the things you have said.
You can write as many pages of backstory as you like,
mate, but they don’t factor in one bit to the game unless
you show them happening. Are you a shrewd
businessman? Cool. Do some business, shrewdly, in front
of everyone else. Are you a hot jazz saxophonist? Play the
saxophone. Are you a wild elf struggling through social
interactions with civilized people? Struggle through those
interactions! Don’t go off and sit in a tree, you prick!
This ties back into the first point, really; you only exist
through your actions. It is not the responsibility of other
players to read your backstory, and their characters
cannot read minds. Well. Some of them can, but you
know what I mean. They shouldn’t have to.
46
So display your talents, your traits, your weaknesses, your
connections. Take every opportunity to show, and not tell,
the other people at the table what your character is about.
THREE. Don’t try to stop things.
Negating another player’s actions is fairly useless play; it
takes two possible story-changing elements and prevents
anything interesting happening. For example, their fighter
wants to punch some jerk, but your monk’s against it, so he
grabs the fighter’s hand. In game terms, nothing’s
happened. All you’ve done is waste time, and we don’t
have infinite supplies of that.
Instead, go with the flow. Build. Yes And. If the fighter
wants to break someone’s nose, what happens after that?
Does your monk rush to help the jerk up? To admonish the
fighter? To apologize to the jerk’s friends, before shit really
kicks off? To save the fighter in the big brawl that ensues,
even though he was going against your will? Or to throw
the biggest guy in the tavern right at him, to really teach
him a lesson? Those are all examples of interesting stories.
Stopping him from doing anything whatsoever isn’t.
Don’t negate, extrapolate. (See, that rhymes, so it’s easier
to remember)
FOUR. Take full control of your character.
“My character wouldn’t do that” is a boring excuse, a
massive NO to the game’s story on a fundamental level.
It’s a point-blank refusal to participate.
Instead of being bound by pre-conceived notions of what
your character would and would not do, embrace
complications and do it, but try to work out why. Why is
your Rogue doing this mission for the church? Does he
have ulterior motives? Is it out of a sense of
companionship with the rest of the party? Characters in
uncomfortable situations are the meat and drink of
drama. (Do you remember that great story about that
hobbit who told Gandalf to fuck off, and sat at home
picking his hairy toes all day before his entire village was
swallowed up by the armies of darkness? No. No you
bloody don’t. So put on your backpack and get out there)
If you keep finding yourself having to explain your actions,
or not wanting to go along with group decisions because
of your character’s motives… well, sweetheart, maybe
your character’s motives are wrong. They’re not written
in stone. The group’s the thing, not your snowflake
character, and if they’re not working, drop them off at the
next village and maybe try playing someone more open
to new ideas. Maybe work with the group to build a
character that fits in.
Your character is part of the story; this is not your
character’s story alone.
FIVE. Don’t harm other player characters.
Oh ho, here’s a jolly thief that nicks stuff from the other
party members! And their Sleight of Hand roll is so high
that no-one will ever notice! Gosh, what a jape.
Fuck that guy. No-one likes that guy. (That guy generally
plays Kender, and I am fully of the opinion that Kender
should be promptly genocided out of all RPGs. I don’t
think genocide is a crime if we’re talking about Kender.) If
you steal from other players, you are exerting power over
them in a really messy, underhanded sort of way. If they
find out, what are they going to do? Are you going to force
them to escalate? Is it fair if they kill you for it? Is that fun
for them?
Similarly, attacking other player characters is awful, too.
It’s ok if that is what the drama and fiction calls for, and if
both players want this fight for their characters. Then let
it ride. But don’t attack someone who hasn’t given the ok
first. Heck, don’t even seriously threaten them with bodily
harm. These are the main people you can rely on and
work with, to threaten them is to spit in the face of that
camaraderie – however tenuous it is.
There are a whole load of things out there to steal from
and beat up and kill that won’t get offended when you do
it to them, so go bother them first.
SIX. Know the system, don’t be a dick about it.
If you know a system, you are easier to GM for, because
you know your character’s limitations. You can calculate
the rough odds of a particular action succeeding or failing,
just like in real life. You can make prompt assessments of
situations and act accordingly, because you understand
the rules of the world. (New players, of course, get a free
pass on this one. But do make an effort to learn the rules,
obviously.)
But for the love of God, don’t rules-lawyer. Do not do that.
It is not hard to work out, because here is a simple guide –
if you are arguing over a rule for more than ten seconds,
you are a rules lawyer. You are the Health and Safety
Inspector of roleplaying games, and you need to stop
talking, because you are sucking the fun out of the game.
There are times when the rules are wrong, and that’s fine,
but I’m hard-pressed to think of that time the guy
remembered the rule and we all laughed and had a great
time because he made the Storyteller change it.
SEVEN. Give the game your attention. If you can’t give
your full attention, step away from the table.
Hey! What’s that you’re playing, on your phone there?
Oh, is it Candy Crush Saga? That’s funny, all these dice and
character sheets gave me the impression that we were
playing Dungeons and Fucking Dragons, I must be terribly
mistaken. It is hard to think of a way to be more dismissive
of someone’s game than playing a different game during
it. If you find yourself getting so bored by what’s going on,
you’re resorting to playing a game on your phone, or
reading a book, or checking Facebook, then step away
47
from the game. You are draining the group with your very
presence. I would rather have an empty chair than
someone who wasn’t paying attention, because I don’t
have to entertain an empty chair.
And of course, it’s up to the Storyteller to offer an
entertaining game. This is not one-sided. But going back
to point one, act whenever you can. Give them something
to work with. Unless you’re paying them money to do
this, they are under no obligation to dance like a monkey
for you just because they’re behind the screen.
EIGHT. If you make someone uncomfortable, apologize
and talk to them about it.
I have a rule in my games, and that rule is: “Nothing fucks
anything else.” Simple. Clean. Elegant. No sexual conduct;
it’s weird, often. I’ve had seduction attempts, obviously,
and that’s fine. I’ve had characters deeply affected by
rape. I’ve even had someone negotiate time with a skin-
thief alien to reanimate a cat for the purposes of sexual
pleasure as part of a heist. But, and this is the crucial thing
here, nothing fucked anything else “onscreen.” And if
you’re thinking, “Ha ha, okay then, but is fisting all right?”
then fuck off out my game, sunshine.
And that’s the point; in situations like the ones we find
ourselves in on a weekly basis, it’s easy to make people
feel uncomfortable. Maybe it’s as blatant as discussing
dead babies or bestiality; maybe it’s something much
more benign, like being rude or chatting them up in-
character.
If you think you might have upset someone, then ask ‘em,
quietly. And if you have, apologize, and stop talking about
that particular thing. It’s not rocket science; that’s how
existing as a functioning social human being works, and
somehow because we’re pretending to be a halfling for a
bit, we often forget how to do it.
So, you know, be nice. Be extra nice. No-one’s going to
think any less of you for it.
NINE. Be a Storyteller.
The World of Darkness books call their GM a Storyteller,
because they are very obviously unable to call a spade a
spade. But they have a point; a GM is telling stories. It’s
easy to forget that the players are doing that too. So put
some effort in, eh? Say some words. Develop a character
voice and stance. Describe your actions. Work out a level
of agency with the GM so you can chip into wider
descriptions, or just make assumptions and describe it
and see if it sticks. A good GM should go with what you’re
saying, anyway, unless it really goes against their plan.
Similarly, brevity = soul of wit, and all that. A good GM
doesn’t monologue, or have their NPCs have long
discussions, or make players sit back and watch while
their world plays out. So know when to shut up, and to
keep your descriptions short – unless you’re an incredible
storyteller, of course. But short and punchy is always
better than long and flowery.

TEN. Embrace failure.
Failure can be embarrassing. I know that I get pretty
heated up when the dice don’t favour me – when I’ve
spent ages waiting to have my turn in a large game, say,
or when I’m using some special power, or when I’ve been
talking a big talk for a while or described some fancy
action – and I use some pretty bad language, too. And not
“fun” bad language, like we all do when we’re gaming.
Like threatening “is this guy okay” bad.
And that’s not cool. I need to learn to treat failure as a
story branch, not a block. Why did I miss? Why didn’t my
intimidation roll work? Why didn’t I pick the lock? Why
was I seen? Who worked out that I’m the traitor? What
other options can I explore?
Some systems build this in by default – Apocalypse World,
for example – and they give you the ability to somehow
affect the world whenever you roll the dice, not just fail
to affect someone’s Hit Points. That’s great! We need to
get ourselves into that mindset by default. We need to
view failures as setbacks and explain why our character
didn’t achieve their goal, and we need to understand that
failure is not the end of the world.
ELEVEN. Play the game.
This is a game. This is not a challenge that exists solely in
the head of your GM. This is not your character’s personal
novel. This is not your blog. This is not an excuse to chat
up one of the other players. This is not a table to sit at in
silence. This is a game.
We have set aside time to play a game together. We are
all telling a story with each other, to each other, and the
story comes first. Step back from the heat of combat; step
back from your character’s difficult relationship with their
half-Drow mother; step back from the way that the
Paladin’s player keeps stealing your dice.
This is a game. Respect the other players. Respect the
story, and act in service of it. Respect that you will not
always get your way, and that not getting your way can
be interesting.
Do what is best for the game. Do what is best for the
story. Be active! Be positive! Be interesting! Change
things! If you can’t walk away at the end of the night with
a good memory, with something that you could talk about
in the pub in years to come, then everyone at the table
has failed.
TWELVE. You are not your bloody character
Good roleplaying requires you, as a player, to be aware
that you are in a game; and not just in a “I don’t want to
be Elfstar any more” sort of way. It means you have to
understand what’s best for the story as a whole, because
we are all performing for one another whether we want
to or not. Just because our audience is small doesn’t mean
it shouldn’t be catered to. This is all basic improv stuff that
I’m cribbing, here. Say “Yes and,” or “Yes but,” and don’t
48
say “No.” There are plenty of guides that can help you
improvise more satisfying stories, and I suggest that you
read them.
A lot of Player’s Handbooks talk about separating your
character from yourself; they are not you, and vice versa.
Mainly this comes under the advice of not getting pissed
off when the ST beats your character up with one of their
characters, or when another character is rude to you. But
there’s more to it than that. Your character is just a mask;
your character is a story construct, not a person with
thoughts and feelings and emotions. They are fully under
your control. It is your responsibility to use that control
not only over their thoughts, feelings and actions, but
their position in the story.
I’ve given advice that advocates ceding control of your
character, in the past – things like going along with plots
even though your character wouldn’t enjoy doing so,
letting other characters act against your will, and so on.
And there seems to be a lot of argument against that
advice, too. What I’m encouraging here is meta-gaming.
THIRTEEN. Meta-gaming is not a dirty word
I don’t mean “meta-gaming” in the sense that you’re
flicking through the Monster Manual to discover what
gorgons are weak versus, or having your character act on
knowledge that they don’t have. I’m saying… well, I’ll say
it with an example.
Let’s say your Thief needs to steal something vital for your
save-the-world plot from the house of a wealthy
collector. He could do it fine by himself, but he notices
that the Cleric’s player hasn’t been up to much this game
and is sitting quietly while the other players plan. Your
character – a construct that doesn’t exist, that you made
up, – sure as shit wouldn’t want the Cleric to come along.
She’s noisy. She frowns on theft. She gets on your
character’s nerves.
So what’s a better story? Is it the story of the time your
Thief went off on his own and achieved the objectives
quickly and cleanly? Or is it the story that you told after
you asked the Cleric’s player if she can come up with a
way for the pair of you to go together, and you end up
odd-coupling your way through the mission? Maybe the
Cleric insists that she comes with you to keep an eye on
your light hands. Maybe she wants to learn how to be
stealthy. Maybe she wants to learn more about the
collector’s motivations. Cracking. Whatever. You have
two characters not entirely in their element together. Go
tell some stories.
You haven’t made your character any less of a character
by doing so. All you’ve done is use your full control over
them to put them in a more interesting position.
FOURTEEN. Play your PC like an NPC
If you’ve never NPC'd in someone else’s game, do it. Do it
as soon as you can. There is no better way to understand
what the hell I’m talking about here.
As an NPC, you’re freed from long-term considerations of
your actions. You’re an element of the plot. Your
development is secondary to that of the PC’s. You’re not
only thinking about how you would react to any given
situation that comes up, but you’re trying to let the PCs
shine. You’re steering them towards trouble, towards
entertainment, towards adventure. You don’t have to
worry about the grand motivations of being a GM; you are
playing that character in that moment in that situation,
you are using them as a tool to help the players tell
stories.
I guarantee you that if you begin to treat your PC in the
same way – separating them from yourself, acting with
one eye on being entertaining and story-focused and the
other on playing them as a story tool – then you’ll start
having more fun. You’ll find yourself in more difficult
situations, interacting with characters you might not
otherwise interact with. You will push up against your
own comfort zone AND their comfort zone. You will
triumph over adversity, or fail to triumph, and that’s what
you’re after, right?
listen to her? Does she call the church? Do you try and
abscond with the prisoner?
That’s a conflict I can buy into. That hasn’t weakened
either of your character motivations, but pushed a
negation into a full-blown conflict because Bad Things
Have Already Happened. Both of your characters get to
do what they want and hold true to their morals, but both
of the players realise that it’s more interesting for this to
happen after the torture has begun. “Yes and,” not “No.”
SIXTEEN. Imagine the stories
Remember that time you had fought your way down to
the bottom of the dungeon, and you were low on healing
potions and all injured and you saw a dragon in front of
you, laying on its hoard, eyes glinting through the thick
darkness? And collectively, even though your characters
and tired and beaten up and abused and could easily go
home, hire an army, come back and kill this thing with
minimum risk, you say – “Fuck it, let’s do this. Imagine the
stories.”
Strive to be like that at all times. Imagine the stories, great
and small, and help each other tell them.

FIFTEEN. Don’t compromise your character’s

motivations, but DO get them into trouble
Throughout all this, I don’t want to encourage people to
destroy the core of their characters. I don’t want them to
become faceless, motivation-less, shifting bags of rules
that merely follow the whim of the GM. I do want people
to realize that what’s much more exciting than the
“traditional” method of roleplaying is to position their
character in difficult situations and role-play
appropriately. To be aware of their existence within a
game and control them appropriately.

Imagine your Thief needs to get information about saving

the world from a prisoner, and he decides that torture is
the way forward. Imagine the Cleric is against this. If you
say – “Right, to hell with this, I’m torturing the guy.” The
Cleric could stop you then and there, saying that she
overpowers you and ties you to a post overnight until the
guard come to collect the prisoner. If she succeeds, no-
one gets any information; you don’t get to act.

Or! The Cleric’s player realises that this is an interesting

thing to happen, for their morals to get in the way of the
investigation, so they have their Cleric arrive halfway
through your torture, rather than turn up before it starts.
Maybe she’s got God stuff to do. Or she can’t make up her
mind on it. Or she’s trying to persuade herself that it’s for
the good of the world, but she just can’t. By the time she
arrives, the guy’s a mess; but the GM realises that this is
a good opportunity for some roleplaying, so he has the
prisoner tell you half of what you need to know. Is the
Cleric going to let you finish, now you’ve started? Does
she heal away the pain you’ve inflicted? Are you going to
49
Game Scenes
Sitting back and letting the Storyteller create all of the
plot and all of the drama is a great way to let them tell
their story and move through the scenes in the game.
But it’s no longer your story too.
Instead it would be just your character doing whatever
the Storyteller decided for the night.
Boring! Uncreative! Not Interactive enough!
Players are expected to put in effort to make each game
as much fan as it can be, and that applies to them and the
others players at the table. You are all there to enjoy
gaming together, so it’s expected that everyone work
together to make the night engrossing and fun for all.
The Storyteller will always do the vast majority of the
work. They will come up with a story, add scenes and
create NPCs and plots to drive it all along in a detailed
world. And they will do their best to make it all interactive
and fun for the types of players and characters they have
in the game.
It then falls to the players to bring their characters to life
in the game.
Players must find things in each scene in game that gives
their character a voice and adds to the events in a
meaningful manner. It must follow the guidelines of the
tone of the scene and take into consideration the
atmosphere and theme of the game.
You don’t get any XP for this.
These are all things you must do in order to simply play a
good and interesting character in these games.
CREATING SCENES
While these are things the players must do in every scene,
there is also the opportunity to create their own scenes in
order to gain XP.
Just like the Storyteller, the player can come to game with
some thoughts in mind for a scene they want their
character to go through. Something that highlights their
current dilemmas or adds to their personality and
description. Times when you should consider making a
scene are things like:
You gained a new power and need to learn to used it or need to
consider the moral ramifications of it.
You lost a loved one
You suffered a tragedy or heartbreak
You learned something new and important about your past or your
existence.
You have a moral or philosophical quandary about the plot.
You want to celebrate a success or victory.
50
Generally the rule of thumb is that if the Storyteller
created the scene for everyone to act in, then it does not
count towards your character creating a scene at all.
But if you took the time to create a scene, usually aside
from the direct interaction of the game world plot, then
you get bonus XP. See Character Advancement: Gaining
Experience for XP values.
To create a scene and get the XP bonus, your scene must
include the following:
 Have an interesting problem to solve which includes drama
(even if it’s just a long discussion about morals, philosophy,
religion, or life goals.)
 Have a 100% solution to that problem (do not put players
in a situation where their dice rolls determine if they
succeed at the problem. Its ok to use dice to see how well
they succeed, but dice must never be used for a pass/fail
problem!!)
 Have one or more tools to solve that problem (the more
tools and things to interact with the better!)
 Don’t make up a way to solve a problem that requires
specific actions, just have the problem be there, and have
the tools be there and then give the players the
information on how to solve the problem and how to get
the tools. Let them decide how to use the tools to solve
the problem.
 Have one or more ways to get those tools (don’t just dump
everything in the players lap, make them search for a few
of the tools!)
 Make sure you include as many of the other characters as
you can – all if possible. (try to make scenes where
whatever has to be done can be done by everyone or can
use a bit of unique help from each character)
 Make sure the organizations and other NPCs involved in the
scene that night are doing everything they are capable of
to solve the problem (if they are good) or make the
problem happen (if they are bad)
 Also make sure the characters are the best solution for this
problem. If there is some NPC who could do it
better/easier, then you need to re-do your problem.
Most of the time when you create a scene for your
character it will be something personal. Either a self-
discovery scene, or a practice scene or a love or
philosophy discussion scene.

When making a character you will complete these steps:
1. Select Character Concept
2. Select Virtue and Vice
3. Detail out Relationships
4. Create Scripts
5. Write up Milestones
6. Fill in Character Sheet with Beginning Stats
Concept
A character's Concept is their basic personality, their
fundamental behavior and perception of the world. When
a character acts according to their Concept, they regain
Willpower. For example, a character with a Concept of
Child would regain Willpower in situations where he gets
someone to nurture or protect him. His Concept could
manifest through a high degree of dependency, such as
by partying until passed out and depending on someone
to walk him home, provide a ride, or the like.
Here is a list of Concepts, chose one or make up a new
one and write it at the top of your character sheet. This
is the general nature and demeanor of your character that
shapes most of their actions and choices.
 Addict: There's something (or maybe someone) that
you've just got to have. It's a driving passion — some
might say obsession — in your life. It takes precedence
over everything else. Your addiction might be drugs, or
it could be any other sort of activity. Some people
become addicted to the various pleasures of the flesh,
from eating to drinking to sex. Others are addicted to
collecting (everything from cult knowledge to
"trophies" of their successes) or obsessed with a
particular mortal. Addiction to mortal faith, in
particular, is common among the people.
o Regain Willpower when you give in completely
to your addiction and sate it.
 Architect: Above all else, Architects want to create
something lasting. As an Architect, you have a vision
that you work toward making a reality. It might be a
physical creation, or it might be more metaphorical,
such as creating an institution or a lasting idea. There
are some demons who have not people so far as to
forget the glories of Creation and their former role in
designing and sustaining it. They seek to recapture
some of that lost glory through their efforts.
o Regain Willpower when you create something of
lasting importance.
 Autocrat: There are two ways to do things: the wrong
way and your way. Some might say this attitude reeks
of pride, even hubris, but let them. You see that things
get done, and there's no denying that. Someone has to
take charge, and you're the one to do it. It's not
necessarily because you're the smartest or the most
knowledgeable (although that may be true, too). You
just know how to take responsibility for getting things
done.
o Regain Willpower when you take control of a
situation or group.
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 Bon Vivant: The purpose of existence is pleasure. Any
time that joy may be gone, you still try to recapture it.
Only those who have known the kind of pain and
suffering you have can find pleasure in the simplest
things. If you are dragged back down into anguish and
torment, then everything you have fought for will be for
nothing, so enjoy life! You may have serious matters to
take care of, but there's nothing that says you can't
have some fun along the way.
o Regain Willpower when you truly enjoy yourself
and can share your joy with others.
 Bravo: "The meek will inherit the Earth?" Not if you
have anything to say about it! The meek don't get
anything in this world except grief. The strong take
what they want, when they want. Might makes right,
which is good for you, since your know how to use your
strength to get what you want. You respect strength in
others when you see it, but weakness is just an
opportunity for you to exploit. You do what it takes to
get ahead.
o Regain Willpower when you achieve success
through the application of force. This doesn't
have to be physical force; it could just as easily
be intimidation or social pressure.
 Caregiver: You fight and suffer because you care too
much, for humanity, for society and for their friends.
For some, nothing can extinguish their compassion for
other creatures. They are always there when someone
needs comfort or aid. For others, the appearance of
caring is a useful tool. Empathy can earn you a way into
a person’s heart, and gratitude can be a heady reward,
whether your succor was offered genuinely or not.
o Regain Willpower when you successfully comfort
or aid someone else.
 Child: Some people are children at heart, but some are
more childlike (or childish) than others. The true child is
an innocent, inexperienced in the ways of the world
and untouched by knowledge of good and evil. They
are rare indeed. The other side of the child is a constant
need for attention. The child's demands must be
satisfied and satisfied now. Children have no control
over their passions, and they seek others to help care
for them.
o Regain Willpower when you convince someone
else to care for you or help satisfy your needs
without any reward.
 Competitor: All creatures are not created equal. Some
are destined for greatness, while others are not. You
have the ability to rise to the challenge and prove your
greatness through competition. You see everything in
life as a challenge to be overcome and an opportunity
to show just what you can do. You may prefer a friendly
competition or a cutthroat struggle where anything
goes.
o Regain Willpower when you win a competition.
 Conformist: You know your place in the grand scheme
of things or, at least, you believed that you did once.
You were content to do as you were instructed until
wiser and more convincing voices said otherwise. You
need direction and leadership, the opportunity to be
part of a group again and to offer your own abilities to
that group.
o Regain Willpower when your group achieves its
goal with your aid.
 Conniver: The way you play the game, your marks have
no idea that you already own their lives and they're
thanking you for the opportunity to do exactly what you
want. After all, why struggle and risk your own hide
when you can get others to do it for you? You
understand the power that a carefully crafted lie gives
you, especially when it's mixed with just the right
amount of truth.
o Regain Willpower when you trick someone into
giving you something you want.
 Curmudgeon: Humanity was given free will, and look
what they've done with it. Is it any wonder that you're
more than a little jaded and cynical about it all? You
tend to see the worst in everything, picking out every
flaw, pointing out every way things could go badly, and
never missing an opportunity to say "I told you so"
when they inevitably do.
o Regain Willpower when something bad happens
just as you said it would.
 Deviant: Some people just don't fit into the nice, neat
categories society creates. That’s you. You refuse to be
pigeonholed or labeled, just as you refuse to conform
to what everyone expects of you. You are who you are.
If someone else can't deal with that, fuck 'em. You're
no longer bound by the restrictions of any social mores,
or by anything else, for that matter.
o Regain Willpower when you break with or ignore
convention.
 Director: Perfect precision and balance, everything in
its place, the ultimate machine; all are joy to you. When
things are rundown, out of whack or simply not working
right, and chaos is growing - you can't tolerate that.
Nothing is more important to you than restoring and
maintaining order and organization, within a group or
in the world.
o Regain Willpower when you use organization to
accomplish a difficult task.
 Fanatic: You have a cause, and nothing or no one can
sway you from it. You devote yourself entirely to your
cause, surrendering all else to its higher purpose. The
ends justify the means, and everything (and everyone)
else can and will be sacrificed in the name of the cause,
if needs be. Your cause may be in tune with the agendas
of any of the factions of the people, or it may be the
cause of a group or your own personal crusade.
Whatever it is, you will see it through to the end.
o Regain Willpower when you do something that
directly furthers your cause.
52
 Gallant: You find yourself uplifted by the adoration and
attention of others. You are a being of glory, and you
cannot hide your light under a bushel. Instead, you
would rather show people the wonders you are capable
of and bask in their worship and admiration. Nothing
excites you as much as a new potential person to
impress and win over. Each one makes you feel a little
more alive and whole.
o Regain Willpower when you truly impress
someone.
 Gambler: Life is risk. It involves taking a chance;
perhaps even a leap of faith, hoping things will turn out
for the best. People who are afraid to take chances lead
simple, dull lives, but you're not like that. You're willing
to risk it all for the hope of something better. You're not
foolhardy, but you're willing to take chances some
people call foolish, if that's what it takes.
o Regain Willpower when you take a chance and
come out ahead.
 Judge: There is an order to society and understanding,
and perhaps improving upon, that order is the key to
success. You're a believer in systems for getting things
done: legal systems, logical systems and bureaucratic
systems. You believe in doing things "by the numbers"
although there's nothing wrong with innovation, as
long as it improves the system.
o Regain Willpower when you use careful and
systematic reasoning to solve a problem.
 Loner: You're on your own most of the time, and you're
okay with that. The truth is, you prefer your own
company. You may have habits or mannerisms that put
other people off, you may not feel worthy of being
around other people, or maybe you don't like company.
You go your own way, working with others when it suits
you before taking your leave.
o Regain Willpower when you accomplish
something on your own that benefits someone
else.
 Martyr: You were made to suffer, it seems. You accept
your burden with dignity and determination, knowing
that your suffering has meaning, either in the
statement it makes or in the benefit it brings to others.
You may be truly sincere in your beliefs, or you may
exaggerate your sacrifices for the attention and
sympathy they bring you.
o Regain Willpower when you sacrifice yourself for
your ideals or the good of someone else.
 Masochist: They think they can break you? They think
you'll crack under the pressure? Bring it on! You're
willing to pit your ability to endure against anything the
world can dish out. Not only are you proud of your
ability to overcome pain, you actually enjoy it. You're
driven to the extremes to test your limits and push
them a little farther each time. Maybe you'll eventually
run into something you can't handle, but you haven't
yet.
o Regain Willpower when you suffer in a way you
never have before.
 Monster: Demon? You'll show them what a real demon
is. They have no idea of the depths of what you've
endured, but you're going to show them. All of
humanity's myths and parables, even their mass media
horror shows, are only pale reflections of what you
have become. You are evil incarnate, free to stalk the
world. No atrocity is beyond your reach, as the world
will soon discover.
o Regain Willpower when you commit a terrible
act of evil.
 Pedagogue: Knowledge is the only thing of real worth
in life, and the one thing you value, but knowledge is
useless unless it is shared somehow. It is your
responsibility to take what you know and teach others
so they can understand and pass the knowledge on. The
more everyone knows, the better things are. Some
might call you a know-it-all, but that's usually only
because you do know it all.
o Regain Willpower when someone benefits from
the wisdom you've shared with him.
 Penitent: You are a sinner, among the most terrible of
sinners. You committed crimes against God or society,
and you have been rightly punished for them. Even the
burden of guilt you feel is a part of your punishment.
You have seen the error in your ways, and you only
hope that you can be forgiven for what you have done.
All you can do now is try as best you can to make up for
your past mistakes and make them right.
o Regain Willpower when you feel that you have
made a step toward redemption.
 Perfectionist: You don't ask any more of anyone than
you ask of yourself, but since you expect only
perfection from yourself, most people don't see the
distinction. You demand only the best, and you're not
willing to settle for anything less. Others may not
appreciate your exacting standards or attention to
detail during the process, but they certainly appreciate
the results. That's what drives you, the satisfaction of a
job well done.
o Regain Willpower when you perform a task
perfectly.
 Rebel: You were one of the first rebels, and you still
wear the title proudly. Authority must be challenged, or
it becomes nothing more than mindless obedience. You
take every opportunity to buck the system because
that's how things change for the better, or just to prove
how bogus it all is.
o Regain Willpower when you successfully weaken
authority.
 Rogue: You look out for Numero Uno. Nobody else is
going to do it, and everybody else would be better off
taking care of themselves. You don't want to owe
anyone anything. You take care of your own problems
and let them take care of theirs. You have your own
best interests at heart, although there's nothing wrong
with a little enlightened self-interest that benefits
everyone, as long as you don't get too entangled in
someone else's business,
o Regain Willpower when your self-centered
attitude brings you success.
53
 Survivor: What doesn't kill you only makes you
stronger. Where others meekly accept their fate, you
struggle against it. Nothing can bring you down, and
you always find a way to win in the end. You're
disappointed with everyone else's willingness to give
up and take the easy way out, something you'd never
do.
o Regain Willpower when you endure hardship or
encourage others to do the same.
 Thrill Seeker: You live for the thrill of danger, knowing
that you're risking your life is what makes you feel the
most alive. You're a daredevil, looking for the most
dangerous thrills you can find to keep things
interesting. There's almost no challenge you won't at
least consider, and odds are that you'll try most of
them. You want to feel your heart pounding, the blood
rushing through your veins. Even death doesn't scare
you anymore.
o Regain Willpower when you succeed at a
dangerous task you've deliberately undertaken.
 Traditionalist: In a world that changes so quickly, the
one thing you can rely on is tradition. You respect
history and the traditional way of doing things is clearly
the best. If it wasn't why would it have lasted so long?
It's important to maintain traditional ways and values,
and you're against changing them unless it's absolutely
necessary. Tradition equals comfort, predictability and
stability.
o Regain Willpower when time-honored ways of
doing things turn out to be the best.
 Trickster: There are times when you just have to laugh
at the absurdity of it all, the whole cosmic drama of
existence. You often suspect that the whole thing is
some sort of grand joke and you're the only one who
gets the punch line. No matter how bad it gets, you
manage to find the humor in every situation, and you
do your best to lighten the mood. You'd much rather
laugh than cry, and you share your insights with others
through humor and satire.
o Regain Willpower when you managed to lift
others' spirits or deny your own pain through
humor.
 Visionary: Some see the way the world is and ask,
"Why?" You see the way the world might be and ask,
"Why not?" You have a vision of something more,
something greater than what already exists. You
challenge the limits of society in hope of finding
something better, rarely satisfied with the status quo.
Naturally, those interested in keeping things the way
they are find you threatening, but you don't care about
the opinions of others. You follow your vision with the
conviction that you can do more, that there's always
hope.
o Regain Willpower when you inspire others to
follow their dreams or ideals.
Virtues and Vices
Each person is said to have a primary Virtue and
Vice. These are the main ways that they tend to act out
their most emotional and sometimes desperate desires
and needs. On a fundamental level every person has all
seven virtues and vices. What we are attempting to do
here is pick the ones that are most commonly acted upon
by ourselves, as well as these ones that make us feel the
best (be it selfishly or selflessly). While Concept is “who”
your character is, Virtues and Vices are the motivations
behind the way they go about goals and activities in life.
As you read through these know that these are all
intended to have in game consequences and responses,
both positive and negative. These are not meant to be
quick momentary actions, but instead they often take full
scenes to complete - perhaps more (people have been
known to indulge their Sloth vice for weeks).
There are caveats to each. For Virtues, in order to
actually claim a virtue was successfully used, you must
have accomplished something that required giving more
than you had to offer. Going above and beyond the need,
or giving what last little bit you had to someone in need
or possibly sacrificing a part of your life to make
someone’s life better.
The Vice caveat is that it must hurt someone, be it
yourself or someone else. 'Hurt' can be defined a lot of
ways, just as 'help' can be defined a lot of ways. But when
it boils down to it, your vice is the selfish little part of you
that just wants to do 'something' to feel better.
Most often it is our vices we turn to when we are sad or
depressed or angry or frustrated, but they never quite
fulfill us completely. That's where the virtue comes in. An
activity that makes us give a little of ourselves and in
return we get lasting happiness. In game terms this is all
based around the Willpower to continue on in the face of
adversity. These games will push a person far beyond
what the average Joe is accustomed to. And though we
play dangerous situations, we are expected to carry on
when things get sideways. And they will. So, when
picking your Virtue and Vice, keep in mind the general
activities that you will be able to accomplish with that
Virtue or Vice. Try to think over some situations where
you can roleplay out each to ensure the virtue or vice you
chose fits your personality - your ‘in game’, somewhat
idealized personality.
Lastly, they can be played upon in alternate ways. For
example: Someone can have Gluttony for Theft. They
don't care about the value of the item; they just want to
steal as much as they can. Perhaps they get a kick out of
the act of stealing. Or perhaps someone has a Lust for
violence. They don't necessarily partake or commit
violent actions, but they seek it out whenever they can, if
only to watch. Someone can have a virtue of Justice, but
for street justice in gang activity. Their gang’s ideals being
upheld by whatever criteria they have set up. Or
54
someone could have Charity in an ideal like communism
and want nothing more than to help others with those
ideals, even when they are challenged by society. This is
not to say that I suggest everyone bend one of the virtues
or vices to fit into an alternate ideal. But if that helps you
find which one works better for you, then go for it.
On a final note, virtues and vices are meant to be natural
parts of your character’s lifestyle and personality. Even if
they never got into massive adventures or esoteric battles
they would still act out their virtue and vice. These are
the things that help define who they are and what role
they play in life on a fundamental level. So try to pick a
virtue and a vice that fit into your character’s daily
activities seamlessly.
Changing Virtues or Vices
You can change which Virtue or Vice your character has
anytime the fiction calls for it. But these are always going
to be life-changing events (or likely a series of events that
slowly built up to change in self). Changing a Virtue or a
Vice is the same as changing a fundamental part of your
personality or way of thinking. It’s major and likely had a
lot leading up to it. These should not change often, if
ever really. Trauma and lifestyle changes do not
automatically necessitate a new Virtue or Vice. What
causes the change is ultimately up to you. Just
remember, that your Virtue and your Vice are the core
foundations of what motivates your character.
Choosing Virtues and Vices
Once you have chosen which Virtue and Vice your
character has, write that down on your character sheet
along with a single word or short phrase of what that
Virtue and Vice mean to you.
For example. If you chose Faith, then you would put
something like Faith: Catholicism, or Faith: God, or Faith:
Mankind. If you chose a Vice of Wrath, you might write
Wrath: Warmonger, or Wrath: Anger, or Wrath: Father’s
abandonment.
Keep them short and broad so that they can fit into a large
number of situations. They are not limiters on your Virtue
or Vice, they are simply guides to help define the reason
or nature of those traits.
As well in the Virtues section, some Virtue Scenes are
suggested to help with ideas.
Conditions
And in the Vices section there are some Conditions that
help choose what your vice might be like.
VIRTUES
When your character is at their best, or when they just
need to feel like they are effecting positive change in the
dark world around them, they will turn to their Virtue.
This means they are looking to make a selfless and
positive action that make the world a little less shitty.
Your character’s Virtue is a fundamental part of who they
are and how they act and what goals they have. So it must
be a part of them all the time, counterbalancing their
selfish Vices in the eternal struggle of the Id.
Charity
True Charity comes from sharing gifts with others, be it
money or possessions, or simply giving time to help
another in need. A charitable character is guided by her
compassion to share what she has in order to improve the
plight of those around her. Charitable individuals are
guided by the principle of treating others as they would
be treated themselves. By sharing gifts and taking on the
role of the Samaritan, they hope to cultivate goodwill in
others, and the gifts they give will eventually return to
them in their hour of need.
Your character regains all spent Willpower points
whenever she helps another at the risk of loss or harm
to herself. It isn’t enough to share what your character
has in abundance. She must make a real sacrifice in
terms of time, possessions or energy, or she must risk
life and limb to help another.
Example: Deloris could see her dad losing his mind if he knew
his little girl was driving around a south-side neighborhood so
late at night. But if she wanted to be a top investigative reporter,
she had to take some risks, even if it meant tracking down clues
on a serial killer in a slum.
She’d been the one to dub him “Tommy 10 Tongues” in her first
cover story. Now he was up to 12 tongues, and she was
determined to catch him before he harvested another. She knew
the police had no idea how to decipher the bloody hieroglyphs at
the crime scenes, or why the victims were all missing their
tongues. But the police didn’t have an ex-lover who was a
linguistics professor.
Then Deloris passed the other motorist. A white man with a cast
on one arm struggling to change a flat. If Tommy 10 Tongues
didn’t get him, the locals surely would. And yet, Deloris wasn’t
born yesterday. The cast could have been a fake. The killer could
have used such tricks to lure his victims in. She didn’t want to be
the next one, but she couldn’t bear the thought of writing the
morning headline, “Stranded Motorist 13th Victim.” So, she
pulled over to do the charitable thing.
Deloris gains all spent Willpower for her act of charity. Her
willingness to risk herself for someone else validates her defining
Virtue.
Virtuous Scenes: Compassion, mercy, sacrifice
Possessed by: Philanthropists, saints, soup-kitchen
workers, patrons of troubled artists
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Faith
Those with Faith know that the universe is not random,
meaningless chaos, but ordered by a higher power. No
matter how horrifying the world might be, everything has
its place in the Plan and ultimately serves that Purpose.
This Virtue does not necessarily involve belief in a
personified deity. It might involve belief in a Grand
Unified Theory whereby the seeming randomness of the
universe is ultimately an expression of mathematical
precision. Or it might be a view that everything is ‘One’
and that even evil is indistinguishable from good when all
dis-criminating illusions are overcome.
Your character regains all spent Willpower points
whenever he is able to forge meaning from chaos and
tragedy in regards to the basis of your faith.
Example: Kevin stood at a precipice. Images flashed
through his mind: his wife’s bulging eyes, his son’s
mutilated body, his daughter’s pink pajamas shredded
and matted with hair and blood. Despair and rage whirled
up from the psychological chasm before him. He had only
to take a step into the cold comfort that the world was
meaningless, random and violent, that there could be no
God if such evil could come to pass.
No! He didn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe it. Something
had done this. Something sick and twisted. Something in-
human. Kevin would find it. God give him strength, he
would find it and stop it.
By not being crushed and helpless but instead dedicating
himself to finding the meaning of the crime, knowing that
there must be a reason for the madness, Kevin regains any
spent Willpower points.
Virtuous Scenes: Expression of Belief, conviction,
humility, loyalty
Possessed by: Detectives, philosophers, priests, scientists,
true believers
Fortitude
A person’s ideals are meaningless unless they’re tested.
When it seems as though the entire world is arrayed
against him because of his beliefs, a person possessing
Fortitude weathers the storm and emerges with his
convictions in-tact. Fortitude is about standing up for
one’s beliefs and holding the course no matter how
tempting it may be to relent or give up. By staying the
course - regardless of the cost - he proves the worth of his
ideals.
Alternately Fortitude can be about your character’s sense
of Duty. This means sticking up for and defending your
sacred duty no matter the odds or loss. This duty should
be based on service to others, and as altruistic and
positive as possible.
 Your character regains all spent Willpower points
whenever he withstands overwhelming or tempting
pressure to alter his goals. This does not include
temporary distractions from his course of action, only
pressure that might cause him to abandon or change
his goals altogether.
Example: Noel was absorbed in reading the newspaper
when the stranger walked in. The town was opening its
eyes to the corruption; his campaign to oust the criminal
who called himself ‘mayor’ was working. The stranger
dropped some photos on the desk, breaking Noel’s
concentration. They were of Noel 15 years before. The
alcoholic years. “I suggest you drop your high and mighty
crusade unless you want these on the front page.”
Noel instantly recognized that his political career hung in
the balance. Was this how it started? Was this how they
got their hooks into you? “Run them,” he said. “I don’t
care. You can tell your boss he’s through. He has more to
lose than I do.”
By refusing to budge and pressing on in the wake of
scandal, Noel behaves in a way that validates his defining
Virtue and he regains any spent Willpower points.
Virtuous Scenes: Courage, integrity, mettle, stoicism
Possessed by: Dictators, fanatic cultists, gumshoes
Hope
Being hopeful means believing that corruption and
misfortune cannot prevail, no matter how grim things
become. Not only do the hopeful believe in the ultimate
triumph of morality and decency over malevolence, they
maintain stead-fast belief in a greater sense of cosmic
justice - whether it’s Karma or the idea of an all-knowing,
all-seeing God who waits to punish the wicked. All will
turn out right in the end, and the hopeful mean to be
around when it happens.
Your character regains all spent Willpower points
whenever she refuses to let others give in to
despair, even though doing so risks harming her
own goals or wellbeing.
This is similar to Fortitude, above, except that your
character tries to prevent others from losing hope in their
goals. She need not share those goals herself or even be
successful in upholding them, but there must be a risk
involved.
Example: The activists’ anger was palpable as Eva entered
the room. “I know you see me as the enemy - Trent
Thorson’s daughter. The truth is, I may own Thorson
Lumber, but I don’t control it or I’d shut it down. If my
uncle has his way, I’ll never have that chance.” I know his
lawyers and thugs are pressuring you to stop the protest,
but you can’t give up. You feel the power of that forest.
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There’s something there, something bigger than any of us
that needs to be protected. All I came here to say is don’t
lose hope. I’ll feed you what information I can from the
inside to keep you one step ahead of them. If you give up
now, there’ll be nothing left to save.”
By supporting the activists at her own personal expense
and risk, Eva regains any spent Willpower.
Virtuous Scenes: Dreamer, optimist, utopian
Possessed by: Anti-globalization activists, entrepreneurs,
martyrs, visionaries
Justice
Wrongs cannot go unpunished. This is the central tenet of
the just, who believe that protecting the innocent and
confronting inequity is the responsibility of every decent
person, even in the face of great personal danger. The just
believe that evil cannot prosper so long as one good
person strives to do what is right, regardless of the
consequences.
However, Justice can also easily fit into the concept of
Truth. Someone who fights against those who hide the
truth, who twist and manipulate the truth into their own
selfish ends.
Your character regains all spent Willpower points
whenever he does the right thing at risk of personal
loss or setback. The “right thing” can be defined by the
letter or spirit of a particular code of conduct, whether
it be the United States penal code or a biblical
Commandment.
Example: For five years Malcolm watched the bastard
parade into court, smiling through appeal after appeal.
His gold-plated lawyers ran circles around the district
attorney. Then they settled the class-action suit at such a
ridiculously low payment that Malcolm had to wonder
how far the bribes went. And the bastard was going free.
Hundreds had been driven insane by the drug he
distributed. It made him rich even while it made
Malcolm’s sister a corpse and then a ghost. It was only
then that Malcolm realized why she always appeared
outside his hall closet. That’s where he kept his gun.
If Malcolm takes the law into his own hands and makes
himself a criminal as a result, he acts in a way that
validates his defining Virtue and he regains any spent
Willpower.
Virtuous Scenes: Condemnatory, righteous
Possessed by: Critics, judges, parents, role models
Prudence
The Virtue of Prudence places wisdom and restraint
above rash action and thoughtless behavior. One
maintains integrity and principles by moderating actions
and avoiding unnecessary risks. While that means a
prudent person might never take big gambles that bring
huge rewards, neither is his life ruined by a bad roll of the
dice. By choosing wisely and avoiding the easy road he
prospers slowly but surely.
Your character regains all spent Willpower points
whenever he refuses a tempting course of action
by which he could gain significantly. The
“temptation” must involve some reward that, by
refusing it, might cost him later on.
Example: “Miss Hernandez, you’re an intelligent woman
and a beautiful one, I might add. There are so many
benefits available to the people who contribute to our
family business. The least of them is the considerable fee
we’re offering for your services in this matter.”
“Your offer is generous,” Louise replied, “and I thank you
for it. But the types of offshore transactions you propose
are tantamount to money laundering and tax evasion. It
wouldn’t be prudent for me to jeopardize my legal career
by being party to this.”
“You think you know, Miss Hernandez, but I assure you,
you have no idea what you’re passing up.”
If Louise passes on the possibility of riches to preserve her
job and name, she acts in a way that validates her defining
Virtue and regains any spent Willpower.
Virtuous Scenes: Patience, vigilance
Possessed by: Businessmen, doctors, priests, scientists
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Temperance
Moderation in all things is the secret to happiness, so says
the doctrine of Temperance. It’s all about balance.
Everything has its place in a person’s life, from anger to
forgiveness, lust to chastity. The temperate do not believe
in denying their urges, as none of it is unnatural or un-
holy. The trouble comes when things are taken to excess,
whether it’s a noble or base impulse. Too much
righteousness can be just as bad as too much wickedness.
Your character regains all spent Willpower when
he resists a temptation to indulge in an excess of
any behavior, whether good or bad, despite the
obvious rewards it might offer.
Example: Michael pressed Rivera to the pavement and
cuffed him. For half his years on the force, Michael had
been trying to bring Douglas Rivera to justice. How many
kids had died from Rivera’s peddled junk? How many
times had Michael’s family received death threats? How
many times had Rivera been collared only to walk on a
technicality? Michael’s mind kept turning back to the
unregistered .38 stashed in his patrol car. He could fire
some rounds into the car door and put Rivera’s prints on
the weapon. Who would doubt that Michael had to kill
him in self-defense? “No,” Michael muttered to himself.
He couldn’t lower himself to the same level as this
criminal, no matter how tempting. He’d be no better.
Instead, he hauled Rivera into the back of the car and
slammed the door.
By refusing to give in to extreme and compelling impulses
but still completing the arrest; remaining centered
instead, Michael acts in a way that validates his defining
Virtue and he regains any spent Willpower.
Virtuous Scenes: Chastity, even-temperament, frugality
Possessed by: Clergy, police officers, social workers
VICES
Below are the selfish motivations that drive a character.
Many people have multiple vices, but the one you pick for
your character is their defining, most common, most
fallen to vice. These must be a typical part of the
character’s personality. A character with Pride would
have people calling him a ‘prideful son of a bitch’ fairly
often, even when not trying to get willpower back. It a
mark of who you are at your most selfish and self-serving.
While this list cannot be changed, you can work with the
Storyteller to tweak the way a Vice is acted out for your
character. Thus a gluttonous person might have an
insatiable, Gluttonous, desire to gain power (only to
squander it), or a Lust for approval the forces them to act
in any debased manner as long as it gets them praise.
Typically though, it’s best to try and just find a Vice that
naturally fits your character’s most selfish and criminal
actions. If you want to be wealthy, pick Greed. If you
want to have power, take Envy or Pride. If you want to
just party and consume, take Gluttony, and so on.
Envy
An envious person is never satisfied with what she has.
No matter her wealth, status or accomplishments, there
is always someone else who seems to have more, and it’s
coveted. Envious characters are never secure or content
with their place in life. They always measure themselves
against their rivals and look for ways to get what they
deserve. They might be considered paranoid or just
consumed by a self-loathing that they project onto
others.
Your character regains one Willpower point whenever
she gains something important from a rival or has a
hand in harming that rival’s wellbeing.
OR
Your character regains one Willpower point whenever
she gains a major achievement in game, then tries to
push past it unsatisfied that it is enough. She may not
benefit from this achievement at all from that point
forward.
Example: Hughes watched the reporters; sponsors and
women flock to Montgomery like moths to a flame. One-
tenth of a second in the 40 meter and a couple slick moves
on the field were all that made Hughes the low-paid
fullback and Montgomery the star tailback. Now it was
the big Monday-night game and the attention was all on
Montgomery. “Drink this and you’ll be MVP tonight.”
At first, the voice seemed to come out of nowhere, but
then there he was, one of the ugliest guys Hughes had
ever seen, sitting right there in the locker room, grinning
like the Cheshire Cat. “Who the hell are you? How’d you
get in here?”
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“Kick-off is in five minutes, Hughes. You want to be the
star tonight? Then drink up. You want Montgomery to get
the headlines tomorrow, then call security.” Hughes
considered a moment, then took the vial and downed it.
Bitter, thick, cold and powerful - so very powerful. Screw
the consequences, he was going to have the game of his
life.
By taking the drink, Hughes indulges his defining Vice and
regains one point of spent Willpower.
Conditions: Covetousness, jealousy, paranoia,
dissatisfaction, prejudice, resentment, rivalry
Possessed by: Celebrities, executives, politicians
Gluttony
Gluttony is about indulging appetites to the exclusion of
everything else. It’s about dedicating oneself to sensual
pleasures or chasing the next high. A glutton makes any
sacrifice to feed his insatiable appetite for pleasure,
regardless of the cost to himself or those around him. He
might be considered a junky or even a kleptomaniac (he
steals things he doesn’t need just for the thrill of it).
Your character regains 1 spent Willpower point
whenever he indulges in his addiction or appetites at
some risk to himself or a loved one.
Example: They’d come for his dad. They’d hauled his ass
into the bedroom, brought in the power tools, and then
the screaming started. James thought about protesting,
but what good would it do? He decided to drown it all out,
instead. He dropped the heroine needle and tipped back
the whiskey. Sure, he’d gotten involved with them, and
maybe that was a mistake, but he told his dad to keep out
of it. James took another drink. The whiskey trailed fire
down his throat and dulled his senses. They didn’t tolerate
people interfering in their business. And so, James took
another drink as the world faded away.
By overwhelming his senses with drugs and booze rather
than helping his father, James indulges in his defining Vice
and regains a point of spent Willpower.
Conditions: Addictive personality, conspicuous
consumer, epicurean, debauchery, lack of moderation
Possessed by: Celebrities, junkies, thieves
Greed
Like the envious, the greedy are never satisfied with what
they have. Where they differ is that the Greedy are all
about the “count” – more than the next guy; whereas the
Gluttonous are all about the “amount” of the action – the
value does not matter, they not even have anything to
show for it afterwards. The greedy want more - more
money, a bigger house, more status or influence - no
matter that they may already have more than they can
possibly handle. Everything is taken to excess. To the
greedy, there is no such thing as having too much. If that
means snatching someone else’s hard-earned reward just
to feather one’s own nest, well, that’s the way it goes.
Your character regains one Willpower point
when-ever he acquires something at the
expense of another. Gaining it must come at
some potential risk (of assault, arrest or simple
loss of peer respect).
Example: Gregor scanned down the list of names. It read
like a small-town telephone book. He signed the cover
sheet, ending the employment of several hundred people.
“Such is the way of capitalism,” he mused. The press
wouldn’t believe there was synergy to the merger unless
the two companies’ duplicated human resources weren’t
eliminated. Progress had its price. He once again
skimmed the magazine list of the world’s 500 wealthiest
men, and eyed the meager difference between his fortune
at number 20 and that of number 19. Then he imagined
next year’s poll. Progress had its rewards, too.
By engineering the hostile takeover that costs hundreds of
jobs, all for petty personal gain, Gregor indulges his
defining Vice and regains a point of spent Willpower.
Conditions: Avarice, parsimony, irrational longing,
selfishness, stingy, cheating
Possessed by: CEOs, lawyers, stock brokers
Lust
The Vice of Lust is the sin of uncontrolled desire. A lusty
individual is driven by a passion for something (usually
sex, but it can be a craving for virtually any experience or
activity) that he acts upon without consideration for the
needs or feelings of others. A lusty individual uses any
means at his disposal to indulge his desires, from
deception to manipulation to acts of violence. Your
character is consumed by a passion for something.
He regains one Willpower point whenever he
satisfies his lust or compulsion in a way that
victimizes or objectifies others.
Example: For two weeks, Aaron had been holed up with
the star witness, “protecting” her. That his previous
girlfriend had tested positive for HIV hadn’t stopped
Aaron from banging this chick seven ways to Sunday, ever
59
since she’d come on to him on the second day. It might
have meant compromising the witness and her life, but
this chick worth it. He tried not to think about the
possibility of infection, the blackouts might have worried
him, but he didn’t want to think about it. She was here,
he was here and the sex was worth it.
By risking the girls life just for sex, Aaron indulges in his
defining Vice and regains a point of spent Willpower.
Conditions: Lasciviousness, impatience, impetuousness,
fetishized craving, irrational excitement, non-consensual
Possessed by: Movie producers, politicians, rock stars
Pride
Pride is the Vice of self-confidence run amok. It is the
belief that one’s every action is inherently right, even
when it should be obvious that it is anything but. A
prideful person refuses to back down when his decision
or reputation is called into question, even when the
evidence is clear that he is in the wrong. His ego does not
accept any outcome that suggests fallibility, and he is
willing to see others suffer rather than admit that he’s
wrong.
Your character regains one Willpower point
whenever he exerts his own wants (not needs)
over others at some potential risk to himself. This
is most commonly the refusal to accept fault for
anything and the attempt to place it upon others.
Example: There she was, crying again. Jesus fucking Christ
this was so stupid. “You should have never hugged him,
then I wouldn’t have had to hit his stupid face.”
“I’m sorry,” She whimpered and sobbed into a napkin, “He
just came up to me, *sniff* I mean. I never meant
anything by it, I was just being polite.” Then she fell into a
crying fit again.
“Yeah well, I don’t give two shits. You shouldn’t have done
that. It was obvious that he was coming on to you and
you ran with it! I saw it, I saw the look on his face, why
didn’t you? If I can see it, then you could have. Fuckin
idiot…”
By refusing to back down and admit he overreacted and
make sure she is the one at fault, Fabrice indulges his
defining Vice and regains a point of spent Will-power.
Conditions: Arrogance, ego complex, vanity, abusive
honor, self-aggrandizing, megalomania
Possessed by: Corporate executives, movie stars, street
thugs
Sloth
The Vice of Sloth is about avoiding work until someone
else has to step in to get the job done. Rather than put in
the effort - and possibly risk failure - in a difficult situation,
the slothful person simply refuses to do anything,
knowing that someone else will step in and fix the
problem sooner or later. The fact that people might
needlessly suffer while the slothful person sits on his
thumbs doesn’t matter one bit.
Your character regains one Willpower point
when-ever he successfully avoids a difficult task
but achieves the same goal nonetheless.
Example: Catherine pretended to listen as the fourth
tenant that day called to tell her, the superintendent, that
the security lights were out. Some asshole had gone and
broken all the lights around the apartment building. Sure,
she’d heard stories about the Harcourt building, where
the lights were shattered one night and there were break-
ins the next. Depending on who was telling the story,
some weird shit happened over there. But the afternoon
was really hot outside, and Catherine decided the
Harcourt stuff was just rumors. Besides, she had her
cellphone in case any prowlers came around. She turned
off phone and let her ass warm the couch. The lights could
wait another day.
By avoiding work despite the repercussions, Catherine
indulges her defining Vice and regains a point of spent
Willpower.
Conditions: Apathy, cowardice, ignorance, lax standards,
listlessness, abusive delegation, uncaring
Possessed by: Couch potatoes, trust-fund heirs, welfare
cheats
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Wrath
The Vice of Wrath is the sin of uncontrolled anger. The
wrathful either look for ways to vent their anger and
frustration on people or objects at the slightest
provocation, or if they are provoked they go way too far
and end up really hurting someone. In most cases the
reaction is far out of proportion to the perceived slight. A
wrathful person cut off on the freeway might try to force
another driver off the road, or a wrathful cop might
delight in beating each and every person he arrests,
regardless of the offense.
Your character regains one spent Willpower
point whenever he unleashes his anger in a
situation where doing so is dangerous. If
something like a fight is actually life-threatening,
no Willpower points are re-gained if you hurt or
kill the attacker. It must take place in a situation
where anger is unwarranted or inappropriate.
Example: As April staggered in, Rebecca surprised her at
the door, demanding the month’s rent. April had gotten
hooked on the new drug that had hit the streets. She had
spent most of her time day-tripping and having paranoia
attacks about “things eating through the walls of the
world.” Rebecca didn’t care anymore, and when the usual
litany of excuses began, Rebecca hit her. Blood ran from
April’s nose and down her mouth. “I want the damn rent!”
Rebecca yelled, punctuating each statement with another
blow until April was on the ground, balled up and crying.
By beating the money out of April, Rebecca indulges her
defining Vice and regains a point of spent Willpower.
Conditions: Antisocial aggressiveness, hot-headedness,
poor anger management, sadism, gas-lighting, explosive
irritability
Possessed by: Bullies, drill sergeants, street thugs
Relationships
World of Darkness depicts dramatic plots. Drama occurs
between people, some of whom may be intimately tied to
your character. When two people interact, they create,
reinforce, or change a relationship. By detailing out your
Relationships, you can bring personal plots to the
forefront, keep track of supporting characters you’ve
neglected, and provide both Storyteller and players with
emotional meat for those interpersonal scenes that make
games really matter.
You must begin the game with 3 people who are
important in your life.
The first is someone who knows you for who you are, and
they mean a lot to you. Maybe it’s a lover, or your child,
or your best friend since middle school. Heck, it could
even be your drug dealer. Doesn’t matter who they are –
only that you want them in your life, and you would never
want to lose them. Think about those around you and
about whom of those you most love. If becoming a
monster pushed them away, who would you risk
everything to see again?
The second person is someone who complicates your life.
They may or may not be an enemy. It could simply be
your overbearing parents, a jealous spouse, or your
coworker who is always dragging you into their problems.
The tie to this person is about how they complicate your
life, and why you can’t escape them.
The third person is someone who connects you to the
game’s overall plot. The Storyteller doesn’t get to pick
this person for you – you pick who they are. But the
Storyteller must give you a list of places, factions,
organizations, or whatever will bridge the gap between
your character and the world plot. This relationship
should never be a “I get my orders from person X”. This
is a relationship, not a job. You need this person, or love
them, or have like ideals, or are part of the same
conspiracy society, a mentor, etc.
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Now that you have all of these Relationships, once the
game begins, things are allowed to change, grow or fade
away. The hooks are in place for great stories with these
people and you must lean into interacting with them
based on your Relationships you established with each.
Be prepared for the Storyteller to make life hard if you let
these people go, suffer, or become your enemies.
As you describe connections between your character and
these new NPC people, the Relationships of your
chronicle takes shape, and your game takes on life and
interesting possibility. As more supporting characters
appear and as relationships change, you scribble in new
names and cross out old truths. Update the Relationships
as allies become adversaries following a failed
negotiation. Soon enough, the map becomes a mess of
scribbled notes about the characters, Post-its with
pictures, memorable quotes, wine stains, and sketches.
Your Relationships becomes your mad conspiracy wall or
your pictures-and-string investigation board. Use it not
just to drive drama, but also to keep track of the tangled
web of deception. Keep it near the table where you can
read it. Its form is up to you: a big sheet of butcher paper,
a digital mind map, a presentation deck, a printout of the
map of your city with domain boundaries drawn in, a
bullet point list of names and places.
Designers Note
Do this as a group. Sure, a few relationships can be kept
secret. But most don’t need to be kept from the other
players. In fact, it’s suggested that as NPC are created,
players attempt to share NPCs. Having two characters
with different relationships to the same NPC is the best
way to keep the group interacting together, even during
personal plots! And it may not be the same NPC, it
might simply be the same organization each of your
NPCs both work within. Opposed or allied, how the
NPCs relate can be just as important.
Scripts
Playing a character in a Storytelling game is a challenging
task. And it can require a great number of touch points
between your character, the other characters, and the
story plot. In order to keep track of all these touch points
in a complex game, each character must have a set of
Script Lines.
Script Lines are a set of actions that the character must
attempt to insert into narrative play just about every
single game night. They bring life to your character and
they remind you of all the assets, abilities, quirks and past
events of your character.
Social Compels with Scripts
You can use a Script Line to compel a fellow character
make a choice on a particular line of action or recall a
relationship and leverage that in the fiction narration.
CREATING SCRIPT LINES
A character will have 4 Script Lines. Each Line describes in
brief detail what the character must do when certain
situations arise. These Script Lines will change over time
as the character grows as a person and advances in the
plot. All Script Lines should be able to be done almost
every single game. If a Script Line is part of a bigger plot
and will take time to complete – change it.
 Script Lines are meant to be simple, quick and fun things
you enjoy doing with your character every single game.
Note that most of these involve some amount of risk on
the character’s part. That’s ok! You don’t need to risk life
and limb for these, but don’t shy away from danger or
complications. Dangerous or negative Script Lines can be
great ways to build your character in the nightly drama.
You will have 1 Script Line that highlights your character’s
personality, quirks, or curious habits. Something like your
character is a “nervous smoker”, “depressed drinker”,
“shameless flirt”, or the like. This isn’t a flaw or special
ability, it’s something that brings them to life at the table.
Additionally you will have 1 Person Script Line from your
first drama and 1 Character Script Line per each player in
the group.
Personal Script Creation
This is where you set the stage of the dramatic and
interesting character you are playing. What shaped you
and made you who you are today? What defining event
made your character willing step into the darkness and
challenge or dominate what they find there? Tell
everyone else the story of some danger or intrigue your
character faced that set them on the path this game will
pick up on and the others will interact with. You don’t
never every detail, and it does not need to be long, just
enough to give everyone an impression of who you are
and what motivates you. Use your Concept and Virtue
and Vice to help you create this tale. Then, when you
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have told the story, pull from it one detail or action that
you still do to this day, something you still do every night
- that is your first Script Line, your personal script.
Something like “Dire Curiosity,” or “Honorable Boy Scout.”
Example of a Script Line
Annie’s character’s first story is of her character Flynn, who was raised
in a small town by only his mother. She is the leader of a gang of thieves
and criminals, which naturally influenced him into deeds of theft and
crime. So she chooses a script of ‘raised and trained thief’. Which is her
first Script Line, and something she can insert narratively into roleplay
most nights in some manner.
Adam then picks up her story and inserts his character Uther, who is a
local town deputy. He complicated Flynn’s life by helping the cops arrest
him for a crime that Uther investigated on. However, while arresting and
incarcerating Flynn, Uther gets to know him and finds out he has a heart
of gold. They bond over ideals and fast become close friends despite
being on opposite sides of the law. Annie then chooses “Ideals of
Brotherhood” as her second Script Line she can insert or play out during
play.
Player Character Script Creation
Now go around the table for 2 other player characters.
The first person will pick up where you left off in your
story. Maybe literally the next scene in that story, or
maybe years later – use whatever timeframe makes
sense. They will then describe that continuation and how
their character interacted with yours in the next major
drama or life event or intrigue.
They can choose to complicate your continuing story or to
have solved some need or problem you had at the time.
While the other player is adding to your story, you should
feel free to insert your own ideas and any tone or conflict
suggestions or corrections as they tell the continuation of
your story. Then, when they have told their addition to
your story, you will pull from it one detail or action that
still to this day, your character does or interacts with or
holds in their heart (for good or for ill) – that is the second
Script Line, which should tie you narratively that player
character.
The next player will then pick up where the previous
player left off in your story, again as much or little time
passing as needed. Each player must advance the story,
they cannot simply modify a previous story.
 This is your character, your story. Speak up and let
players know if there are concepts or strife that you are
uncomfortable with, that’s fine. If you only want players
to add solutions and positive interactions with your
character, then let them know so.
Storyteller Tenant Script Line
Lastly the storyteller will give everyone the same single
script. This is going to be one based on the main theme
of the game. So if the story is about star crossed lovers,
then the ST might give everyone a theme of “True Love”.
How the characters play that out is up to each player and
their character’s own take on that theme.
Milestones
Milestones are distinct points in a characters life that are
noteworthy. These range from simple defining moments to
life goals.
Each character must come up with three Milestones = one
milestone for each XP category. There are three XP
categories: 1XP, 3XP, 10XP
You may only achieve each milestone once, but they do not
need to be achieved in order. You may not achieve the 1XP
or 3XP milestones again until you have achieved the 10XP
milestone and gotten a new set of milestones.
Once you achieve your 10XP milestone, all of your
milestones go away, and you must create 3 new ones. If you
didn’t achieve the 1XP or 3XP milestone before achieving the
10XP, then they are lost and still must be changed.
An example 1XP milestone is of something interesting and
small. It could be having a discussion with a hated enemy.
Or it could be aiding an ally in a side project of theirs.
An example of a 3XP milestone is of something
noteworthy and large. It could be making a new ally, join
an organization, or maybe when you complete a plan of
attack in an enemy compound.
An example of a 10XP milestone is of something life
changing and epic. It could be the death of a loved one,
turning into the evil you always fought against, losing a
power or making a longtime ally a dire enemy. These can
be pretty rough and certainly change a character’s
outlook on life. So all the details may not be listed in the
milestone. Maybe you are not sure if your loved one will
die, but you want that chance, that threat. For example:
you simply put in your 10XP milestone that “the loss of a
loved one or ally due to tragedy.”
MILESTONE THEMES
It’s a good idea to theme your Milestones, have a
common idea for them a cohesive picture of your
character’s goals. Examples of Millstone themes are:
 Playing out a Character Quirk: A noticeable habit such as
smoking, always cracking dad jokes, wearing fine clothing
and complaining when they are a mess, or drinking heavily
and commenting on lack of booze at times.
 Making Friends: Like attracts to like. If you are a dwarf,
seek out other dwarves and get their life stories, if you
are a pop culture junkie, seek out news and gossip on
the latest trends or celebrity drama. Whatever your
interest or lifestyle or physical makeup – you must go
talk to people about it like you, or argue with people
who disagree with you. Start a bar fight or get everyone
singing holding arms.
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 Research: The world is big and full of lies, and it’s up to you
to find the truth. From data warehouses, hacking, blogs,
libraries, case files, and other media objects – to talking
with elders, historians, politicians or local wisemen. Find
some bit of info and go find out more about it.
 Hobbies: Have a lot of guns? Make a scene about fixing
one, buying a new one, modifying an old one. Have your
character try their hand at painting, read some poetry to
the group (and laugh at their agony), work on your
transport, practice your athletics or a sport. Whatever it
is, go practice it or work on it – try to make some progress
that everyone can understand each game.
 Make Machiavelli Proud: The world may be full of lies,
so why not control the liars. Your character must
interact with any type of NPC that might have a way for
you to manipulate the world around you. It might be in
a small way, like simple gambling bribes, or it might be
in major ways – setting up assassinations. Have a goal
to make a political or social or criminal event happen.
 Humanitarian Works: Go save the day! Maybe it’s
simple things like feeding the hungry, helping the
homeless or working with your junkie buddy to get off
smack. Whatever your idea of helping others is, go out
and make a difference in someone’s life.
 Fuck the Police: Being a hero is for chumps – go rob a
bank! Go commit a petty crime or make progress
towards a major crime. Pick pockets, rob a vendor,
hack a bank, fight a bouncer, kill a hooker. However
much a bad guy you are, go be it.
 Play out your Fatal Flaw: Every character in World of
Darkness has a Fatal Flaw. Vampires have the Beast,
Werewolves have Lunacy, Demons have Torment and
Novas have Taint. This is how this Fatal Flaw affects you
and the stages with which it evokes change in your life.
It might start as a long hard philosophical talk about it
with others, and might lead up to pleading for help as
you teeter on the edge of madness. Or it might be
having it prick at you, make you edgy or fearful or act
out in some way until you no longer recognize the
person you have become.
 Become Battle Brothers: This is a focus on the other
player characters and making goals to build relationships
and bonds with them. From simply asking about who they
are, to resolving a major interpersonal crisis between the
characters. This is a great way to char the journey of deep
friendships, dire loyalty or bitter rivalry.
Choosing Merits
Merits represent another color, another type of paint, for
your palette. Just as with other Traits, you should strive
to achieve two things with chosen Merits. First, they
should reflect your character concept, and moreover, add
to the concept (as in the way an extra swipe of paint on
the canvas creates a shadow over a figure’s brow or
reveals broad and powerful shoulders). Second, Merits
should be fun and useful. Merits have purpose; they
aren’t just for flavor. When tying both your character’s
deeper meaning with the cool mechanical advantages
Merits provide, you’ve selected your dots appropriately.
SHAPING CHARACTER
When selecting a Merit, ask yourself, does it reflect your
character? Is it believable? If your character grew up in
the Midwest and didn’t have much worldly experience,
then why does he have Multilingual? A bookish student
with a preponderance of Mental Traits might not be likely
to have a hell of a lot of Physical Merits, will she? Maybe
she has some physical ability — but Fighting Style: Jiu-
jitsu? Iron Stomach? Do these make sense for her?
They might. The intersection of two unlikely Traits can
reveal (or inspire) a lot about a character. How do we
even know if two Traits don’t make sense together
without the context of a character concept to tell us? So
you can take Merits that seem unexpected or out of place.
Just be prepared to explain them. Better than that — be
eager to explain them. Be excited to reveal what two
Traits, together, reveal about your character that neither
would reveal alone.
If the story of how your character learns a Merit is going
to be interesting, why not make it a part of her future in
play? Merits, especially, can reveal the growth and
change of a character over time. That’s half the point of a
chronicle: watching your character change over time.
Your character should always change more after
character creation than before.
Merits are cheap to buy with experience points but
harder to explain without stories (and Storyteller
approval). This is by design. Learning Dirty Fighting during
play may be as simple as spending a few scenes describing
the character finding a trainer or practicing the tricks.
Finding new Allies may just require the Storyteller to sign
off on it in the space between stories. Developing a
relationship with a new Mentor may demand a character
to seek one out during play, and not just fill in dots on the
character sheet. Acquiring these Merits can be cheap with
experience points, but they should be tales in their own
right — tales worth telling.
Your Merits aren’t meant to just be thrown into a dark
cellar, never to see the light. Pick Merits that represent
your active character and their Milestones. Pick Merits
that you as a player find intriguing and want to see use in
play immediately.
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MERITS AS STORY
It’s been hinted at, but let’s explicitly state it: each Merit
represents a story. A small story, to be sure, but a tale
nevertheless. If your character has a Retainer, who are
they? How did she get them? Every Merit comes with an
unspoken question, so speak those questions aloud and
answer them. Who taught her Level-Headed? Tell a story
of when she was beaten so bloody that she realized that
she had to be better, meaner, faster. Has she always had
Eidetic Memory? Did it develop at a young age, or could
it have possibly come into being obsessed with study
while in prison? And Fame? Well, there has to be a story
in there somewhere. Fame isn’t a throwaway Merit, it
comes with history — even if it was made overnight, that
one night tells a powerful story. Maybe she inadvertently
stopped a small town crime in progress and got in good
with the locals (and the fact she refuses to be
photographed for it only deepens the mystery). Maybe
she’s some famous singer-songwriter whose haunting
lyricism has earned her quite the reputation and
recognition. Point is, Merits mean something about your
character, so tell the other players and Storyteller exactly
what that “something” is.
MERITS AS WORLD-BUILDING
This is just an addendum to the above point, but Merits
help deepen the game world as well as your own
character. In describing your haven or herd, tell the
troupe about the neighborhood in which it sits. Paint the
picture, and it’ll give the Storyteller some help as well as
make for a more vivid location when it’s described. Having
a Mentor, be it your parent or some corporate bigwig,
drops another character into the game — a character who
means something to your character and is connected to
the larger picture. With Merits, you add to the world.
THE SANCTITY OF MERITS
Expect that the money can be taken away, or that the job
can lead to dismay, poverty or outright horror. Whether
they are spent on things you acquire before or during the
game, they may end up as sacrifices on the altar of good
stories. Merit dots represent a protective fence, but that
fence is only as good as the story needs it to be. Paying
XP for a Merit requires the ST work into the story, reasons
why it could be taken from you. And if the plot goes pear-
shaped, the ST can remove Merits from a character who
failed to protect them. These things should be negotiated
between the player and ST. This is to ensure everyone is
on the same page about the stakes and what could
transpire should failure occur.
Character Beginning Stats
These are chosen after you have gone through the
narrative process of creating a character and backstory
outlined above. Don’t spend too much time worrying
over how many points to put into any given stat. The
fiction you created about your character should inform
what stats you have a dot or two in and what merits you
should have to act out your character relationships.

Attributes*: 5/4/3 Size: 5

There are 3 groups to place dots into your Attributes:
Physical (Strength, Dexterity, Stamina), Social (Charisma,
Manipulation, Resolve), and Mental (Intelligence,
Perception, Wits). Each Attribute starts with the first dot
free to represent the base ability for a person to function at
an inadequate or crippled level. You may distribute 5 dots
within one group. You may distribute 4 dots in a second
group. And lastly you may distribute 3 dots in the last group.
Max dots in any Attribute is 5, and minimum is 1.
 Note that any Attributes at 1 dot may not be raised later in game
with XP. 1 Dot attributes represent a character who is in some way
born with a disability they cannot overcome without specific game
plot events.
Skills: 11/7/5
There are 3 groups to place dots into your Skills: Physical,
Social, and Mental. Skills start with 0 dots to represent no
knowledge or experience in that Skill. You may distribute 11
dots within one group. You may distribute 7 dots in a second
group. And lastly you may distribute 5 dots in the last group.
Max dots in any Skill is 5.
 Max dots in a given skill a character may start with is 3. While 4 dots
may be allowable with Storyteller approval.
Skill Specialties: 3
The lines between each Skill and its dots are for a single
word called a Specialty. This represents a very specific
activity or item for which you are specialized in that skill.
You gain 3 Specialties to write in (note that it does not
matter which groups the skills you choose to place these
into, you simply have 3 to allocate).
 These may only be placed in skills that you have at least 1 dot in.
Unless merit or flaw changes this.
Health: Stamina + Size
As their Stamina or possibly Size increases, their Health
will increase.
Defense: Lowest of Wits or Dexterity
As their Wits or Dexterity go up, this Defense value may
increase.
Merits: 10 points
Merit points may be used at creation to buy the following
 Merits: See Merits list for details and cost
 Skills: 1 Merit point buys you a Skill Dot
 Attributes: 3 Merit points buy you 1 Dot in an Attribute
 Specialty: 1 Merit points buy 1 additional Skill Specialty
Flaws: Up to 7 points max
Character Flaws may be taken, they do NOT gain you
bonus dots; instead they gain bonus experience at the
end of each story arc for role-playing them out. See Flaws
for details.
Starting Equipment and Wealth
All characters start out with nothing more than the bare
minimum to define who and what they are.
 You start with 0 dots in the Merit: Resources
So if you are a beat cop in Detroit, then you likely have a
small poor apartment and little to no spending money,
and an old dented up car. You were issued a gun and
uniform from the department, and little else.

Morality: 7 If you want to have a life where you can buy things, gear
All characters start with a Morality of 7 unless a flaw up, have a nice home, live in a better area – you need to
dictates otherwise. put dots into the Merits: Resources.
If you want any special items, you need to put dots in the
Willpower: Wits + Resolve Merit: Belongings.
Characters start with their Willpower pool at full.

 Note that Willpower does not go up as Wits or Resolve dots go up

after creation. This is only for initial setup.

65

Characters can gain better stats, new powers and even some
new or improved Merits. These all must be represented in
roleplay and have been portrayed by the character.
Level Up Locked!
Until you have completed 4 Links, you cannot spend
your XP to level up. See Links for details.
Gaining Experience
Experience is not something that is automatic. It indicates
that enough time has passed that the actions your character
has performed has garnered them some noteworthy gains or
accomplishments. Skills and powers and a variety of other
things can be improved, honed and learned anew
throughout a characters life. This growth is encouraged by
the actions your character performs in game as well as your
involvement with the game overall.
 You get XP once per game session per item below
SUFFERING CHARACTER FLAWS OR COMPELS
A scene involves one or more of your flaws in which someone
suffers the full brunt of the flaw.
 You get XP equal to the Flaw point’s value.
 You gain +1XP when you go along with a Social Compel
or Command
MEMORABLE SCENES EXTERNAL TO THE PLOT
You make a memorable or eventful scene, something that
goes above and beyond interacting with the plot. See
Roleplaying: Game Scenes for details.
 You get +2XP
 Participating player characters gain +1XP
SCRIPT LINES
Once your character has played out all 4 Script Lines. See
Script Lines for details.
 You gain +1XP
BOTCHED ROLLS
When you Botch a roll (When you roll the dice and more 1’s
come up than successes), the Storyteller will typically make
a Hard Action against your character. And like in real life,
people learn from hardships and mistakes.
 You get +1XP
COMPLETE MILESTONES
Each milestone is only gained once, and when you complete
you 10XP milestone all Milestones clear out, and a new set
much be created. See Milestones for details.
 You gain XP once per Milestone equal to its value (1,
3, and 10).
COMPLETE CHARACTER LINKS
When you complete all 4 Links via scenes with other player
characters. See Links for details.
 You get +1XP
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Advancement XP Costs
 Attributes: New dots times 5
 Skills: New dots times 3 (note that some may require
being taught)
 Skill Specialties: 5xp each
 Merits: Most require being gained via role play. If
purchasable, they cost 5 times their dots.
 Morality: 1 per completed morality based 10XP
Milestone
 Willpower: 1 per completed Chronicle
Links
These are bonding and social building points between
players characters.
In most games it will be the group of player characters against
the world. If your group chooses to have an adversarial game
where much of the drama and plot will come from player
characters attacking or backstabbing and betraying other player
characters – then you can ignore this section. But for all other
games, this must be used.
At any time players can initiate a scene between their
character and any number of other characters. NPCs can be
involved too, but the focus should be on the player character
interactions. The initiating player must then choose to
engage in Camaraderie, Support, or Cede Spotlight with
their fellow player character. Upon the completion of this
scene, the initiating player gains 1 Link point. Ideally you
should gain a Link point from each other player character,
but in some cases the Storyteller may allow you to gain a Link
from the same character twice. After they gain 4 Link points
they may create a scene to show some amount of growth
and camaraderie with any of their fellow player characters.
This resets their Links to 0 and unlocks their XP so they can
level up their character.
CAMARADERIE
This should be to acknowledge the pain or loss or suffering
of a fellow player character. This is a moment of empathy
to understand what the other person is going through and to
try and bond over it. This is never pity, it is an attempt to
assuage pain with understanding. This is more than a cheer
or a backrub. This is to genuinely bond with the other player
character and acknowledge their accomplishments in their
struggles by your side. Your buddy just did a grand thing, so
celebrate their victory in their honour! Make them feel like
you not only care about them but you also admire them.
SUPPORT
This is to lend a hand in helping another player character
with one of their personal goals or 3XP or 10XP Milestones.
These scene are meant to show how your character can be
relied upon and offer a selfless hand to those who you have
built relationships with.
CEDE SPOTLIGHT
Whenever you narrate the way your character behaves in a
scene to set up one of the other players to complete the task,
get the kill, or otherwise be the focus of the scene. Don’t
just make them do the task, narrate how your character
highlights what they do and help them succeed.

Characters are made up of Attributes and Skills that define then
as a person. Who they are, what they are capable of and what
they have been trained in. Any supernatural aspects come after
this, are in many ways – less important than these defining
characteristics of the person you will be roleplaying. Think
about who they are, think about who they will become, and
certainly, think about how they fit into this story. People have
the inherent capacity to act, behave and think. We can perform
actions and have intuitive talents such as running, theorizing
and persuading others. So does your character. His basic,
fundamental capabilities are represented with Attributes, which
are the foundation of all the acts that he performs. These traits
are classified into three categories (Mental, Physical and Social)
and are rolled to determine how well your character
accomplishes efforts in the game.
Mental Attributes suggest how insightful, clever and
determined your character is. They are Intelligence, Wits and
Perception.
Physical Attributes indicate how strong, graceful and enduring
your character is. They are Strength, Dexterity and Stamina.
Social Attributes determine how imposing, magnetic and
dignified your character is. They are Charisma, Manipulation and
Resolve.
In general, the three groupings of traits to guide which are used
based on the circumstances: Mental, Physical and Social. For
example, there are Mental Attributes (Perception, Intelligence,
and Wits), and Mental Skills (Academics, Crafts, Intrigue, etc).
These groupings are there to suggest which Attribute and Skill
to pair when making an action (in this case a Mental action). But
the player may describe the approach to the action at hand in a
different way, so it is not required to pair Mental Attributes with
Mental Skills.
The Attributes of ordinary people are rated from 1 to 5. It’s
possible for someone to have more dots, but these individuals
are typically beyond the human ken, partially or fully a part of
the mysterious supernatural world. Perhaps they’re touched by
spirits or born to a legacy of service to unseen beings.
When your character performs an action, the Attribute most
appropriate to the effort is referenced. If he tries to remember
what he read during library research last week, you look to his
Intelligence dots. If he tries to jump a chasm, you check his
Strength. If he tries to make a good first impression on a group
of people, you apply his Charisma score. Your character’s dots
are usually rolled as part of a dice pool. Attributes are
sometimes combined and rolled to see if an action can be
accomplished, but they are more often combined with Skills.
The Storyteller will tell you what Attributes are applicable to
your character’s actions, and what rolls you can make.
Another guideline for knowing which traits to roll is tied to your
Attributes themselves. The general concepts of which Attribute
to use to attack, defend, or test ability: Power, Finesse, and
Resistance. Just like Mental, Physical and Social groupings, they
have no in game mechanical effect – they are just guidelines.
Power is the degree of effect that your character has on others
and his surroundings. The higher his score, the smarter, more
potent or more imposing he is. Intelligence, Strength and
Charisma therefore apply when your character seeks to force
himself on his environment.
67
Finesse is a measure of your character’s capacity to interact with
the world and influence others. The higher his score, the
craftier, more delicate and more influential he is. Wits, Dexterity
and Manipulation have bearing when your character tries to
anticipate and react to his environment, and to coordinate
others.
Resistance indicates how well your character copes with
influences from both without and within that might affect him
adversely. The higher his score the more staunch, sturdy or
dignified he is. Wits, Stamina and Resolve apply when your
character responds to coercion, injury and influence. Wits tests
his ability to resist efforts to direct his mind, Stamina helps him
shrug off physical trauma, and Resolve helps him recover from
horrifying experiences or social tension and still maintain
control.
Thus, you don’t usually check Strength when your character is
challenged in a social situation, because brute force doesn’t
apply where Wits (social recovery) is concerned. Similarly,
Dexterity doesn’t typically have bearing when interpreting a
foreign language. That act calls upon the power of the mind and
is the purview of Intelligence.
Attribute Dots
Attributes are rated 1 to 5 for ordinary people, and each
score suggests the degree of your character’s raw
capability in that area.
Dots Ability
 Poor. Unexercised, unpracticed or inept.
 Average. The result of occasional effort or
application.
 Good. Regular practice or effort, or naturally
talented.
 Exceptional. Frequently applied, tested and
honed, or naturally gifted.
 Amazing. The peak of normal human capability.
Continuously exercised or naturally blessed.
Normally, it’s not possible for a character to have 0 dots in an
Attribute. That suggests the absolute vacancy of any capability
in the trait in question. Now, a person could be physically,
mentally or socially disabled or crippled. Those conditions are
reflected with Flaws, however, not through zero-rated
Attributes.
Just about the only instance in which an Attribute can be
reduced to zero (and usually temporarily) is by supernatural
means. A spell, curse or affliction is imposed on your character
that eliminates all of the dots in his trait. In these cases, no roll
can be made at all whenever the Attribute in question would
normally be called for. So, if your character is afflicted with total
loss of bodily control (zero Dexterity), you make no rolls for any
situation that calls for Dexterity in a dice pool, even if he has
dots in a pertinent Skill or has access to tools that would be
helpful. Your character can’t even hope to aim a gun or direct
his movements. In essence, the action fails outright.
Mental
INTELLIGENCE
“I’m sick of this,” Becky announced in frustration. She
immediately regretted her outburst as her words
echoed throughout the musty old library. Fortunately,
this late at night, even during exams, no one else was
there to hear. She had been working on her thesis for
weeks without getting anywhere. Once again, she
wondered if a degree in Linguistics was a good choice.
Her research was simply not panning out as she hoped,
but after another pep talk, she forced herself back into
the stacks. What other choice did she have? It was
when reaching for a book on Sanskrit that she made her
real discovery. A dusty old volume that seemed to have
fallen between bookcases. It was bound in leather, or
something like it, and had no publication date. Indeed,
the book was nothing like she had ever seen before. No
end papers. No table of contents. It just launched into
some strange text.
The next thing she knew, Becky had passed hours
studying the book. It had characters reminiscent of
Latin and Greek, yet different, with odd pictographs
throughout. As near as she could tell, it was dedicated
to a religion or to ceremonies of some kind, but from
what culture she had no idea. She did know that if she
was ever going to find out, she would need more time
with it.
The raw power of the mind. Cognitive capacity. The
inherent capability to digest, comprehend and remember
information, and to learn more. Intelligence is a direct
measure of how smart your character is. She may be dull-
minded or have narrow-vision. She may be book-smart, or
she may simply be able to grasp concepts, interpret
situations and solve problems quickly. Intelligence is
valued by planners, theorists, scholars, white-collar
employees and leaders.
WITS
Martin had accepted some weird jobs, but this one took
the cake. He’d installed or repaired plumbing across the
city.
He liked the work; jobs could be challenging and fun.
Busting open drywall and messing with pipes was like
tinkering with the skeleton of a building. You got to see
straight into people’s private worlds. Sometimes you even
got to peek at the skeletons in their closets.
But why be hired to do a full re-pipe at this place and be
told not to go on the top floor? Martin had to know. So,
when the greasy guy who hired him caught him at the top
of the stairs, Martin had to think fast.
“Yeah, I tried to find you. It’s uh… it’s what I was afraid
of. An old building like this, the fittings have given way
from wood rot or something. We’re, uh… we’re gonna
need to re-route all the pipes upstairs instead of running
the same lines.” Damn, that was good, he thought. Might
be able to squeeze some extra bucks out of this job.
The other man didn’t seem convinced.
The ability to think on one’s feet, under pressure or duress,
without letting them see you sweat. Wits also
encompasses an eye for detail, the ability to absorb what’s
going on in the environment, and to react to events. It
might mean recognizing that the temperature in a room
slowly drops, that a landscape painting incorporates a
disguised human face, or that a trap is about to be sprung.
Wits involves the powers of perception and response. Your
character may be oblivious, dumbfounded, quick-eyed or
wary. The trait is useful for entrepreneurs, charlatans,
athletes, tacticians, lawyers and criminals.
68
PERCEPTION
Lucasz sat on the leather divan, jacket
unbuttoned, hands in his lap, waiting for his odd
host to enter the room. Above the musky scent
of the leather, Lucasz caught a whiff of…
poppies? ...and heard the clink of glass on glass.
A stooped man with a beak-like nose – probably
Barzeski’s servant – limped into the room, a
fluted glass on a silver service tray in his hand.
“An aperitif while the lord dresses, dear guest?”
the servant rasped.
“If it’s all the same to you, I prefer my wine
without laudanum,” answered Lucasz.
The servant blanched.
Perception measures a character’s ability to observe
his environment. This may involve a conscious effort,
such as searching an area, but it’s more often
intuitive, as the character’s keen senses notice
something out of the ordinary. Perception is a
sensitivity to the character’s surroundings, and is
seldom present in the cynical or jaded. Perception is
used to determine whether or not a character notices
a given sensory detail or detects an environmental
stimulus. It can warn a character ambushes, help a
character identify a metaphor, distinguish a clue from
a pile of refuse, or uncover any other hidden or
overlookable detail, whether physical or otherwise.
Aspects of a highly perception character might
describe them as; Attentive, Insightful, Careful,
Discerning, or Detail Oriented.
Social
CHARISMA
Martin was stunned. He wasn’t sure how long he stared at
the blood on his hand, bewildered by what it might mean.
Was the guy who owned the place some kind of psycho,
killing people and pouring their blood down the drain? He
wasn’t sure, but he finally decided that he didn’t want to
find out. It was weird, though. It was like he couldn’t think
straight. This should have scared the shit out of him, and
here he was kind of out of it, like he’d had a few. When he
got upstairs, he realized the lights were on. It was already
dusk outside, given the last light coming in through the
windows. “When did that happen,” he wondered.
“I meant to…” His thought went unfinished. Standing before
him at the foot of the stairs was the most beautiful woman
he’d ever seen. Normally, he didn’t go for brunettes. They
reminded him of his ex-, but somehow this one made it
work. Did she ever. “What was I doing?” Martin muttered,
but no answer came.
The woman’s dark eyes contrasted her pale skin, and
focused intently on the blood on Martin’s hand, on the blood
that he’d absently smeared across his shirt. “Did you hurt
yourself?” the woman asked. “Here, let me make it better.”
Bearing. Stature. Assertiveness. Charisma suggests the power
of your character’s very identity. Your character may be jaw-
dropping gorgeous, plain-Jane or downright ugly, but her
Charisma means much more. It reflects her sheer command
over the attention of others. It’s her capacity to impose her
will on others by being socially aggressive or powerful; a
veritable paragon or someone who simply doesn’t accept no
for an answer. This attribute is essential to leaders, enforcers,
interrogators, models, politicians and salespeople. You can’t
force someone to think a different way or to make them like
you then they have many reasons to not do so. But you can
influence opinions, give enemies pause, or get that chance to
persuade someone who otherwise might not even give others
the time of day. This is your ability to use your personality,
social graces and precise gestures to garner the emotional
response from a subject. Even with simple words, the way
you say them and the way you present yourself overrides
nuances and bends people to your will. You may be making
sense and using logic, or not, it doesn’t really matter because
you are so convincing the way you say it and how you act
around the target.
MANIPULATION
“What the fuck am I doing?” Joshed wondered as he picked
his way down the trash-strewn hallway. “This is exactly
where I didn’t want to go.” He had evaded the homeless
people in the alley, but then had nowhere to go except into
one of the old tenements. His leg burned from the long
scratches the fence left him. He hoped his tetanus shot was
up to date; he couldn’t remember. The place smelled like
piss. He could hear music blaring somewhere, and a baby
crying. “Who could raise a kid here?” he wondered.
He didn’t have time to think about the answer, though. His
eyes were suddenly drawn from the stained carpet to the
light at the end of the hall. Three shapes filled it. Two more
turned the corner behind him. They were the people from
outside. Maybe they weren’t so homeless, after all.
On the verge of panic once again, Josh recognized one of the
men. “Hey, Eddy, it’s me, Josh. What’s going on?” The five
dirty, disheveled men stopped a few feet away, with
menacing looks on their faces. “What are you doing here,
Josh?” Eddy asked.
“I was looking for something… a guy. I thought I saw him go
in here. Maybe you could help me find him? I think I got a
couple bucks.”
“We don’t want your fucking money.” For a second, Josh
wondered if he saw that same bestial look that he’d seen
earlier that day but this time in Eddy’s eyes.
Persuasiveness. Doublespeak. Guilt trips. The capacity to play
upon the desires, hopes and needs of others to influence
them. Manipulation reflects your character’s finesse in social
situations. How well he can appeal to, gain the favor of, and
generally coerce others. Using Manipulation is using logic,
reason, knowledge, or emotional connection to coerce or
create doubt in others that give you an edge over the debate.
You don’t need to be likeable to be manipulative, you just
need to know the right things to say to make others think
agreeing with you is the best course of action. Cold logic can
be a common part of it, but so can veiled hypocrisy too.
Where Charisma deals in social force, Manipulation focuses
on social subtlety. It’s the tool and trade of businesspeople,
politicians, sales folk and publicists.
69
RESOLVE
“Do you understand now?” the priest asked.
Becky was in shock. Moments before, she’d stormed to her
door, ready to unleash her frustration on whomever had
dared to interrupt her. Her research had not gone well. The
meaning or purpose of the book still eluded her, and she
was at the end of her rope.
Once she recovered sufficiently from the shock of finding a
priest at her door, she answered. “What?” “Do you
understand now? About the book? About what it says?”
Becky continued her look of disbelief. How could this
perfect stranger and a man of the cloth know anything
about her, or more importantly the book? “I see,” he
continued as he let himself in and shut the door.
Becky didn’t object. She could scarcely complete a thought.
“You might be confused. I understand. Rest assured,
though, you’re the one. The book chose you. It knows
you’re ready. Well, almost. That’s why I’m here. I’m here
to help open your eyes.” And with that, everything Becky
had stared at and studied moved about in her mind like the
pieces of a puzzle. They spun, crisscrossed and overlapped
and finally formed a complete picture. Looking at it was
like looking at the sun. It was like staring into the void and
knowing that the void stared back. In that moment,
Becky’s mind snapped.
Poise. Dignity. Determination. The capacity to remain
calm and appear, and actually be, unfazed in social and
threatening situations, usually harrowing ones. Your
character might lose his temper at the slightest perceived
insult, collapse emotionally under a mere pretense,
weather a storm of verbal (or literal) slings and arrows, or
have the nerve to look unspeakable horror in the eye. This
trait is a measure of emotional fortitude, restraint and
calm. It’s ideal among leaders, soldiers, moderators and
anyone whose movements are public consumption.
Resolve is vital to resisting social influence and pressure,
overt, covert or otherworldly. Resolve is pivotal to
resisting supernatural forms of emotional control; it acts
as a veritable emotional defense. The trait is also vital to
efforts among supernatural beings such as vampires and
werewolves to restrain themselves when their blood is
raised and frenzy threatens.
Physical
STRENGTH
“God damn,” Martin grunted as he pulled on the drain
cover in the basement. Somehow, water was still
backing up in the system. Everything else checked out,
so it had to be a clog in the outtake to the sewer. The
building was so old that it still had a dirt-floor
basement, yet the drain cover was stuck like a son of a
bitch.
“I could dig around it,” Martin thought, “but that would
take time.” This was the last place he wanted to be
pulling late hours. The whole building and the guy who
hired him really gave him the creeps. It was like the guy
resented Martin being there, as if the plumber was
intruding on something the guy wanted for himself.
“Fuck it,” Martin thought, and went to his truck to get
a crowbar. Jamming it between grilles, he pried with
everything he had. He pushed so hard he thought he
was going to piss himself, when the cover cracked loose
with a clang.
Aiming his flashlight down the hole, Martin saw
something he couldn’t explain. Like a man who’d done
this work for years, he reached down the pipe to his
shoulder.
When he pulled his arm free, his hand was coated red.
Physical might. Sheer bodily power. The capacity to lift
objects, move items, hit things and people, and do
damage. Strength is a measure of muscle. Your character
could be 98-pound weakling, he could carry a spare tire, or
he could be lean and cut or bulky and brawny. Your
character’s Strength score is used in hand-to-hand
combat. This trait is instrumental to laborers, thugs,
athletes, brawlers and law-enforcement agents. Strength
is also added to Brawl or Weaponry attacks to determine
the amount of harm your character inflicts in combat.
DEXTERITY
Josh had retraced his steps back to where he fell, to where
he saw that thing. He turned on the sidewalk, surveying
his neighborhood. It wasn’t the best place to live, but he
couldn’t afford any better. The worst of it was the bums
and homeless, but they left him alone if he gave them
some change.
Josh snapped out of his daydream and realized that he’d
been staring glassy-eyed at the alley across the street.
There was something about it. He shook his head to clear
it and waited for a couple cars to pass.
The alley lay between rundown tenements and ran past
an old parking lot. No one parked there anymore.
Cardboard boxes and scattered blankets used by bums
blocked the way. Josh almost turned back, not wanting to
piss off the street people, but then he remembered how
angry he got back home.
He steeled himself and headed down the alley. Almost
immediately, open hands reached out from what looked
like heaps of trash or discarded clothing as the homeless
muttered for money. After a moment, their pleas turned
to angry shouts as Josh ventured further into their
territory. Panicking, Josh jumped up the chain-link fence
next to him. It was the closest escape route. He wished he
hadn’t when he got to the barbwire at the top, but forced
himself upward and over.
He didn’t quite make it, and the rusted steel tore through
his pants and into his leg.
Agility. Quickness. Response time. A delicate touch.
Dexterity indicates how quickly and with how much
finesse your character responds to his physical world.
While high Wits dots helps your character spot trouble,
high Dexterity dots help him react to it, whether with a
counteraction or to simply get the hell out of the way.
Dexterity also helps with hand-eye coordination, be it to
fire an accurate shot, to juggle objects or to perform
delicate jobs such as handle explosives. Your character
might be sluggish, clumsy, slight, quick or nimble.
Dexterity is invaluable to criminals, sports stars, surgeons
and dancers.
70
STAMINA
Becky thanked the pizza guy absently as she closed her
apartment door. His nose wrinkled in distaste, not
because she failed to tip him but because of the smell
of her room, because of her greasy hair and because of
her clearly unwashed appearance.
Becky never noticed the silent insult. She hadn’t really
noticed anything for weeks. In fact, eating had become
something that she had to remind herself to do. Now it
was the book that consumed her. Even as she pushed
aside scattered and wadded up papers to sit down, she
kept her nose in the book. It demanded every ounce of
her attention.
Translating and understanding it had become her
obsession.
It superseded sleep, food, even her thesis. At first, she
hoped the book would be invaluable to her research.
Now she pored over it for its own sake. If she kept
studying, kept interpreting.
She knew comprehension would come.
As the night wore on, Becky continued to work. The
pizza box went unopened.
Sturdiness. Steadfastness. Sheer physical resilience.
Stamina is a measure of how tough your character is. It
indicates how far she can push her body, and how much
physical abuse she can endure. Your character might be
sickly and frail, or hardy and unstoppable. Bouncers,
brawlers, triathletes, survivalists, heavy lifters and
workaholics thrive on Stamina.
 DEFENSE SPEED General Movement Rates Chart (average values)
Each character will have a Walk, Run, and Sprint speeds. How fast a human walks = 3mph
This represents a characters ability to move out of the way
How fast can a human jog/run = 6 mph
of danger. It’s not literally dodging bullets or catching These are used for scenes where it matters how fast you are How fast a human can sprint = 15mph
arrows. It is more of your general ability to make yourself going, or how quickly you can get there. Refer to Movement How fast can a human swim = 2mph
a hard target to hit. See Combat section for details. for simply getting around a combat Range Zone. There are How long can a human walk = about 8 to 12 hours with basic
provisions
two values for each: Feet values for when in Rounds, and How far can a human standing Long = 7ft
Miles Per Hour when out of Rounds. Flying characters will jump
HEALTH have separate stats for flying and walking. For all intents and How far can a human running long = 12ft
This is not a set of hitpoints until your character is out of purposes these are the movement values that will be used in jump
the fight. There are conditions that will cause your How high can a human standing high =16inches (no leg bend)
World of Darkness games as a base. They are fairly simple and jump
character to pass out, become dizzy or disoriented or even represent the most common forms of movement. For a How high can a human running high =24inches (no leg bend)
start to bleed out from blood loss and more. In general, it standard size human (16 year old child to average adult): jump

is best to look at your character’s health track as just how How fast can a horse walk = 3mph
much pain they can handle and how big they are When In Action Rounds When Not in Rounds How long can a horse walk = 17 hours
physically. See Damage and Healing section for details. (Per Action Card) How fast can a horse trot = 8mph
Walk: 5ft Walk: Dexterity = mph How long can a horse trot = 2 hours
* Run: Dexterity x3ft * Run: Dexterity x 2mph How fast can a horse gallop = 30mph
SIZE ** Sprint: Dexterity x7ft ** Sprint: Dexterity x 5mph How long can a horse gallop = 1 min
** Swimming: 3ft ** Swimming: Dexterity = mph How fast can a horse drawn carriage = 20mph
Size is a relative concept in World of Darkness. Most of the go
time a character is trying to get enough gas to fill a room, *All actions taken during this kind of movement are at a -2. How fast does a horse drawn carriage =2mph
**No other actions may be combined with this movement travel at normal speed
or cast a spell over an orc, or a dozen orcs for that matter.
unless a special rule or the storyteller states otherwise. How long can a horse pull an average = 4 hours, rest for hour or two,
Maybe they are trying to target a small pistol on a table or full carriage then 4 more hours
maybe they need a bomb big enough to take down the
How fast can a sailboat sail = 7mph
Manhattan Visa credit card building. Thus the sizes listed How fast can a sailing ship go = 10mph
below are mean to be visually evocative of a rough area LIFTING AND CARRYING How many hours a day does a ship = 12 hours (a bit more or less
and/or possibly weight too (if relevant). These concepts The chart indicates how much a character can lift, but that sail by the wind and crew due to weather and crew)
amount represents a focused, one-time act. That weight How far can a sailing ship go in a day = 100 to 140 miles (depending
are similar to the way the mind typically relates things, so (fair winds, galleon size ship) on winds and sails)
don’t get hung up on length times width times height isn’t what he can walk around holding and wearing, day to
calculations. Find a description from the chart below that day. Birds fly (cruise) = about 30mph
Strength Feat Lift Birds fly (flapping hard) = about 60mph
is roughly as big as
Description Size 1 Lift a chair 20 lbs.
Rat 1 the item or area you 2 Lift a large dog 80 lbs. How far can a bird go in a day
House Cat* 2 need to affect and 3 Lift a dirt bike 250 lbs. Small birds tend to not go further than 50 miles a day in a given area. If
Human child (5 to 7 years old) 3 trying to migrate, small birds can go up to 500 miles a day; while large
move on, no more 4 Lift a coffin 400 lbs.
birds can cover up to 1500 miles in a day; especially with a tailwind. A day
Wolf 4 5 Lift a truck engine 650 lbs.
Human (180lbs) 5 detail is needed. And being 8 to 10 hours daylight, birds tend to not fly at night
Cow (500lbs) 6 if it really, really is,
Horse (1000lbs) 7 just narrate and Your character can realistically carry/tote 25 pounds per
Elephant (4.5 tons) 8 dot of Strength without penalty. If he attempts to carry
Garbage Truck (18 tons) 9
roleplay it out.
House (100 tons) 10 more, every action involving physical exertion incurs an
Galleon Ship (1,000 tons) 11 automatic -1 penalty for every 25 pounds of excess gear
Aircraft Carrier (50,000 tons) 12 that he has. Furthermore, every 25 pounds he piles on
Skyscraper (Empire State Building) 13
Mountain 14 beyond what he can carry reduces his speed. Perhaps he
City* 15 can actually lift everything he’s wearing and holding, but
* Beyond that we get into things that are only he can’t go anywhere with it. The Storyteller makes the
really in the realm of more or less
"descriptive sizes" - in other words; there is
final call on what your character may realistically carry.
no size value associated with say, an orbital
moon or a microscopic germ.

71
Supernatural Attributes
These are applied by system and are here as a reference
for the terms and function of each when mentioned.
POTENCE
Each dot of Potence grants the character 1 additional a
success on any physical roll that uses Strength. It also
adds +1 multiplier to their lifting amount (i.e. Potence 1 =
2x lifting amount, Potence 3 = x4 Lifting amount, etc.)
Potence and Ranged Weapons
Any ranged weapons that use the characters Strength as
motivation for the projectile, Bows, Thrown items, and
the like; will benefit from massive inhuman strength. It
adds Potence damage to the weapon’s attack and it adds
a number of additional range increments to the weapon’s
max range equal to the character dots in Potence. (i.e. if
base range for the weapon is 20 yards and its max range
is 100 yards, and the character has 3 dots in Potence;
then the max range is increased by 20x3 or 60 yards.)
CELERITY
Each dot of Celerity grants the character the following
benefits:
 1 additional Action Card in combat.
 Adds +1 multiplier to their speed in all actions that involve
Dexterity (i.e. Celerity 1 = 2x move speed, Celerity 3 = x4
move speed, etc.)
 1 additional success on successful Dexterity rolls
 +2 per dot to their Defense for Dodging (throws away their
highest card).
 Also, normally no defensive bonus is given to any creature
against ballistic attacks; such as guns. However with at
least 1 dot in Celerity they get their Defense subtracted
from ballistic attacks.
72
ALACRITY
Each dot of Alacrity grants the character the following
benefits:
 +1 attack for the Action Card they chose to attack on. This may
only be used if attacking (not to run and attack for example)
 +1 to their base Defense for Dodging (throws away their
highest card)
FORTITUDE
Each dot of Fortitude grants the character 1 additional a
success on any physical roll that uses Stamina. It also adds
+1 multiplier to their duration of running, holding breath,
going without food, water, or sleep. Wounds are healed
at a rate of 10% faster per dot in Fortitude (up to a
maximum of 90%).
Additionally it makes them harder to harm as below:
 3 points of Bashing soak
 2 points of Lethal soak
 1 point of Aggravated soak
HEIGHTENED SENSES
This allows characters to see in low light like a cat, hear as
well as an elephant and smell as well as a hound. This
gives them +2 dice on all Perception rolls and likely the
possibility of hearing things or seeing or smelling things
only an animal with that exceptions sense might.
 Note: These senses cannot be turned “off”.
Skills are broad categories of activities that indicate a characters
competence in a given area. These differ from Attributes in the
definitions of the dots. A character's Attributes measure his
innate physical, mental and social qualities - how strong he is,
how quick he thinks on his feet, and how well he interacts with
other people. The different ways in which a character can apply
these Attributes are determined by his Skills. A character's Skills
reflect the education, experience, and training he's acquired
over the course of his life, and are a reflection of his origins and
interests. Skills can be acquired in any number of ways, from
institutionalized learning to hard, hands-on experience. A young
recruit at the police academy is trained to use a handgun, while
a criminal learns to shoot as a matter of survival.
Specialties
Skills represent broad bases of knowledge and physical training
in a given subject. An auto mechanic doesn't just know about
fixing engines, for example, but is versed in repairing tires,
replacing windows and painting the body. In addition to this
broad foundation of knowledge, characters can specialize in a
particular aspect of a Skill, giving them an edge in a particular
application due to their increased training.
 You may only have 1 Specialty per skill.
 Rolls involving a Skill Specialty gain +1 die to their roll
when using that skill in a way that utilizes that specialty.

Like Attributes, Skills are broken down into three general  Rolls that need a Skill Specialty you don’t have may impose
categories: Mental, Physical and Social. If a player can describe a -2 penalty to the roll or not let you roll at all.
an action where one skill may apply in a different situation
(maybe using Athletics to Socially impress someone for
So, if your character has Crafts, but also has a Specialty in
example), then that is fine! These are just guideline categories.
Automobiles, you gain a +1 bonus when he works on cars. You
are limited only by your imagination when naming your
Mental skills are ones that task a person’s ability to reason out
character's Skill Specialties, although it should be specific. A
logic problems or make connections between points of data and
character possessing the Streetwise skill might focus on racing
events.
or getaway driver. Typically only 1 or two words are used to
label the Specialty. Each skill listed has a number of suggested
Physical skills are ones that task a person’s body, fitness, and
Specialties to give you an idea of the possibilities.
coordination. A person uses physical skills typically for general
mobility, delicate handling, or trained action. They are

Social skills are ones that help a person control or influence a
social situation. They are used to get people to do things, think
things, or otherwise consider your characters words more than
the gun in their hand.
Unskilled Actions
Any roll that requires a Skill a character has no dots in may not
be possible at all and, as determined by the Storyteller; the
character may not get to roll at all if they just have no idea what
they are doing or even looking at. Other times, the player can
roll (typically just an Attribute), but their successes can never be
considered higher than 1 success, no matter how many were
rolled. This may apply to actions that need Skill Specialties too.
Skill Dots
Skills are rated from 0 to 5, with each score suggesting your
character's level of proficiency and knowledge in that area.
Skill Equipment
Having the proper equipment for a task can often mean the
difference between success and failure. In addition to
situational modifiers and Specialties, Skill rolls gain bonus
dice if your character uses high-quality or specialized
equipment when performing a feat. For example, a driver
with a high-performance sports car has an edge in a race
over someone in an old pickup. Each task presented lists a
variety of tools that could provide bonus dice to your Skill
roll. These lists are by no means exhaustive. You're
encouraged to employ other types of tools or equipment to
assist in performing a task, but the Storyteller is the final
arbiter on what bonus, if any, gear provides. It's possible that
using poor-quality tools might even make a task more
difficult to perform, so choose wisely.

Dots Proficiency Level

Zero None. Never seen or done this before, or otherwise has no
knowledge of what it takes to perform this task adequately

 Novice. Basic knowledge and/or techniques. Your character is
familiar with this skill or task.

 Practitioner. Solid working knowledge and/or techniques. Your

character could do this as a job or make money at it or compete at it.

 Expert. Broad, detailed knowledge and/or techniques. Your character

is likely the best at his workplace, or locally at this.

 Master. Exceptional depth of knowledge and/or techniques. Your

character is likely the best in the industry at this, or best in most
places. They could have won international competitions at it.

 Legend. Unsurpassed depth of knowledge and/or techniques. A

leader in the field. Your character is the best in the world at this and
will likely be so for years to come and will be remembered for the
achievements they have done.

73
Skill List
MENTAL SKILLS
Mental Skills are applications of a character's insight,
acumen and focus, such as examining a crime scene for
clues, unraveling an enigma or diagnosing an illness.
These Skills are almost entirely gained from a period of
formal education, and most characters with high Mental
Skills can claim a degree or even a doctorate in their field
of study. These traits are generally associated with your
character's Mental Attributes, but can also be paired with
Physical Attributes for hands-on applications such as
performing surgery (Dexterity + Academics) or computer
repair (Dexterity + Crafts).
Untrained Skill Use: If your character doesn't have the
necessary Mental Skill required for an action, she can still
make the attempt. Roll her Attribute alone, but with a -3
penalty.
Academics
Doctor Carlton's library was a shambles.
Bookshelves leaned on broken supports as if
drunk, and piles of antiquated tomes lay
scattered amid bits of broken glass and ceramic
on the carpeted floor. Julia picked her way
through the debris to Carlton's desk and
examined a large, leather-bound book resting on
the ink-stained blotter. "It's his journal," she said,
running a slim finger over the careful lines of
script. "The last thing he wrote looks like Latin:
'mali principii malus finis.'“
"The bad end of a bad beginning," Stapleton
translated, bleakly surveying the damage from
the doorway. "I told him that damned idol would
be the death of him.”
Academics is a broad-based Skill that represents a
character's degree of higher education and general
knowledge in subjects that are typically taught in a
classroom or by some sort of mentor or instructor -
everything from English to history, economics to law, war
to politics. Dots in this skill do not directly correlate to a
given level of education. Your character could have
entered a doctorate program but spent more time
partying than studying, resulting in low dots. Conversely,
a self-taught individual who read voraciously and studied
intensively could have high dots without ever earning a
diploma.
Possessed by: College graduates, executives, lawyers,
librarians, scholars, students
Specialties: Occult Lore, Anthropology, Art, English,
History, Law, Religion, Military Tactics, Medical Doctor,
Engineering, Sciences
74
Crafts
Howard pressed the carving tool gently against
the smoothly spinning wood, shaving off a steady
curl of pine with the whispery, scratching sound
that he once loved. He hadn't been down in his
workshop since Angela died. He'd forgotten how
much he enjoyed working with his hands.
He heard the basement door open, and Martha's
voice, heavy as lead, sank down the stairs. "Dad?
What are you doing down there?”
"Just a quick project, hon," he called back over his
shoulder. "Should be done in a few more
minutes.”
"Okay. Listen, I'm going to start cleaning out
mom's stuff. I could use some help.”
Howard put down the carving tool and switched
off the lathe. He tried to keep his voice even. "I've
got to go out for a while today. Can it wait till I
get back?”
Not waiting for an answer, he undid the clamps
and pulled the chair leg from the lathe. The end
was now tapered to a fine, strong point.
From woodworking to professional gamblers, this skill
covers all forms of learned talents typically associated
with gaining income or making items. Crafts represents a
character's training or experience in a profession or
specific talent. This is not the skill for making art (That
would be under Expression.) You would pick this if your
character is a welder as simple job (crafts). If he mostly
uses his welding for making art, then use the Expression
skill.
Characters possessing this skill typically have the tools or
facilities to make use of their capabilities. A character
might be an exceptional mechanic, for example, but still
needs to sweet-talk his boss into opening up the garage
after-hours to work on his friend's car. Crafting a piece of
art or creating an object is almost always an extended roll,
with the length of time and number of successes required
determined by the complexity of the piece. The
Storyteller has final say on the time required and the
number of successes needed for a particular item.
Possessed by: Contractors, mechanics, plumbers, sculptors,
welders
Specialties: Automobiles, Aircraft, Forging, Jury-Rigging,
Architecture, Sewing
Intrigue
Edgar Young spread his pasty, perfectly manicured
hands and gave Wilson one of his trademark grins. "Mr.
Wilson, I'm the governor's political advisor, not a
member of the Public Health Service. I don't have the
authority to do what you're asking.”
"No, but the Public Health Commissioner is a political
appointee, and if memory serves, he's one of the
governor's golf buddies," Wilson replied. "I'm sure if you
made a suggestion to the governor - and pointed out to
him the risks of being implicated in a criminal cover-up
- he'd persuade the commissioner to close the
orphanage. Then we can relocate the kids until we finish
investigating the disappearances.”
The condescending smirk melted from Young’s face.
"Let me make a few calls," he said coldly.
Intrigue is a proactive skill which shows your character’s
competence in affecting all of the mysteries and
connections and influences of the world they are in.
When you want to set up a scheme, get others to react to
your plans, or to cause certain behaviors – this is the skill
that determines how good you are at that. It can span
anything from a high class soiree to a political convention
to a criminal faction planning their next move. For
example, characters possessing this skill are not only
familiar with the way the political intrigue process works,
they're experienced with bureaucracies, laws, legislation
and can deduce who to call in a given situation to get
something done. Someone well versed in Intrigue keeps
track of who's in power and how she got there, along with
her potential rivals and their likely moves against her. He
has a grasp of the issues of the moment and how they
affect social or power structures.
This skill also applies to any interactions your character is
involved with which involves her managing the
proceedings or dealings between two factions or
organizations. Be they rival street gangs, to college facility
boards, or even two clandestine cults. She will know how
to pick up on cues and techniques or goals of each and
how that can inform her manipulations.
Intrigue is not a skill for research of analyzation. If you
need to understand connections or find clues as to why
things are happening – use Investigation instead.
Possessed by: Bureaucrats, journalists, lawyers, lobbyists,
secret agents, police
Specialties: Bribery, Social Butterfly, Federal, Local, State,
Scandals, Planting Evidence, Social Engineering
75
Investigation
All the other detectives were convinced. An arsonist
had set the hotel fire and vandalized the fire
hydrant out front so firefighters couldn't put out the
blaze. But Janet wasn't so sure. The hydrant was
literally ripped from of its moorings.
Who could do that without something like a truck
and tow chains? Who could do that so quickly,
without being seen? She contemplated the answer
as she picked through the building's smoldering
remains. When she stumbled across a charred
wooden stake, she knew something was not as it
seemed.
Investigation is the art and science of solving mysteries,
examining seemingly disparate evidence to find a
connection, answering riddles and overcoming
paradoxes. It not only allows your character to get into
the head of a killer to grasp his motives or plans, it allows
her to look beyond the mundane world to guess at
answers to mysterious problems, or to have a "eureka"
moment that offers insight into baffling circumstances.
Your character might realize that all murder victims have
the same digits jumbled in their phone numbers, she
might interpret a dream that has striking similarities to
events in the real world, or she could recognize why an
intruder took the time to paint a room red. Certain
individuals such as law-enforcement officers, forensic
specialists, scientists and investigators are trained in the
art of examination, while others simply develop the knack
through years of practice.
Investigation-based rolls are typically made when a
character actively studies a situation. Dots in Investigation
don't give a character sudden insight or capability in the
realms of other skills (i.e. if you have no dots in Crafts with
a Specialty in Auto Mechanics, then you may not
understand what you are looking at in this place).
Typically if the act is looking for an item or footprint or
some physical clue, then it might be Perception +
Investigation. Whereas if it’s going over evidence and
trying to put clues together in a meaningful way, or
debating the merits of clues, then it might be Intelligence
+ Investigation. And if it’s a process of going over a list of
clues or trying to think of what might be a clue, then
perhaps Wits + Investigation would be used to indicate
something that was seen but discounted or forgotten.
She can't miraculously identify changing brushstrokes in a
painting, for example. That would be the realm of
Academics or Crafts. But she might identify how the
placement of paintings throughout a house creates a
pattern and imparts a message.
Possessed by: Criminals, doctors, forensic examiners, police
officers, scientists, scholars, soldiers
Specialties: Artifacts, Crime Scenes, Cryptography, Dreams,
Autopsy Diagnoses, Puzzles, Riddles, Scientific Experiments
Technology
The photo was a grainy digital reproduction, but
the faces of the uniformed men were clear
enough to be recognizable.

Carla pointed a trembling finger at one of them.

"That's Mr. Denisov. Oh my God, where did you

get this?”

As grim as the situation was, Robert couldn't help

but smile. "There's a newsgroup dedicated to
supernatural research conducted by the Soviets
during World War II. You can find damn near
anything on the net if you know where to look.”

Characters possessing this skill have the necessary

training or experience to do more than merely operate a
cellphone. At high levels (3 or more), a character can
create his own computer programs, alter settings on any
digital device, know how to operate or take readings from
most science devices, or how to alter tech to perform new
or similar tasks.

Possessed by: Engineers, scientists, programmers,

sysadmins

Specialties: Artificial Intelligence, Data Retrieval,

Graphics, Hacking, Monitoring Systems. Robotics,

76
PHYSICAL SKILLS
Physical Skills are applications of a character's might,
endurance and coordination, such as climbing a
mountain, driving a car or shooting a gun. They are most
often paired with a character's Physical Attributes in
various combinations, but can also be paired with Mental
Attributes when the character tries to draw on his Skill to
identify an object or answer a question. Intelligence +
Firearms is required to identify a particular rifle, for
example, or Intelligence + Streetwise to read a map.
Physical Skill scores represent a combination of personal
experience and/or formal training rather than extensive
schooling. You can't earn a degree in fist-fighting, but you
can graduate at the top of your class in the school of hard
knocks.
77
Athletics
John made it onto the balcony just as the hotel
room door opened. There wasn't time to close the
elegant French doors to the patio, and the breeze
already ruffled the drapes.
It wouldn't be long before Logan - or worse, one of
his pale-faced bodyguards - noticed and checked
outside.
There was nowhere to hide. John looked about
frantically and saw that the balconies to either side
were at least 12 feet away - too far to risk a jump
at 20 stories up.
John stared down at the balcony below and tried
not to think about how small the cars looked. He
swung his legs over the railing, taking all his weight
on his arms, and hoped that all the rock climbing
he'd done last summer would pay off.
Athletics encompasses a broad category of physical
training, from rock climbing to kayaking to professional
sports such as football or hockey. The Athletics Skill can
be applied to any action that requires prolonged
physical exertion or that demands considerable
agility or hand-eye coordination. Examples
include climbing a high wall, marching long
distances and leaping between rooftops. In
combat, the Skill is combined with Dexterity to
determine the accuracy of thrown weapons.
Possessed by: Professional athletes, police officers,
soldiers, survivalists, physical trainers
Specialties: Acrobatics, Climbing, Kayaking,
Long- Distance Running, Sprinting, Swimming,
Throwing, Archery
Brawl
He was the stereotypical biker: big and broad-
shouldered, the sleeves of his T-shirt straining around
muscled, tattooed arms. He loomed over Miles. "You and
me are gonna have a little fun, college boy," he said
through yellow teeth. "And then me and your girlfriend
here are gonna have a little party.”
Firearms
Theodore Logan was a well-protected man. His
hillside mansion was surrounded by a high stone
wall, topped with barbed wire and sensitive motion
detectors. Cameras covered every inch of his
property. Armed guards patrolled the grounds 24
hours a day, accompanied by huge dogs.

Miles leaned back and the biker took the bait, bending And then there was the fortress-like manor itself.
down to glare at the young history student. Miles' first
punch struck the biker square in the Adam's apple. The Simon checked the wind speed once more and
gag reflex doubled the man over, and Miles followed up noted it on his homemade range card. It had taken
with a shot to the ear. him almost a week to find the perfect vantage point
on a hilltop nearly a mile from Logan's property.
The biker hit the floor like a sack of wet cement. "Party From here, he had a clear view of the man's heated
on, asshole," Miles said in the silence that followed, and pool. Logan was a creature of habit. He liked his
then took Angela's hand. "Let's get out of here.” nightly swim. And habits, as Simon had learned in
sniper school, could get you killed.
Brawl defines your character's prowess at unarmed
combat, whether he's a black belt in karate, a hard-bitten Reaching into his pocket, Simon pulled out the
street tough or a college student who's taken a few self- heavy, silver-tipped bullet, carefully loaded the
defense courses. Characters with this Skill know how to scope-sighted rifle, and raised the stock to his
hit an opponent, where to hit for maximum effect and shoulder. The night-vision sight revealed the
how to defend themselves from attack. It can mean using poolside in eerie shades of green. Logan was
climbing from the pool as Simon settled the
fists, but also elbows, knees, shoulders, head butts
crosshairs over the man's heart.
wrestling, joint locks and choke holds. Characters with a
several dots could be familiar with multiple techniques of
Firearms allows your character to identify, operate and
unarmed combat. Expertise in such techniques is
maintain most types of guns, from pistols to rifles to
reflected in the Fighting Style Merit, which are based on
military weapons such as submachine guns, assault rifles
Brawl.
and machine guns. This Skill can represent the kind of
formal training provided to police and the military, or the
Brawl is added to your character's Strength to battle
basic, hands-on experience common to hunters, criminals
people in unarmed combat.
and gun enthusiasts. Firearms also applies to using bows.
Your character can use guns and bows equally.
Possessed by: Bikers, boxers, gangsters, police officers,
soldiers
Note that dots in Firearms do not apply to manually fixing
or building guns, only to wielding them. Construction and
Specialties: Boxing, Grappling, MMA, Throws, Karate,
repair is the province of the Crafts Skill.
Kung Fu
Possessed by: Criminals, gun dealers, hunters, police
officers, soldiers, survivalists

Specialties: Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Sniping, Trick Shots

Stealth
The trick was to keep his weight evenly
distributed, gliding across the floor rather than
taking unbalanced steps.
78

John moved soundlessly down the hall, slower
than he'd have preferred, but speed and silence
simply didn't mix. He never let his entire weight
come down on either foot, and the old hardwood
floor never uttered a creak of protest. It took a
few minutes to reach the dark kitchen, and then
he was through the door and gone with no one
the wiser.
The Stealth Skill represents a character's experience or
training in avoiding notice, whether by moving silently,
making use of cover or blending into a crowd. When
attempting to sneak silently through an area or to use the
local terrain as concealment, roll Dexterity + Stealth +
equipment. When trying to remain unseen in a crowd,
Wits + Stealth is appropriate. If your character attempts
to avoid notice by a group of alert observers, a contested
roll versus the observers’ Wits + Perception is required.
Stealth can also represent your character’s ability to
manipulate others from the sidelines. Being able to
spread a rumor is one thing, but being able to hide
yourself as the source requires an understanding of being
able to socially cover your tracks (and sometimes
physically covering them too). Stealth can be used to
obfuscate yourself when making Social Confrontation
rolls by making it harder to find out it was you snooping
around or inciting people to violence.
Possessed by: Criminals, hunters, police officers, private
investigators
Specialties: Larceny, Camouflage, Crowds, Moving in
Darkness, Moving in Woods
Weaponry
Lydia's books dropped to the pavement as the dark-
clothed man stepped from the bushes. Her hand
tightened on the haft of her umbrella. The man smiled,
his teeth gleaming white through the hole in his black ski
79
mask. He raised a long-bladed hunting knife. "I'm not
going to hurt you unless I have to, honey," he whispered.
"We're gonna to take a little walk somewhere private,
and then we'll go our separate ways.”
Lydia set her jaw and took a half-step forward, bending
her knees into a fencer's stance. She raised the umbrella
point even with her assailant's nose.
"What the fuck you think you're going to do with that?”
the man snarled, swiping at the umbrella with his free
hand.
His snarl turned to a shriek as Lydia flicked the umbrella
under his hand and stabbed the metal point neatly
through the mask's right eye hole.
As the name implies, the Weaponry Skill represents your
character's experience or training in fighting with
everything from beer bottles to pipes, knives to swords.
While formal instruction in Weaponry is uncommon
(restricted to military and law-enforcement training and a
few martial arts), any character who has grown up on the
street or spent a lot of time in seedy bars has had ample
opportunity to learn this Skill. A character's Weaponry is
added to his Strength to stage armed attacks.
Note that dots in Weaponry do not apply to manually
fixing or creating weapons, only to wielding them.
Construction and repair is the province of the Crafts Skill.
Possessed by: Bikers, criminals, martial artists, police
officers, soldiers
Specialties: Knives, Swords, Staves, Clubs, Fencing
SOCIAL SKILLS
Social Skills are applications of your character's bearing, charm and poise, such as negotiating with a bank robber,
wooing a crowd or telling a faultless lie. These Skills most commonly represent innate capabilities honed by years of
experience rather than by any formal training. You can teach someone the basic principles of Persuasion, but true
leaders are born rather than made. These Skills are generally paired with your character's Social Attributes, but can
also be used with Physical and Mental Attributes in cases such as bodily threats (Strength + Persuasion) or
orchestrating a complex deal (Wits + Persuasion). Untrained Skill Use: If your character doesn't have the necessary
Social Skill required for a feat, he can still make the attempt. Roll his Attribute alone at a -1 penalty.

Empathy
The crime scene was the usual mix of order and chaos.
Detective Wagner pushed his way past the news hounds
and under the yellow police tape. "Where is she?" he said
to the first officer he found.
"Over there, Lieutenant." The cop pointed at the open rear
door of a squad car. "Don't know how much you're going
to get out of her. She's messed up pretty bad.”
Wagner headed for the car, stepping around the form
splayed out on the asphalt, which was only partly covered
by a blood-soaked tarp. He saw Dr. Feingold a few yards
away, kneeling by the parked car, playing a small
flashlight over what looked like a severed hand.
Expression
Irish clubs weren't supposed to be this quiet. Daniel
stepped up onto the stage, feeling every eye in the place
bore a hole in him. The crowd looked him over him
suspiciously while Daniel took a shot of whiskey. The
tension was tightening around him like a noose.
Daniel took a deep breath, raised the glass and turned
to the staring crowd. "May Ireland's enemies never
meet a friend!" he cried, and tossed back the whiskey.
"Now who'll drink with me?” The crowd cheered and
raised their glasses as he began to sing. It was the
passion of the freedom fighters he sang, it was the
tremor in his eyes of his brothers’ murder, and it was the
song of the Irish he sang.

The girl was curled up in the fetal position in the back of
the squad car, pulling a blanket around her shoulders as if
it could shut out the world. There was matted blood - her
fiancé’s blood - in her hair. Her white-knuckled hands
trembled.
Wagner closed the rear door of the car and got into the
front seat, putting a barrier between the two of them. He
was going to have to play this very carefully if he hoped to
get any useful information from his one and only witness.
This Skill represents your character's intuition for reading
people's emotions, state of mind, or intentions. For some,
it's a matter of observing body language and non-verbal
cues. Others employ charismatic interactions that help
them divine a person's true mood. As the name implies,
Empathy also involves the capacity to understand other
people's views and perspectives, whether your character
agrees with those positions or not. This is useful in
everything from negotiations and crisis counseling to
reading faces in a crowd and looking for potential trouble.
If a subject actively conceals his emotions or motives, make
a contested roll versus the person's Wits + Subterfuge. This
will often also help inform your character for any Social
Confrontations they want to impose on someone.
Possessed by: Counselors, diplomats, entertainers,
profilers, psychiatrists, police officers
Specialties: Reading emotions, Detecting Lies, Known
Motives, Judge Personalities, Body Language
And it was the hearts of the crowd he won. Such a
passionate voice they had not heard in a long, long time.
Expression reflects your character's training or experience in
the art of music, dance, instruments and the like. This Skill
covers both the written and spoken word and other forms of
entertainment, from journalism to poetry, creative writing
to acting, music to dance. Characters can use it to compose
written works or to put the right words together at the spur
of the moment to make a memorable song.
This is not the skill for pretending to be someone else - that
falls under Subterfuge. Though this skill could be used first
to create a convincing disguise.
This skill can be for swaying opinions, conveying specific
information or charming a crowd even if only to entrance
them with your performance. Typically that would be paired
with Charisma, but some hidden meanings or personal
slights could use Intelligence or Manipulation.
When composing a poem or writing a novel, roll Wits +
Expression. When reciting to an audience, roll Charisma +
Expression. Playing an instrument involves Intelligence +
Expression for a known piece, and Wits + Expression for an
improvised one. Dance calls for Dexterity + Expression.
Possessed by: Actors, ballet dancers, musicians, poets,
rock stars, writers
Specialties: Classical Dance, Acting, Musical Instrument,
Painting, Sculpture,

80
Persuasion
Melissa put on her best "Please?" face, the one
that always worked on her father. She needed
access to the stacks in the basement library, the
old archives that were reserved for "special
studies." She now recognized that meant "the
coven's rituals," but she couldn't let on.
She found the head librarian Mister Richards in
the Humanities section and pleaded her
desperate case. "If I don't do well on this paper,
I'll flunk Philosophy. Professor Ingram talked
about some first editions in the archives. If I can
quote them, maybe I'll get extra credit.”
The kindly old librarian's eyes seemed to soften
with pity. "All right, my dear. Let me get the key,"
he said.
Persuasion is the art of inspiring or changing minds
through logic, charm or sheer, glib fast-talking. Though it
can be taught to varying degrees of success, most
characters with the skill possess a natural talent and have
honed it over years through trial and error, practicing
their delivery until it rolls effortlessly off the tongue.
Persuasion is the skill of convincing others by logic and
discussion; making one's point through carefully chosen
words, body language and emotion.
This is not the skill for lying. That falls under Subterfuge.
This is also not the skill for disguises, which also falls under
Subterfuge or Expression.
Possessed by: Con artists, executives, generals, lawyers,
politicians, salesmen, sexual predators
Specialties: Intimidation, Fast-Talking, Inspiring Troops,
Motivational Speeches, Sales Pitches, Seduction
81
Streetwise
There were four kids playing a pick-up game at
the basketball court across the street from the
tenements. Lisa eyed the neighborhood warily as
Gabriel stepped up to the edge of the court.
"How exactly is this supposed to help?" she asked
worriedly.
"Chill out," Gabriel said and turned. "Hey,
Carlos!”
He raised his hand and waved at one of the kids.
Carlos stopped and tossed the ball to a friend
before trotting over.
Lisa's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? This
kid's 12 years old!”
"It's not him we're dealing with, it's his brother,”
Gabriel whispered as the boy approached.
"Carlos is the cutout. We tell him what we need
and he names a price.
Watch and learn.”
Characters possessing this Skill know how life on the
streets works and are adept at surviving by its harsh rules.
Streetwise characters can gather information, make
contacts, buy and sell on the black market, and otherwise
make use of the street's unique resources. The Skill is also
important for navigating urban dangers, avoiding the law,
and staying on the right side of the wrong people.
Possessed by: Criminals, gangsters, homeless people,
private investigators, police officers
Specialties: Black Market, Gangs, Rumors, Undercover
Operations
Subterfuge
Simon stepped into the lobby, a bored look on his
face.

He ignored the cameras and the security guards

near the elevators. Guards expected people to
behave like sheep, unknowing and unaware of
what was going on around them.

Overly alert, fidgety sorts were the kind of people

who drew their attention.

The guard at the reception desk glanced at Simon

as he stepped up to the sign-in book. "Can I help
you, sir?”

"I'm here to see Mr. Moran in suite 702," Simon

said, scrawling a name in the register. He briefly
made eye contact with the guard. "Busy day," he
said noncommittally.

The guard nodded and reached for a visitor pass.

"The third elevator on the left will take you right
up.”

"Thank you," Simon replied, clipping the badge to

his lapel and joining the crowd of other
businessmen congregating at the elevators. The
worst was over.

Subterfuge is the art of deception. Characters possessing

this skill know how to lie convincingly, pretend to be who
they are not, or spread false information. Subterfuge is
used when telling a convincing falsehood, hiding one's
emotions or reactions, or trying to pick up on the same in
others. Which Attribute you pair with this skill determines
the methods and nature of the falsehoods you are
employing.

This skill is not for determining if you are being tricked or

lied to- that falls under Empathy or Intrigue.

It is also not for trying to persuade someone to do an

action. You may use Subterfuge to get someone to listen
or believe you – but if you need them to go do something,
use Persuasion instead.

Possessed by: Actors, con artists, grifters, lawyers,

politicians, teenagers

Specialties: Con Jobs, Hiding Emotions, Embellishment,

Misdirection, Doublespeak

82
Willpower measures your character's self-confidence,
determination and emotional resilience. A character with
a high Willpower is focused, driven to achieve his goals,
and capable of resisting his dark impulses. It would be
tempting to call such a character virtuous, but Willpower
doesn't equate to altruism. A criminal mastermind or a
serial killer could possess an iron will just as easily as could
a saint. The first two are ruthless in their ambitions, and
determined to see them through.
Note that Resolve is your character's ongoing focus. Think
of it as his long-term purpose, like a career plan.
Willpower reflects your character's short-term highs and
lows, his ability to dedicate himself in brief efforts to
overcome challenges. Resolve does contribute to your
character's overall Willpower dots at character creation
only, though. As resolve goes up, Willpower does not.
Willpower is rated on a scale from 1 to 10 and has both
permanent dots and temporary points. Your character's
permanent score is filled in on the dots on your character
sheet.
 Their temporary points are recorded in the
corresponding boxes below that, one temporary per
each permanent.
 When a temporary point is spent, just erase a check off
a box starting from the right. When you erase your last
temporary willpower check, your character is Out of
Willpower.
 When your character regains a Willpower point (see
below), a check is added to one of the boxes on your
sheet starting from the left.
Willpower Descriptions
1 Spineless
2 Weak
3 Timid
4 Certain
5 Confident
6 Resolute
7 Driven
8 Determined
9 Iron-willed
10 Implacable
Note: Willpower is not to be confused with Resolve.
Spending Willpower
Temporary points are spent for various effects, mostly
representing sheer determination in overcoming
obstacles in your character's path. They can also be spent
to gain bonuses to resist forces applied against your
character. Permanent willpower is never spent, it simply
represents the maximum Temporary Willpower your
character can have. Permanent Willpower can be lost,
but only in the most dire and soul-crushing of story plot
situations.
 Permanent or Temporary Willpower is never rolled.
83
Typically there are a few ways you can and cannot spend
Temporary Willpower:
 Temporary Willpower points may be spent on a single given
roll up to a number of times equal to the characters Resolve
Attribute.
 Spend 1 Willpower point to gain +2 dice on any roll. These
dice are added to the dice pool, and may be added (and
rolled) after the initial roll is done in case the player wants to
generate more successes.
 Some rolls may be ruled as ‘no willpower spending allowed’
by the Storyteller, these are typically ones where extra ‘force
of Will’ has no impact on the meaning of the roll.
 Willpower may never be spent to add dice to any
Supernatural Power roll unless that powers’ rules state
specifically otherwise.
OUT OF WILLPOWER
Characters with no Willpower points left are exhausted -
physically, mentally and emotionally. They've used up
their reserves of determination and tend to be selfish and
depressed. Until your character regains at least 1 point of
temporary Willpower, your characters’ Vice is applied as
a Condition. Your character must indulge in their Vice as
much as they are reasonably able. Each Vice has a list of
suggested Conditions.
Regaining Willpower
Your character can recover lost Willpower through any
one of four ways, detailed below. Willpower points can
never exceed your character's Willpower dots.
Recovering Willpower is usually a matter of reaffirming
your character's sense of confidence and wellbeing, so
certain actions and situations may allow her to recover
Willpower. Ultimately, it's up to the Storyteller to decide
when characters recover Willpower during a story.
Storytellers should tailor recovery to suit the story,
keeping in mind that it's a powerful and useful trait.
Characters shouldn't be allowed to regain it too quickly,
or else players may abuse its effects. Dragging other
player character along into your Virtue or Vice scene is
always the best way to regain Willpower, as it brings a
dynamic to the actions in the scene and highlights your
Virtue or Vice to another player character.
 Your character may regain 1 Willpower point per scene if her
actions play out in a manner appropriate to suffering her Vice
 Your character may regain all spent Willpower point if her
actions play out in a manner appropriate to her Virtue
 Your character may regain 1 Willpower point when you
accomplish some goal or activity regarding your Concept.
 Permanent dots of Willpower are only gained by completing
a full chapter in a game as determined by the Storyteller, in
which case 1 is gained for free at no XP cost
 It is up to the Storyteller if the action was sufficient in
Each step of morality denotes a degree of self-control and
comparison to the sin. If it was, then a roll is made with a
sanity. Each dot represents a degree of understanding
number of dice as listed on the chart below.
and wisdom. The loss of morality reduces your ability to
make rational decisions and to comprehend the
magnitude of your actions consequences. A character can  Willpower may not be spent on this roll, and there
lose morality in a variety of ways. The best way is to show are never any bonuses.
callous or brutal behavior. As well as enacting harm or  When a character botches one of these rolls he not
torment on another. only loses a point of Morality but he may gain a Flaw
or Madness
 If you succeed the roll, your character feels
Note: The character becomes unplayable at 1 Morality.
ashamed and penitent for their actions and they do
not lose a dot of Morality.
Losing Morality
Morality may be lost whenever the character commits a
Regaining Morality
‘sin’ equal to or lower than their current Morality
Morality is not something easily regained. But it can be
Threshold. Whenever a character commits a sin they
done by actions that prove to the story and to the
have two choices: justify the action or act out contrition.
character that they are not ok with the sins they have
committed.
You are not often, unless the Storyteller says otherwise,
required to lose Morality if you are committing a sin
This is more than just a balancing of some kind of moral
against what might be considered a ‘monster’. This can
scales. This is the attempt to create a story with your
be defined many ways, so check with your ST. But in
character that shows how much they are sorry for what
general it means that you are being attacked, oppressed,
they have done, how they wish they never had to do it,
or otherwise accosted by something that is its self,
and how they want to make the world better for having
outside of morals or possibly even your characters
committed those sins.
understanding.
This is purely a role-play situation, and must be arranged
Justification
with the Storyteller. Once a general idea of what needs
To justify an action means that for any reason
to be done is decided upon, then the player can roleplay
whatsoever, be it real or imagined, your character is ok
out the scenes.
with the action they did. An example of this might be a
religious person killing in the name of their faith. Or it
These should be significant scenes. Returning stolen
might be a victim killing a robber in a home invasion.
money or apologizing for a crime is never enough. The
character must go above and beyond the crime they
Regardless of what the rationalization is, your character
committed to make things right.
has the chance to become callous, cruel, or maddened by
the act.
This is as much for the people they wronged to find
justice, but it is far more for the character to go through
If you chose to rationalize this your character loses a dot
the healing steps of being humane, kind, and selfless.
of Morality. This might mean the religious person become
less compassionate and enforces their religion more
Once the scene is over, a single dot of Morality is
strictly, overly so. For the victim of the home invasion, it
regained. No more than one dot of Morality can be
might mean they think the world is out to get them or that
gained per story arc, and likely no more than one per time
they could be attacked again at any time, they become
period in game terms. A good base is at least 6 months to
paranoid or violently fearful.
year between regaining Morality dots.
Contrition
And the lower your Morality, the more actions it might
If you decide your character is not ok with this action and
take to regain that Morality Dot.
that they would avoid it at all costs had it been possible,
then you can choose to act out contrition. An act that has
the ability to heal your emotional and mental state by
being one of kindness, grace, or penance. If you character
acts out a scene they initiated on their own in order to do
something that will in no way justify the sin they
committed, but instead highlight their sorrow and pain at
having to commit it at all, how they plan to avoid such
actions in the future and how they acknowledge the pain
and suffering they caused to the world around them,
however slight.

84
MORALITY AND DEGRADATIONS CHART Characters succeed for long. Often times a character
Morality Sin Dice Rolled Example eventually loses control and sins, and then sins again and
Threshold again.
10 Roll 5 dice Selfish thoughts (e.g., hurting
someone’s feelings)
9 Roll 5 dice Minor selfish acts (e.g., cheating on Morality 7-6
taxes) At this Morality, Characters have ethical standards like
8 Roll 4 dice Injury to another, accidental or those of most people. They feel that killing, theft and
otherwise (e.g., physical conflict) cruelty are wrong, but they don’t go all weepy if they
7 Roll 4 dice Petty theft (e.g., shoplifting)
6 Roll 3 dice Grand theft (e.g., burglary)
shade the truth a little, hit someone who tried to hit them
5 Roll 3 dice Intentional mass-property damage first, or take opportunities for a little fun that don’t really
(e.g., arson) hurt anyone else. Such a character has a Vice that she
4 Roll 3 dice Impassioned crime (e.g., probably indulges in small ways with only minimal
manslaughter)
regrets.
3 Roll 2 dice Planned crime (e.g., murder)
2 Roll 2 dice Casual/callous crime (e.g., torture,
serial murder, rape) Morality 5
1 Roll 2 dice Utter perversion, heinous acts It’s a tough world, and Characters with this Morality score
(e.g., combined rape, torture and accept that they need some toughness as well. Such
mass murder)
characters can recognize and reject deliberate atrocities…
Note: Morality rolls are not needed when killing any undead creature,
or monstrous creature. but shit happens. If some happens to them, they throw it
right back. Why should they act better than anyone else?
As your character lowers or rises in Morality so too does At this Morality, a Character starts to show the eerie
their ability to reasons and comprehend their actions and unpleasantness that puts others on their guard – harder
the results of their choices. features, slower to show sorrow or humility in crimes or
immoral actions.
MORALITY AND WISDOM CHART
Morality Wisdom Modifiers
Morality 4
Score Most Characters don’t fall below this Morality. Characters
8-10 You are fully able to understand right and wrong, and with Morality 4 become genuinely callous and selfish.
you can easily see the consequences of your actions. Murder no longer shocks them. Violence, theft, treachery,
The ST may suggest alternate courses of action that
will prevent Morality loss or produce unwise results.
lies — these are all just tools to help a Character get what
6-7 You are able to understand most of your actions as he wants, to gain power and to protect his all-important
right or wrong, although you likely justify them with self. Expedience becomes sufficient justification for
not-so-wise reasoning. nearly anything. A character suffers from his Vice and
There are no scene modifiers to your actions.
indulges it with little restraint. He can still recognize the
4-5 You are rather rash in your actions, you tend to not
think about consequences before doing, and often practical, legal consequences if the world discovers his
get into trouble for it. Sometimes it’s hard for you to crimes, however, so he takes care to hide his offenses.
determine if your course of action may be worth the
price.
What happens at Morality 3 and Lower
The ST will often disallow time for debate or they
may require you take an action that is utterly selfish. Once a character’s Morality has gotten low enough, he
3 You are so callous and selfish that it’s likely you can begins to have trouble distinguishing right from wrong,
justify any action you do, even if it brings you to the humane from inhumane. At 3 points of Morality the
brink of ruin. character is barely a shadow of their former selves. They
You may not be able to do many moral actions or pre-
meditated plans. still act and think well enough, but their judgment is
1-2 You are completely psychotic and are at the mercy of entirely selfish and they never consider the moral
your mad whims. You might be so calm as to prevent repercussions of their actions. At 2 points of Morality
action or so addled that you jump off the first cliff they are mostly a ravaging monster. Out only to indulge
you come across.
their vice or depraved ideals, but with great effort they
can be reminded of their former life and the events that
Descriptions of Morality Levels happened, maybe even recall some people they knew
Morality 10-8 and loved. It is possible to salvage the life that was lost;
Characters with Morality scores this high can seem “more through therapy and constant vigilance they might
human than human.” Characters might recoil from their regain their way on the path of Morality. At 1 point of
own lives and take up ethical codes stricter than any they Morality they have all but lost all control. They have no
followed in the past. They don’t have to act preachy or concept of who they were, and any memories they have
passively accept everything that life and their fellow of their former life are only there to serve them in their
Characters throw at them, but they must work hard to depredations. The personality is lost forever and can
avoid harming anyone else and to atone for any sin they never be recovered.
commit. Interaction with others often matters a great
deal to such Characters, as interacting with the world
helps them remember how precious life is. Few people
can maintain such high ethical standards, and even fewer
85

Merits represent narrative benefits to your character. Choose
ones that make your character function better in the areas you
want them to be social or competent at.
Allies
(1-3)
The amount of points spent on the allies merit determines how
much the specified ally can help you. Essentially it represents
their power and influence level. These are taken when you
need something done ‘outside the usual channels.’ 1 might be
a beat cop, 2 might be a police chief, and 3 might be the city
mayor.
Ambidextrous
(3 Points)
You have a high degree of off-hand dexterity and can perform
tasks with the ‘off’ hand at reduced penalty. In drama terms
this means you can write, play an instrument, or use an item
that required manual dexterity equally well with either hand.
In combat when splitting your attack dice pool, you gain +1 to
each pool.
Belongings
(1 to 3)
This merit indicates the value and quality of the items and
property you own. They are non-liquid assets that cannot be
easily sold or traded. This might be anything from a chemistry
lab to an old musty library, a set of collectibles, a rare weapon
or any other type of item that is of use to your character. This
is a merit intended to be taken by a character who has a
signature item, special tools, plot-related relic or weapon.
Choose a single word or short phrase that sums up the function
of the item. Any time this description relates in an obvious and
meaningful way to what your character is doing they gain a
number of bonus dice. The dots in this merit indicate the bonus
dice this item grants.
Berserker
(3 Points)
In combat you are a madman, and are thus able to ignore your
wound penalties for being Taken Out only, and you gain +1 to
Strength, and you are fearless, and you cannot be fooled by
illusions or mind or emotion affecting abilities or spells.
However, you must pay the consequences of your actions while
in this state of frenzy. Your chance of flying off the handle and
going into a blind rage increases as well. After the combat
scene is over simply roll Morality, should you still be alive.
With 2+ successes you calm down just fine after a few hours of
peace and quiet. 1 success means you gain a Flaw: Madness for
a week. Or that an existing Madness becomes extremely severe
for a week. No successes mean you gain a Madness for a year
and a day, or that an existing Madness becomes extremely for
a year and a day. A Botch indicates a new Madness is
permanent or that an existing one is forever extremely
worsened.
86
Boon
(1 to 3 Points)
This is a one-time use Merit. After use, this Merit goes away.
It is a narratively significant and powerful event or action that
provides benefit 1, 2 or 3 dots worth of effect. A powerful
person owes you a favor because of something either you or
your family once did for them. The extent of the boon owed to
you depends on how many points you spend. 1 point would
indicate a relatively minor but very helpful favour, while 3
points would indicate that the person probably owes you his
life.
Code of Honor
(1 Point)
You have a personal code of ethics to which you strictly adhere.
Even when you are in frenzy, you will attempt to obey it (and
thus get two extra dice to your Morality rolls when in danger of
violating your code). You can automatically resist most
temptations or Social Compels that would bring you in conflict
with your code. When battling supernatural persuasion that
would make you violate your code, you either gain 2 extra dice
to resist supernatural persuasions, or the opponent's dice pool
is reduced by 2 (Storyteller's choice). You must construct your
own personal code of honor in as much detail as you can,
outlining the general rules of conduct by which you abide.
Combat Dodge
(3 points)
Whenever your character performs a dodge (see Dodge rules),
you can choose to add his Weaponry or Brawl Skill dots to his
Defense instead of doubling his Defense. You must chose at the
time of taking this merit which will be used; your Brawl or your
Weaponry skill. And in order for this merit to work, your
weapon or brawl must be able to effectively interfere with the
attack (for example, this would not be effective against
firearms). He essentially draws on his training in parrying and
evading attacks rather than relying on his raw dexterous ability
alone. While this might provide little benefit to a novice, it can
give the advanced fighter an edge. Combat Dodge applies
against incoming Brawl and Weaponry-based attacks, against
thrown-weapon attacks, and against Firearms attacks made
within his fist or weapon striking range.
Concentration
(1 Point)
You have the ability to focus your mind and shut out any
distractions or annoyances. Any penalty to a Dice Pool arising
from a distraction, chaos, or some other inauspicious
circumstance is limited to a maximum of -1.
Contacts
(1 Point)
Each point spent in Contacts buys a new source of information.
These Contacts will not help you in times of need, but they will
provide information related to their area of influence,
sometimes at a price. Example Contacts: Police, Hospitals,
Mafia, Press, etc.
Daredevil
(2 Points)
You are good at taking risks, and are even better at surviving
them. Whenever you add an extra complication or hardship to
your character to act in a scene, and your action is somewhat
over the top and particularly dangerous, you can ignore one
botch die on such actions. Though this complication will likely
reduce your dice pool or cause you physical harm.
Destiny
(1 to 5 Points)
You have a great destiny, though you may well not realize it. Your
destiny will become more and more apparent as the chronicle
continues. Prophecies and dreams guide your way, and grant you
clues to your ultimate goal. The sense of direction and security
granted by this feeling of destiny helps you overcome fear,
depression and discouragement caused by anything not relevant
to your destiny. Until your destiny is fulfilled, you may suffer
setbacks, but nothing will thwart you permanently. In game terms
this means that any scene your character comes into
insurmountable conflict, or possibly even dies, or their goals are
forever ruined by a recent action – they may spend one of their
Destiny points (the level they bought the Merit at determines how
many destiny points they have) Once spent, fate intervenes on
their behalf, miraculous recovery, second chances or massive slip-
ups by their foes allows them to regain that which they might have
lost. Once a Destiny point is spent, it’s forever gone, they do not
refresh. Every destiny has a Bane. Work with the Storyteller to find
out what the one thing might be that could prevent you from
accomplishing your destiny. In scenes that your Banes is involved
the number of Botch dice (1's) is doubled on every roll you make!
Determination
(3 Points)
When you are determined and your mind is set, nothing can
thwart you from your goals. You gain +3 dice when spending
Willpower.
Dirty Fighting
(Cost 2)
Sometimes it’s not enough to pummel the other guy with your
fists, sometimes, you are the little guy in the fight, or maybe you’re
just a low down jerk. Either way, you utilize any number of off-
putting, stunning, tripping, awkward angles and feints in order to
get your target to low their defense. When you buy this Merit you
must have an open slot in Subterfuge for a specialty. This merit
then is now your Specialty for Subterfuge. When attacking you
may once a round make a roll against one target to attempt to pull
a dirty trick on them, sand in the eyes, yank their tie, pull down
their pants, whatever. You roll your Subterfuge +2 (for the
specialty in dirty tricks.) the number of successes is subtracts from
the opponents defense bringing them down to a minimum of 0.
87
Dual Nature
(2 Points)
You have two distinct Virtues, both of which have an influence
on your personality and behavior. When you pick these Virtues,
be careful to choose ones that are somewhat compatible. Dual
Nature does not mean schizophrenia (that is a Madness). This
Merit allows you to regain Willpower using both Virtues.
Eidetic Memory
(3 Points)
You can remember things seen and heard with perfect detail.
By gaining at least one success on an Intelligence + Perception
roll, you can recall any desired sight or sound accurately, even
if you heard it or glanced at it only once (though the difficulty
of such a feat would be high). Five successes enable you to
recall an event perfectly: the Storyteller relates to you exactly
what was seen or heard.
Fame
(1 to 3 Points)
Your character has a measure of recognition in today’s media-
saturated society, possibly as a performer, athlete, politician or
other sort of public personality. He's frequently identified and
can often get star treatment. On the other hand, it's difficult
for your character to go places without being recognized, and
the media watches him carefully. Each dot adds a +1 modifier
to your character's Social skills rolls among those who are
impressed by his celebrity status.
Drawback: The more famous your character is, the more easily
he is recognized by the public. The Storyteller should apply the
same +1 modifier per dot to a general Wits + Resolve roll to see
if he is recognized by anyone on the street. An exceptional
success indicates that one or more people are loyal fans who
approach him for autographs, pictures and long conversations.
Fighting Style
(3 points)
Chose one fighting style below. This merit may be taken
multiple times, choosing a new fighting style each time, up to a
number of times equal to the characters Intelligence score.
Sword and Shield: Whenever your character fights with a sword and shield
they may reset their stance at the beginning of each round without spending
an action.
Jiu-jitsu: You are trained in grappling and subduing opponents. Anyone you
have successfully grappled may not use a weapon against you, regardless of
type. If you maintain your hold on your opponent for a number of rounds equal
to their Stamina + Size, without them breaking or slipping from your grasp at
all; you may choose to render your opponent unconscious or to paralyze them
by yanking a leg and arm out of joint.
Improvised Weapons: You can turn nearly any object into a deadly weapon,
from a razor-sharp chair leg to a sack of flour. You do not suffer any penalties
for using an improvised weapon. This also adds +1 damage to such improvised
weapons. (Typically non-weapon items are a +1 Bashing (if blunt) or Lethal
damage (if particularly sharp).)
Line Bowman: You are used to battles and wars where your ranged bow
attacks struck enemies dead before they ever hit your lines. When shooting a
target with your bow that is over 50 yards away, you gain a +2 to hit. Range
modifiers still apply.
Dualist: You are so used to competition or one on one dueling that your nerves
are hardened. You gain a +2 to all Wits or Resolve rolls when in a one-on-one
fight. If the target is using a similar weapon to your own, you may use an Action
Card you have to roll Wits + Weaponry to Parry any successful attack they made
on you, if your successes are equal to theirs – their hit is a miss. Or you may
Riposte and attack them if your Wits + Weaponry parry successes are greater
than theirs.
Cavalier: While atop a mount which you have trained for battle, you gain +1
defense to your mount, and you do +1 damage while mounted with any
Weaponry attack. You may also charge an enemy or line of enemies, and you
do double damage to anyone struck by your weapon on that attack plus your
mount soaks 2 points of damage (any) from any attacks made to it on that
charge action.
Florentine Swordfighter: This represents all fighting styles that have mastered
the art of dual wielding weapons. For this style to be used a character must be
dual wielding two blade weapons (or in the case of guns: two pistols). For
blades; one must be no larger than a long sword or katana. The other must be
no larger than a short sword, wakizashi, or dagger. If these conditions are met
then when splitting attack pool dice, you gain +1 to each pool.
Fire Walker
(4 Points)
Pain is your friend, it makes you feel like you are alive. You are so
hardened to the sensations of torment and suffering that mere
gunshot wounds or axe wounds to the head are little more than
momentary distractions. You gain your single highest wound
modifier as bonus damage to any successful attack. This cannot be
paired with Unshakeable Merit.
Gallows Humor
(2 Points)
You are able to smile and laugh in the face of death, maybe even
go down with a witty quip or two. In situations where death seems
certain, you are able to get a free point of Willpower to spend if
you are able to bring a laugh to all those around you (allies and
enemies alike).
88
Grit
(1 to 3)
“Grit” is a measure of your character’s bravery and his exposure to
the darker areas of the world. After he’s battled blood wolves,
walking dead, vampires, cyber psychos or whatever; he gains some
resistance to fear and terror. Every time your character defeats (or
takes part in the defeat of) a Fearmonger, he may buy another dot
in Grit to a maximum of 5. Every point of Grit adds +1 to the
character’s Fear checks, steeling him against any horrors the
World of Darkness has to offer. That doesn’t mean the horrors of
the night don’t put a chill up even a veteran survivor’s spine. He’s
just not as shocked as someone who’s never seen them before. No
one has to tell the tale or sing your character’s praises for him to
gain Grit. As soon as the Fearmonger goes down, the character
realizes he’s fought a creature beyond imagining and won. This
gives him the strength to keep fighting.
Guardian Angel
(5 Points)
Someone or something watches over you and protects you
from harm. You have no idea who or what it is, but you have an
idea that someone is looking out for you. In times of great need
you may be supernaturally protected. However, one can never
count upon a guardian angel. The Storyteller must decide why
you are being watched over, and by what (not necessarily an
angel, despite the name).
Huge Size
(4 Points)
You are abnormally large in size, possibly over seven feet tall
and 400 pounds in weight. You are size 6, therefore have one
additional Health Level, and are able to suffer more harm
before you are knocked out unconscious.
Iron Will
(2 Points)
Insults and emotions roll off your heart like water off a duck’s back.
When someone tries to use a Social Attack on you and damage
your Willpower, they do 1 less point of Willpower damage to you
due to your mental and emotional fortitude.
Iron Gut
(3 Points)
Your character has a stomach made of cast iron. His constitution
is so robust that ingested or inflicted poisons have a reduced
chance of affecting him with anything more than bad gas. You gain
+2 dice to avoid the effects of poison or disease, and you can
happily eat anything that is nourishing, no matter how rotten or
bland.
Level-Headed
(3 Points)
Veterans claim speed and skill are vital, but they’re overrated
compared to keeping your cool, aiming at your target, and putting
it down. A hothead who empties his pistol too fast soon finds
himself taking root in the local graveyard. Immediately after
drawing Action Cards in combat, a character with this Merit can
discard his lowest card and draw another. If the character draws a
black Joker on the first draw, he’s out of luck and can’t draw again.
Lightning Calculator
(1 Point)
You have a natural affinity with numbers and a talent for mental
arithmetic, making you a natural when working with computers or
betting at the racetracks. Another possible use for this ability,
assuming you have numbers on which to base your conclusions, is
the ability to calculate the probability of certain tasks or events.
Any time you attempt to crunch the numbers or run the
calculations or formulas or analyze the data, you gain automatic 2
successes on these calculation rolls, added to the results of your
dice pool roll.
Luck
(3 or 5 Points)
You were born lucky - or else the Devil looks after his own. Either
way, you can repeat 1 failed roll per game night (if you bought
the merit at 3 points) or 3 failed rolls per game night (if you
bought the merit at 5 points). Only one repeat attempt may be
made on any single roll. The situation has to be one in which
chance could play some part. Trying to remember some item of
information the character has never heard of does not allow a
Luck roll. But pressing buttons at random and actually hitting the
right sequence does. Most of the time Luck will come into play,
but it is entirely up to the storyteller when it may or may not.
MacGyver
(3 Points)
You could build a makeshift prop plane given enough time in an
old farm shed. This merit is about improvising a solution when a
tool or key or weapon is needed and you don’t have this needed
item. This is not about talking your way out of something or about
making a cake with a few missing ingredients. This merit describes
a person who has been in a great many situations and can twist,
bend, weld, rivet, bolt or wire together something they need from
various parts they have at hand. This does not guarantee a useful
item is made. If you need to make a radio call and you have
absolutely no items that can make electrical pulses or receive
short wave frequencies, then you are shit up shits creek.
Whenever a character has access to plausibly useful components,
and the player can narrate out how they are using them to create
the item needed for a task, then they roll Intelligence + Crafts +2
dice to attempt to make the item. Botch indicates the parts are
ruined, failure means time is simply wasted and they can try again.
Successes means the item works somewhat and they can use it
(usually just the once). The storyteller will indicate how long each
roll takes in time (usually hours) and if the item is more or less
useless after the first successful use (usually it is, we are talking
cobbled junk here).
89
Mentor
(1 to 5 Points)
This Merit gives your character a friend and teacher who
provides her with advice and guidance. Your character's
mentor acts on her behalf, although the Storyteller determines
exactly how. A mentor usually offers advice, allowing the
Storyteller to use him to help guide your character through
tough situations. A mentor may also use his influence or
abilities to help your character out, although he probably wants
to see his charge do things for herself. A mentor is likely to give
up in disgust on a pupil who constantly asks for aid. Mentors
may also ask for something in return for their assistance, which
can lead your character into some interesting situations. The
number of dots purchased in this Merit determines the relative
power, knowledge and experience of your character's teacher.
1 dot indicates a mentor with one or more specialized Skills and
a small amount of experience in your character's field of
interest. 2 dots indicate a mentor with a wide range of
capability and experience in your character's field of interest. 3
dots indicate a mentor possessing a broad range of Skills, years
of experience and significant influence in your character's field
of interest. 4 dots indicate a mentor who not only possesses a
broad range of Skills and decades (or in some cases, centuries)
of experience, he is also a preeminent figure with major
influence in your character's field of interest. 5 dots indicate a
mentor with towering influence and power in your character's
field of interest. A five-dot patron watches over your character
and influences her life in ways both obvious and subtle, and
likely has an agenda in which your character is pivotal.
Multilingual
(Variable)
Your character knows an additional language besides his own.
The first Merit point you place into this gives you a number of
languages you can speak, read and write fluently equal to your
Intelligence dots (including your own native language). Each
additional language you want to know fluently costs 1 Merit
point. Narratively this is for characters who grew up in a
multilingual household and society. If you are playing a
character who, later in life, is learning a new language, and
likely only the one, then simply take this Merit at 1 dot when
you get to the point in the story that you should be able to
speak that new language. You will then have your native
language and this new one you speak fluently (essentially
ignoring any additional languages from Intelligence dots). And
you can buy more languages at later times at 1 Merit point
each.
Occult Library
(1 to 3)
You possess a library of occult materials. You are not
necessarily familiar with the contents of these volumes of
knowledge (that is a function of your Skills), but in time of need
your library can be an invaluable source for research. The
number of merit points used to purchase this library indicates
the amount of the items found therein, and their bonus to dice
pools if necessary. Having a Specialty in Academics(Occult Lore)
would pair well with this.
Poise
(2 Points)
The world is full of those who will manipulate and cajole you into
doing their bidding or reacting how they want you to react. Social
Compels are harder to press impress upon you, all rolls to Socially
Compel you are at a -1. Additionally, all rolls to Socially Command
you are at a -1.
Professional
(1 to 3 Points)
Most characters in the World of Darkness have a career, though
not all careers are applicable to the strange and dramatic events
going on in their lives. In your chronicle if you think there is a
standout reason why your character’s profession would be useful,
give it a one or two word name and buy the merit at the dots which
represent your character’s years of experience, talent, and
available tools. This profession must be specific, so ‘soldier’ is not
acceptable. Whereas ‘surgeon’ is.
1 Dot might indicate entry level knowledge and a handful of typical
tools. 2 dots represent someone who is a seasoned leader in their
field and has access to most tools needed, if not also a place to do
the job. At 3 dots you are the best in the world at this job, and you
have performed the hardest of tasks this profession could call
upon – possibly even the most difficult of situations. Each dot in
this merit allow you to re-roll that many dice on any roll which
directly applies to your profession and uses any of its tools. (i.e. at
2 dots you can re-roll 2 dice, even if they are 1’s) You must accept
the new result, and they may not be re-rolled again.
Some suggested professions are: Surgeon, Programmer,
Architect, Mechanic, Smith, Artist, Cat Burglar, Navy SEAL
Reputation
(1 to 3)
This is about a reputation that you have that your character
may or may not want. They may be known as a cold hearted
killer or a maniacal mad scientist. Choose a single word or a
short phrase which is your reputation (i.e. Negotiator, Butcher,
Hunter, Dominator, etc). Regardless of the validity of the
Reputation, your character suffers the responses from such a
reputation. Each dot in this merit adds to your social dice pools
in situation where your reputation is respected or positive. As
well these points act as a minus if the situation has negative or
detrimental response to the reputation.
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Resources
(1 to 5 Points)
This Merit measures your character's material resources, both
possessions and wealth. Dots in this Merit represent income, and
assets that can be liquidated for more money in case of emergency.
 Zero dots suggests you are abjectly poor. You don’t have enough money
for anything really. In most cases you are scraping by and likely still
falling behind. You have to roleplay in-character to get anything outside
of a run-down place to live and the most simple and cheap of meals.
 One dot suggest low income class. You have enough to just pay your
bills, have a place to live, a car to drive and some spending cash to go out
for drinks every so often – but never anything fancy.
 Two dots suggest average middle class. You have a nice place to live, a
new car, some nice art on the walls and once a year you can afford to
take a vacation for a week somewhere in the world, but nothing really
expensive. You have enough spending cash to buy most any middle class
items.
 Three dots suggest upper class income. You are not considered rich, but
you are better off than most people in the city. You live in a nice area,
with a very fine home full of high quality items and art. You have enough
spending cash to throw nice parties, go on month’s long vacations, rent
yachts (or own a modest one of your own).
 Four dots suggest you are thought of by everyone as wealthy. You don’t
worry about money unless you are making very large investments, and
you can make very large investments. Buying a restaurant, a partnership
in a resort, owning thousands of acres of wilderness, all are within your
means. You have enough disposable income to buy most any item you
want and stay at the finest places on earth.
 Five dots suggest you are the top 1%. There are only a few dozen people
in the world wealthier than you. You don’t worry about money anymore,
specific values to you are measured in terms of entire corporate or
country gross profits, and even then it’s just for sport. You could likely
not spend all your money in a normal lifetime.
Retainer
(1 to 5 Points)
Your character has an assistant, aide, indentured servant or fanatical
follower on whom she can rely. You need to establish how this
companion was acquired. He may be paid exorbitant amounts of
money that buy his unwavering loyalty. He might owe his life to your
character (or to your character's predecessors). Your character
might blackmail this person or threaten his family with harm if
services are not rendered. Or your character might have a
supernatural hold over this poor person. Regardless of the
circumstances, this person is constantly loyal and follows almost any
order without question unless they are subjected to abuse by you.
A retainer can be called upon to perform many duties as best they
are able. A bodyguard might be willing to hurt other people on a
mere command. A dedicated street kid might hang on your
character's every word and get her information or contacts without
being asked. Unless your character has direct control over a
retainer's mind, however, this person can't be made to perform any
task. He performs the task requested, unless subjected to repeated
abuse or an utterly intolerable assignment as best he is able (as
decided by the Storyteller based on the assistant’s personality and
abilities). He might not risk his own life unduly or perform a task
that violates his own morals. You or the Storyteller should detail
your retainer with an identity, and background of his own. The
Storyteller usually plays your character's retainer.
Each acquisition of this Merit grants your character one Retainer.
Dots spent in the trait indicate the training, capability or flexibility
of the aide. One dot suggests a child, an automaton or a madman
with limited capabilities and freedom of thought. Two dots
indicate an ordinary person over whom your character has sway.
The servant is completely mundane and has no particular training
above the human norm. Three dots represent a capable employee
with a range of training at his disposal. Four dots represent a
valued, experienced and irreplaceable assistant. Five dots indicate
an extraordinary follower. He is exceptional in many ways - he may
even be capable of supernatural feats.
 Drawback: If your retainer is ever hurt he may be incapable of
service while recovering. If he is killed, he's lost forever unless
supernatural in origin. A retainer who possesses his own will and who
is forced to perform a duty that offends his sensibilities or defies his
morals may abandon your character, temporarily or permanently.
Points spent to acquire a retainer who is killed or driven off are lost.
Sand
(1 to 2 Points)
Your character is tough. Be it through years of martial training
or just having a thick hide you have become tough as nails.
Each dot in Sand you take gives you 1 natural soak point
towards Bashing damage.
Status
(1 to 5 Points)
Your character has standing, credentials, authority or respect within
an organization, group, company, religion or social body. He might
have an official position or title, or might simply be revered and
honored within the group and therefore accorded a degree of
authority. Your character might be a company vice president, a
police sergeant or lieutenant, an army corporal or a nurse at a
hospital. Or he could be a lowly member of the group whom
everyone likes or who has won some acclaim and is allowed more
standing than he is officially entitled. Each acquisition of this Merit
is dedicated to one group of authority, whether in an organization,
society or circle. Examples include police, City Hall, criminals, unions,
banks, a university faculty, a cult, or hospital staff. In order to have
authority in more than one group, you need to purchase this Merit
multiple times. Thus, your character might have Status (Police) ,
Status (Criminals)  and Status (City Hall) . You would need to
explain how he reconciles all this authority in the setting. The
aforementioned character might be a dirty police sergeant who has
paid his dues in civil elections and gained some recognition among
city officials.
Status represents the privileges and liberties that your character is
authorized to take within the confines and definitions of his group.
Increasing dots reflect increasing clout. A cop with Status 1 can enter
the suspect lockup and interrogation rooms, while a cop with Status 4
can enter the evidence locker without supervision or get involved in a
crime scene investigation without specifically being called in. The
phrase within the confines and definitions of his group is emphasized
above because Status operates exclusively through official channels.
A surgeon might have one patient seen or operated on before
another, because that's within the official confines of his authority.
Exceeding the confines of authority or proper channels transcends the
limits of the Status Merit. Going above and beyond to ask for favors
rather than give orders or to requisition an official request enters the
realm of the Allies or Boon Merit. So, a police detective who gets a
lower-ranking officer to investigate a case may do so with Status.
That request is conducted through proper channels. Meanwhile, a
police detective who asks another officer to overlook some evidence
or to delay an investigation does so with Allies. The favor is asked
outside official channels. While Status might allow your character to
give orders to underlings, the Merit doesn't automatically get
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results. Subordinates or co-workers might resent their assignments,
dislike your character or have personal agendas that interfere with
your character's needs. Efforts to get things done through official
channels still call for Manipulation + Persuasion or Intrigue rolls,
whichever Skill is appropriate to the request, circumstances and
your character's standing within the organization. Bonus dice are
equal your character's Status dots. Penalties might apply if your
character browbeats someone (-1), uses threats (-2), skirts the limits
of his authority (-2) or exceeds his authority (-3 to -5). Some sample
organizations and the basic benefits, perks and privileges of standing
in them are listed below.
City Police: A patrol officer has legal powers of search, seizure and
arrest, is permitted to carry a firearm at all times and has access to a
wide range of local databases. High-ranking officers (+) can initiate
investigations, coordinate with neighboring county or state police, and
call in urban-assault teams.
Clerical Standing: Your character is a licensed minister, gaining access to
people and places such as accused criminals, hospital patients, crime
and accident scenes, and restricted areas in religious institutions.
Prerequisite: Academics Skill Specialty: Religion.
Corporate Executive: A low-level corporate executive has access to
much of the company's resources, including corporate credit cards,
vehicles, cell phones and computer equipment. Depending on the
company, he can also access sources of information and influence not
available to the general public. Executives (+) have larger salaries,
expense accounts, and hiring and firing powers, not to mention social
perks and access to connected political figures and/or celebrities.
Diplomat: Your character is a registered diplomat for a sovereign
country. If he works in a foreign country he has free lodging, access to
his country's embassy and immunity from foreign criminal prosecution.
Prerequisites: Manipulation  and Persuasion .
Licensed Professional: Your character is licensed in a recognized
profession that affords him privileges unavailable to most civilians. He
might be a private investigator and authorized to carry a concealed
weapon and to have access to restricted databases and government
files, or he could be a building contractor and be authorized to own and
use explosives for professional applications. Prerequisite: Academics
Skill Specialty: Law (private investigator), Crafts skill Specialty:
Demolitions (building contractor).
Medical: Your character is licensed to practice medicine. He can write
prescriptions, access medical records and gain access to restricted areas
such as crime and accident scenes.
Military: An enlisted soldier has a monthly stipend, is permitted to
possess military-grade firearms and has access to restricted sources of
information and equipment. If he is an active-duty soldier he receives
free room and board and medical care. High-ranking soldiers are officers
who can command units, requisition military equipment and perhaps
even initiate foreign insurgencies.
Rotary Club: A basic member in good standing has access to the local
meeting hall and a network of members who can provide club-related
information or perform club-related duties. A basic member can also
benefit from the organization's emergency fund in times of need. High
ranking members have access to other clubs around the country, and
have sway over connected civic groups and political figures. Drawback:
Your character's standing in a given organization is dependent on the
fulfillment of his duties and on abiding by the regulations required of
members.
Striking Looks
(2 or 3 Points)
Your character is exceptionally attractive by modern standards;
heads turn and conversations stop when she enters a room. For two
dots, your character gets +1 die to all Charisma or Manipulation rolls
when she attempts to use her looks to entertain, persuade, distract
or deceive others. For three dots, your character's looks are angelic;
she gets +2 dice.
Drawback: The more attractive your character is, the harder it is
for her to avoid notice in public. Witnesses to any criminal acts
are much more likely to remember your character's appearance,
and easily recognize her in a lineup. Your character is also likely
to receive a great degree of unwanted attention in social
situations.
Survivalist
(1 to 3 Points)
Survivalist represents your character's experience or training in
"living off the land", or possibly surviving in a hostile environment
like a battlefield or nuclear wasteland. He knows where to find
food and shelter, and how to endure harsh environmental
conditions, how to deal with common threats and enemies when
taking the defensive. This does not allow planning for offensive or
attack, this is for defending and surviving a harsh resource
deficient environment.
Each dot in Survivalist will allow you to roll Intelligence + Crafts,
which each success gaining you 1 days’ worth of food per person
you are providing for (up to a max of your Stamina dots). It also
can be used to make tools for survival. You can find your way
towards a destination if lost, have the Storyteller give you a
number between 1 and 10 of how far away or lost you are. Once
per day you can roll Perception + Investigation; where successes
are applied towards that destination number. Once your successes
reach that number, you have arrived. Work with the Storyteller
for any other survival situations which you are likely to be
competent on and what rolls would be needed. The more capable
your character is, the fewer resources he needs in order to prevail.
At 1 point you know how to make a shelter and a decent number
of poisonous plants not to eat. A 3 point master survivalist can
walk into a forest, warzone, desert or mountainous region with
little more than a pocketknife and the clothes on his back and
survive for weeks if necessary.
Note that Survivalist is not synonymous with Streetwise or terror
tactics. Survivalist helps your character stay alive in the situation,
living off the land and hiding with whatever supplies he has
brought with him. Your character could be knowledgeable in
creating shelter and gathering plants to eat (Survivalist), but might
know nothing about training a wolf to hunt by your side (that
would be Empathy with a specialty in Animal Ken).
Time Sense
(1 Point)
You have an innate sense of time and are able to estimate the
passage of time accurately without using a watch or other
mechanical device. You can accomplish this whether you are
concentrating or not. You can estimate the time of day to within a
minute or two, and the passage of time with the same accuracy.
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Trained Soldier
(3 Points)
You have been trained as a soldier in a military unit. You are used
to taking orders, and giving them. You have been trained to work
with the support of a team and understand how to maneuver a
combat situation utilizing other trained soldiers. This merit could
also apply to Roman Legionaries, SWAT forces, or many other
army or military specific organizations. This is not a merit for lone
heroes or mad dogs of war, this is for those who fight alongside
battle brothers and gain benefit from such situations. Note: there
are no benefits to this merit when fighting without any other
characters or NPCs that have this merit. (Assume that all NPC
soldiers have this merit.)
When not in combat you gain:
 +1 per other character that also has the Trained Soldier Merit to
Academics rolls for the purpose of tactical planning or analyzing
enemy weaknesses or battle plans.
When in combat you gain:
 +1 to your base defense per other character that also has the Trained
Soldier Merit who uses their action to lay down cover fire, use a
shield along your side, radio in enemy locations, or otherwise offer
distraction or protection or information, up to +3 max.
In any situation you gain
 +1 to your Wits + Perception rolls against situations that might catch
you off guard, surprise you or otherwise catch you unaware - per
other character that also has the Trained Soldier Merit, up to +3 max.
Trained Warrior
(4 Points)
You have been the champion of your tribe or perhaps the
knight marauder of your legion, you are used to combat, alone
or with others, it does not matter. Since birth you have been
trained with weapons and armor, you have forged ahead on
your own and survived enough times to be considered a stand
out fighters, above all others.
 When you apply Warpaint, wear a skull balaclava, or some form of
ritual or terror obviously visual item; using a Charisma + Expression
roll: if you get at least 1 success you gain +1 to Persuasion if trying to
intimidate, and enemy Defense is treated as 1 lower to a minimum of
1 for the remainder of the scene. This may not be combined with any
other such merit, such as Dirty Tricks.
 When you Study your enemy for two or more rounds of combat
instead of attacking, you may make an Intelligence + Enemy Attack
Type (Brawl, Weaponry, Ballistics, etc); if you get 1 or more successes
on your roll, you gain a +1 defense against them for the remainder of
the scene.
 When you fight with weapons which are specific items you always
battle with. (i.e. Not just any longsword, but the Grimfang bastard
sword given to you by your father; for example) Your first Hit Location
Shift is free. Location shifts after that cost as normal.
Unshakable
(4 Points)
Pain? What Pain? Pain is only an illusion of the mind, a tool to
use or ignore as you see fit. Your total wound penalties never
reduce your dice pool more than -1. This cannot be paired with
Firewalker Merit.

Character Flaws are aspects of a persona that come up every night
of gaming that are intended to get in the way or hinder the
character. Make sure to pick Flaws you can have fun with!
Flaws have dots from 1 to 3. This is a measure of how much it
affects your character. A 1 point flaw has only a minor effect or
only comes up rarely. A 2 point flaw majorly affects your character
or it comes up all the time. A 3 point Flaw likely will kill your
character, is killing them or will utterly ruin their plans.
Flaws are meant to be problems. They are meant to mess things
up; they are meant to be a stumbling block. The more dots, the
worse they are.
The upside is, Flaws make for great drama. It’s one thing to be the
perfect hero, but it’s much more interesting and beneficial to the
story to have Flaws. The change the plot dynamic, they create
depth in the story and they create depth in the character. Once
per game, if your Flaw bites you in the ass, ruins a plan or
otherwise causes significant complications; you will then gains its
value in XP for the night. (i.e. a 2 point Flaw is worth 2xp).
Flaws can be ‘bought’ off by spending XP equal to 5x the points the
Flaw is worth. But this may only be done after roleplaying out the
process of whatever might get rid of the Flaw – if anything. Check
with your Storyteller, not all Flaws can go away.
Addiction
(1 or 2 Points)
You are addicted to some substance or activity. If a drug or other
substance, you must find substance and partake of it regularly. If
you are addicted to an activity, you must seek it out and perform
it as much as you can. For each day you go without sating your
addiction you gain a cumulative -2 to all dice pools. If you are
forced to go without this object or activity then you become irate
(reduced social abilities), paranoid, scatterbrained (reduced
mental abilities), and sickly (reduced health) - until you get this
object back or are able to partake once again. Drugs or other
chemically addictive substances are 2 point flaws, and activities of
any sort are 1 point flaws.
Ailing
(1-3 Points)
A major body part is injured or otherwise prevented from
working effectively. This can come in many forms, for example:
Bad Sight (2 Points): Your sight is defective. The pools of all dice rolls related to vision are
decreased by two. This Flaw is neither nearsightedness nor farsightedness; it is a minor
form of blindness, and is not correctable. You may not take Acute Vision if you take this
Flaw.
Color Blindness (1 Point): You can only see in black and white. Color means nothing to you,
though you are sensitive to color density, which you perceive as shades of gray. This will
affect color based powers as well.
Crippled (3 Points): You are missing one leg or foot, missing arm or hand. You suffer a
three-dice penalty to all dice rolls related to movement or using that limb.
Disfigured (1 Point): A hideous disfigurement makes you ugly and easy to notice as well as
remember. You therefore have -2 to all social interactions, much like the Nosferatu (who
cannot take this Flaw).
Hard of Hearing (1 Point): Your hearing is defective. The difficulties of all dice rolls related
to hearing are increased by two. You may not take Acute Hearing if you take this Flaw.
Mute (3 Points): Your vocal apparatus does not function, and you cannot speak at all. You
can communicate through other means - typically writing or signing. This also may lead to
many social gathering being less accepting of your charms.
Speech Impediment (1 Point): You have a stammer or some other speech impediment
which hampers verbal communication. The difficulties of all relevant rolls are increased by
two.
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Amnesia
(1 Points)
You are unable to remember anything about your past, yourself or
your family. Your life is a blank slate. However, your past may
someday come back to haunt you. (You can, if you wish, take up
to five points of other Flaws without specifying what they are, and
leave it to the Storyteller to detail them. Over the course of the
chronicle, you and your character will slowly discover them.)
Big Mouth
(1 Points)
A little lip-flapping can cause a whole passel of trouble. Your
character’s lips are looser than a whore’s knickers. He always
speaks before he thinks. Worse, he’s constantly blurting out the
group’s plans or telling the bad guys what they want to know. The
character also manages to put his boot in his mouth fairly often.
No one ever trusts this habitual gossip twice.
Bloodthirsty
(2 or 3 Points)
At 2 points you are an ornery son of a bitch. You constantly get into
fights, you bully everyone you meet and you never back down once
a fight is started. You get a -2 in all Social situations, and whenever
you are insulted or mocked or in danger – you must fight, even if it
means you throw punches first. You won’t stop fighting until one of
you goes limp or passes out. At 3 points you are a heartless killer,
even the most trivial things set you off and you will go to extremes.
Any situation where your character is challenged or threatened –
however trivial, you must make a Morality roll at -2 dice. If you fail
you fly into a murderous rage. If you succeed you become verbally
belligerent but otherwise in control. If you botch, you not only fly in
a murderous rage, but you also gain a mental illness. On a slightly
beneficial note, you are utterly fearless and focused. You are
immune to all forms of intimidation, fear, or mind affecting powers,
spells or anything of the sort.
Child
(3 Points)
You were a small child at the time of the game start. Although time
and experience may have changed your outlook, you are stuck
with a child's body for the duration of this game (or most of it
anyway). You find it difficult to be taken seriously by others (-2
penalty to all relevant rolls). Because, having never undergone the
experience of puberty, you are ill suited to withstanding the
demands of any Setting Flaw (Vampire Frenzy, Werewolf Rage,
Mage Hubris, etc) - the difficulties of all such rolls are 2 greater.
Cowardice
(3 Point)
You usually get shot in the backside and you’ve got the stitches to
prove it. Cowards don’t have the heart for combat and try to avoid
it whenever possible. “Real” men don’t like them much unless
they’re female, in which case they might actually be more
appealing. You get a -4 to any dice pool when someone uses Fear,
Persuasion, or Intimidation rolls against you, you even easily break
under even the threat of torture. In combat your character will do
their best to avoid direct action. They will hide, cower, and
attempt to throw themselves at the mercy of their attackers. In
order to act in combat directly (to attack or the like,) it requires
the character spend a Willpower point.
Cursed
(1-3 Points)
You have been cursed by someone or something with
supernatural or magical powers. This curse is specific and
detailed, it cannot be dispelled without extreme effort, and it
can be life-threatening. Some examples follow:
 (1 pt) If you pass on a secret that was told to you, your betrayal will later
harm you in some way.
 (1 pt) You stutter uncontrollably when you try to describe what you have
seen or heard.
 (1 pt) Tools often break or malfunction when you attempt to use them.
 (2 pt) You are doomed to make enemies of those to whom you become
most attached (applies to NPCs only)
 (3 pt) Every one of your accomplishments or achievements will eventually,
inevitably, become soiled and fail in some way.
Damned
(2 Points)
Your character is destined to become a monster, only the
deepest pits of hell await you. Your character gets 1 less die to
roll when making Morality Checks.
Dark Fate
(3 Points)
You are doomed to experience a most horrible demise or, worse,
suffer eternal agony. No matter what you do, someday you will be
out of the picture. In the end, all your efforts, your struggles, and
your dreams will come to naught. Your fate is certain and there is
nothing you can do about it. Even more ghastly, you have partial
knowledge of this, for you occasionally have visions of your fate -
and they are most disturbing. The malaise these visions inspire in
you can only be overcome through the use of Willpower, and will
return after each vision. At some point in the chronicle, you will
indeed face your fate, but when and how is completely up to the
Storyteller. Though you can't do anything about your fate, you can
still attempt to reach some goal before it occurs, or at least try to
make sure that your friends are not destroyed as well. This is a
difficult Flaw to roleplay; though it may seem as if it takes away all
free will, we have found that, ironically, it grants freedom.
Dark Secret
(2 Points)
You have some sort of secret that, if uncovered, would be of
immense embarrassment to you and would make you a pariah in
the characters’ community. This can be anything from having
murdered an elder to having once been a member of a sacrificial
cult, or many others.
Debt
(1-3 Points)
You are up to your ears in debt and there ain’t no getting out quick.
Maybe you owe a life debt to someone for saving your hide, heck,
maybe you didn’t even deserve to be saved. Maybe you gambled
away your life savings, your wife’s life savings, your kid’s life
savings, the house, the farm and the cat. Either way, you got
problems that need more than a few coins to solve. This might
resolve over time as cash payments, or maybe as favours. Or
maybe at some point you need to save a life too – and maybe it
won’t be a life worth saving, and maybe it could cost you your own
life. At 1 point this might be owing a friend the price of a car or a
large down payment on a house. At 2 dots this might be a large
94
gambling debt, something 3 to 5 times a decent annual income
value. At 3 dots you owe your life to someone. And they regularly
take it out in tough favours, dangerous jobs or humiliating ways.
Diminutive
(2 Points)
You are well below average height, and have trouble seeing
over high objects and moving quickly. Or maybe you are twig
thin and have no muscle on your bones. Either way, your
stature is much slighter that others, your Size is reduced by 1.
Enemy
(1-3 Points)
You have an enemy, or perhaps a group of enemies, who seek to
harm you. The value of the flaw determines how powerful these
enemies are. The most powerful enemies (Methuselahs or
Archmages, or the FBI) would be 3-point Flaws, while someone
nearer to your own power would be worth only 1 point. You must
decide who your enemy is and how you became enemies in the
first place. The second part of this flaw is how widespread this
enemy is. They will not hunt you or chase you to the ends of the
earth, and possibly not even into the next county. But if you are
ever on their turf, then you had better watch out. For large
organizations, like the FBI, they do have global networks which can
track you anywhere. However this flaw assumes they are only
looking for you in a certain area or certain like of work (possibly
illegal work).
Sleeping With the Enemy
You have some sort of intimate connection with a member of an
opposing sect or organization. You may have a lover, a child, a friend, or
a contact working the other side of the fence, but regardless of politics
you retain a friendly (or more than friendly) relationship with your
putative foe. Your close ties to someone on the other side would be
regarded as treason by your superiors, and if you are discovered, the
penalty will surely be death.
Fortunes Fool
(2 or 3 point)
Calamity Jane’s got nothing on you. At 2 points, if you pull a
Black Joker, whatever your character is doing has the absolute
worst effect possible. At 3 points not only do Black Jokers to
their worst, but 1’s rolled you roll negate successes.
Geezer
(1 or 3 points)
You may not have teeth, but you’ve still got a bite. You’re
practically a fossil in the World of Darkness, and most people call
you “old timer”. You’ve got one foot in the grave and the other in
Hell. Not all older characters have this Flaw—some folks are old at
40 and others are still young at 90. For 2 points, reduce your
grandpa’s Stamina by 1 (you must have already had 2 or more dots
in Stamina to take this flaw), and their max Stamina is 4. On the
plus side, you get an extra 3 Merit points to buy only Skill dots
during character creation. For 3 points, reduce the character’s
Stamina, Strength and Dexterity by 1 (All of which must have been
at 2 or higher to take this flaw), all of which are capped at 4 dots.
But you get an extra 5 Merit points which may be used on anything
except Strength, Stamina and Dexterity.
Haunted
(3 Points)
You are haunted by a ghost that only you (and Mediums) can
see and hear. It actively dislikes you and enjoys making your life
miserable by insulting, berating and distracting you - especially
when you need to keep your cool. Yelling at the ghost can
sometimes drive it away, but it will confuse those who are
around you. The Storyteller will likely personify the ghost in
order to make things all the more frustrating for you. It also has
a number of minor powers it can use against you (once per
game night for each power):
 Hide small objects
 Bring a "chill" over others, making them very ill at ease with you
 Cause a loud buzzing in your ear or the ears of others
 Move a small object such as a knife or pen
 Break a fragile item such as a bottle or mirror
 Trip you or knock something out of your hand
 make eerie noises such as chains rattling
 On rare occasions you have done something to aggravate it - howl with
an unearthly high pitched scream audible to all those around causing a
Panic in everyone requiring a Wits + Resolve roll needing more
successes than the ghost got (Ghost rolls 3d10 and add 1 success to
whatever they rolled, successful or not. The Ghost cannot fail or botch
this roll)
High-Falutin’
(1 Point)
Rich snobs turn up their noses so high they usually drown when
it rains. Your character has no tolerance for those of a lesser
class or places of less propriety and status than you are used
to. Those who notice your upturned nose don’t like you.
Subtract –2 from all rolls to interact with people below your
rank, station, wealth, or locations and scenes where you are
forced to dwell, stay, interact with locations that are below
your wealth and means.
Illiterate
(1 Point)
Through lack of education or as the result of a condition like
dyslexia, you are unable to read or write.
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Illness
(1 through 3 points)
Illness characters are affected by their ailments, depending on
the severity and the symptoms of their affliction. It’s assumed
these ailments aren’t temporary. Your character has tried
conventional cures, and they just didn’t take. Even
supernatural cures may not do any good. If your character
takes this Flaw, it means he’s already attempted to heal the
illness by any means and failed. He’s stuck with it, buddy.
At the start of each game session, roll Stamina against the
number of successes listed with each type of ailment on the
Illness Table below. Add +2 dice if a doctor is treating your
character. If the roll is failed, your character suffers the
associated penalty to all Skill and Aptitude checks for the rest
of this game session. If you botch the roll, your character’s
affliction increases to the next level of severity for this game
session. Botching at the Fatal level means he’s dying. (See
chart below)
Flaw Success Penalty Ailment
1 1 Minor: (Recurrent allergies, asthma, cold, or hives) Your
character has a minor but incurable ailment that causes him
to cough, get the squirts, etc.
2 3 Chronic: (Early stages of fatal diseases, black fever, or
radiation sickness) Your character has a chronic illness that
causes constant agony and may someday kill her.
3 5 Fatal: (AIDS, cancer, neural disease, etc) Your character is in
the final stages of a chronic illness that can kill him at any time.
Intolerance
(1 Points)
You have an unreasoning dislike of a certain thing. This may be
an animal, a class of person, a color, a situation, or just about
anything at all. The dice pools of all rolls involving the subject
are decreased by two, and your chances to Frenzy, Rage, freak
out, act rude or otherwise - are increased. Note that some
dislikes may be too trivial to be reflected here - a dislike of
Playboy Magazine or tissue paper, for instance, are not
appropriate choices. You may even constantly pursue
opportunities to harm the hated object or to gain power over
it. The Storyteller is the final arbiter on what you can pick to
dislike.
Madness
(1 to 3 Points)
You suffer from a belief in something that is patently untrue.
There is no way to prove it, nor could it exist outside the most
wild fever dreams. However that does not stop your character
from pursuing study or interaction with whatever made-up
lunacy they have.
Every scene you must in some way roleplay out how its events
or setting, or items are related to your madness, if it is not, or
if the connection is weak. If for some reason you cannot make
any madcap connection, then you will ignore the events of the
scene to go and pursue the activities of your madness
elsewhere.
Every new scene make a Resolve roll. If you botch you must
attempt to inflict your madness upon the scene, possibly with
violence if you cannot easily perform mad acts. If you fail the
roll, the character simply wanders off or gets lost in their
madness until an outside source snaps them back into reality,
allowing you to interact with the scene at a -2 to all rolls. If you
succeed your addled mind has found a way to relate the events
to your madness and you can proceeded as "normal"...
Miser
(1 Points)
A miser knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Miserly characters must always buy the “cheapest” goods
available and haggle incessantly over everything. Because of this,
she can only buy second-hand, used equipment. And she will insist
on doing everything herself even if the quality is poor. If she does
have to hire someone, she haggles for low wages.
Mistaken Identity
(1 or 2 Points)
You look similar to another infamous character, and are mistaken
for her, much to your chagrin. This individual's allies will approach
you and tell you things you do not want to hear, her enemies will
attempt to do away with you, and others will treat you in odd
ways. Ultimately you might be able to sort out things, but it will
take tremendous effort. At 1 point it is a minor inconvenience, at
2 points it’s downright dangerous to yourself and your allies.

See the Storyteller section on Curing the Insane for the only
ways to remove this Flaw.

Madness!
Absent Minded (1 Point): The character tends to forget everything but his work. He might forget to wear his pants one
day or eat raw coffee the next. Whenever he needs to remember an important detail, he should make a Wits roll. If he
fails, he can’t remember it.

Compulsion (1 Point): You have a psychological compulsion of some sort which can cause you a number of different
problems. You compulsion may be for cleanliness, perfection, bragging, stealing, gaming, exaggeration or just talking. A
compulsion can be temporarily avoided for the scene at the cost of a Willpower point, but is in effect at all other times.

Delusion (2 Point): The character’s mind snaps and he comes to believe something that is patently untrue. Maybe he
thinks he’s a werewolf, or the sky is blue because the “Moon People” paint it that way every morning. Or perhaps he
believes he’s not a living person, but a character in some strange game.

Eccentricity (1 Point): The character becomes eccentric. Maybe he smothers his food in vinegar or eats lots of bran to
keep his digestive system clear (ugh). The condition is basically harmless and amusing, though occasionally annoying.

Evil Deeds (2 Point): An insidious spirit (real or imagined) convinces the character that someone or something is evil and
must be stopped. At first he may only talk badly about his “enemies.” Later on he might attempt to ruin or even kill them.

Minor Phobia (1 Point): The character develops a strange fear of something. He suffers a –2 penalty to his actions
whenever the source of the phobia is present.

Major Phobia (3 Point): As above, except the character is at –4 to his actions when in the presence of the feared object
or environment.

Mumbler (1 Point): The character talks to himself constantly, and his sentences often taper off into meaningless drivel.
While working, he might occasionally hear “voices” talking back. The frightening truth is, the voices are real.

Paranoia (2 Point): Everyone’s out to get the character or steal his ideas, or so he believes. Or maybe sinister creatures
from “Dimension X” are lurking just outside his home, waiting to steal his amazing accomplishments so they can conquer
the Earth.

Schizophrenia (3 Point): The character adopts drastically different attitudes from time to time. At one moment he might
be passive and restrained. Later on he’s a raving madman. If he gets this result multiple times, he develops entirely new
personalities who might have different names, mannerisms or Hindrances. In fact, they might not even be of the same
race or gender.

Megalomania (2 Point): The character must be the greatest in the world as something major, be it ruler of the world,
greatest wizard of all, lord commander of the entire fleet. Whatever it is, you have to be the master and commander of
it, and you demand all the respect it garners, even if you haven’t achieved it yet. The character must attempt to achieve
it with all they do.

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Nightmares
(3 points)
You wake every night with sweats. Your rest during the day is not
as others (character does not dream or have any consciousness
during their slumber). You instead are plagued with nightmares
about your past or about those whom you have wronged, even
slightly. Your addled mind warps your past into a macabre dance
of horror and suffering - all tailored to you. Make a Wits roll. If
you Botch you gain the Madness Flaw for 1 week, if you fail, you
lose a point of Willpower, if you succeed you are fine... for now.
Notoriety
(1 or 2 Points)
You have a bad reputation among the people of your chosen city.
This must be your own reputation, it may not be derived from your
sire or other organizations. There is a -2 penalty to all dice rolls for
social dealings with that group. A character with this Flaw may not
take the Merit of Reputation. At 1 point this flaw acts only
occasionally. At 2 points it happens to screw you over almost
every single gaming session.
Obese
(2 Points)
You are huge, and not in a good way. The amount of fat on you
could burn for years to come. You have to buy two plane tickets
for yourself alone, and you require special seats at the movies.
Eating is not a requirement in your life, it’s a major portion of your
day, as you consume upwards of 10lbs of food and drink in a day,
well over 20,000 calories – and it shows. Your character is
unmistakably fat, not big boned, not brawny – but blubbery, ripply,
always-winded - fat. Your size goes up by 1 and your Stamina is
reduced by 1 and your Speed is halved, and when you Dodge you
only get +1 to your Defense instead of doubling it. In addition there
many places you cannot fit, and cannot hide. You will likely never
win a foot race, nor will you climb many mountains. It’s also
possible you may suffer social issues in certain vain circles.
Overconfident
(1 Point)
You have an exaggerated and unshakable opinion of your own
worth and capabilities-you never hesitate to trust your abilities,
even in situations where you risk defeat. Because your abilities
may not be enough, such overconfidence can be very dangerous.
When you do fail, you quickly find someone or something else to
blame. If you are convincing enough, you can infect others with
your overconfidence. Your character may never turn down a
dangerous situation and they may never turn down a personal
challenge.
Randy
(2 Points)
If it moves…
Prudish folks run in terror at the sight of your drooling lech. Your
character wants sex and lots of it. He or she hits on every
reasonably good-looking member of their preferred gender in
sight, usually more than once. Your character may be well-known
in every brothel in the area. Polite society thinks you’re a pig, and
“clean living” folks avoid you like the plague. The lecherous
character has a –3 to any Social rolls made to influence
“respectable” folks. You suffer no penalties with people of lesser
morals, but resists their charms at –3 - especially if the two of you
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are alone. Your character will likely never gain any real respect
from local “pillars of the community” or be able to hold a position
of authority if your sordid past becomes known. It’s not fair, but
that’s just how it is.
Soft-Hearted
(1 Point)
You cannot stand to watch others suffer - not necessarily because
you care about what happens to them, but simply because you
dislike the intensity of emotion. If you are the direct cause of
suffering, and you witness it, you will experience nights of nausea
and grief. You avoid situations where you might have to witness
suffering and will do anything you can to protect others from it.
Whenever you must witness suffering, dice pools of all rolls are
decreased by two for the next scene.
Vengeance
(1 Point)
You have a score to settle. You are obsessed with wreaking
vengeance on an individual (or perhaps an entire group), and make
revenge your first priority in all situations. The need for vengeance
can only be overcome by spending Willpower points, and even
then it only temporarily subsides. Someday you may have your
revenge, but the Storyteller won't make it easy.
Ward
(1 Points)
You are devoted to the protection of a mortal. You may describe
your ward, though the Storyteller will actually roleplay him/her.
This character may be a friend or relative, or simply a person you
admire and consider important. Wards have a way of getting
caught up in the action of stories, and are frequent targets of a
character's enemies.
Weakness
(1 or 2 Points)
There is something that will kill you faster than you can blink. This
would be in addition to anything your character type might already
be weak against (i.e. silver for werewolves or sunlight for
vampires, or holy water for the undead). Whatever it is, it
supernaturally is your bane and can be used to harm or capture or
incapacitate you. The points of this flaw depend on the scarcity of
the bane and the effect it has on you. 1 point might be a -1 to all
actions while in the area of the subject of your Weakness. (area
should be at least 30m in diameter, if not bigger). At 2 points this
causes you harm and does 1 point of Bashing damage if you are in
the area per round, and 1 point of Lethal if pressed against your
body.
Weak-Willed
(2 Points)
You are highly susceptible to domination and intimidation by
others; you are, in fact, unable to use your Willpower freely.
You can employ your Willpower only when physical harm or life
and death is at stake. And you count your Resolve as 1 lower
when anyone uses a Social Attack or Influence against you.
 Storytellers
In a game where there is no main villain, where the characters
are in a world where there are machinations that function with
them involved or not – how does one run such a game? The
term Storyteller is used for a strong reason – this person should
have a story to tell. Not just the tales of the lives of the odd
people the game will follow as player characters, but of a larger
and more engrossing story that brings the world to life,
highlights the themes of the game, and shows off the world in
logical detail.
What follows is a few sections to guide someone in making a
story that will not just tie together a rag tag group of characters,
but also unfold for them in a tale that will make their
imaginations run and their ideas flow. These sections will also
help make storytelling easier as they offer structure to games
and plots so you can not only keep track of the world and story
events, but also generate new ones that give the feeling of a
cohesive and thoughtful plot. Random is fun in the moment,
but a story should have purpose and an ideal it is building
towards. This ideal needs to be a mystery that the characters
interact with, making their lives more dynamic and fulfilling –
because when the story is bigger than them, their
accomplishments are so much bigger as well.
World of Darkness is not a player character generated game, nor
is the world or story a player character generated plot. The
characters will add their own rich layer of detail and drama to a
plot that is already unfolding in the world around them. And
they will be pressed to interact with it, change it, flow with it, or
let it run them over. Let players have their ties to your world,
let them build their own ideas into the setting – but don’t let
them start with a blank slate. Give them a sandbox with
structure and some interesting castles to explore – or knock
over.
In the end, you are the Storyteller, so have a tale to tell!
This is a story. And a story can’t be told without interesting
characters and NPCs. When responding with Storyteller
Actions (See Drama and Dice Rolling section for details), you
must attempt to keep the scene interesting and exciting for
everyone. This means that before you narrate Actions causing
problems or taking things away – think about how much more
cool it would be if that character performed the action the
player wanted in in some dramatic way with the twist your
narrative move added to it. As the Storyteller you are not the
enemy, you are not the antagonist. You are there to help make
the story great. To pull on heart strings, to give hope, and to
bring them to the brink of fear and madness – and only then
those who want to have that character end, fall, or fail.
98
Or better put – helping facilitate the cooperative telling of a
story.
World of Darkness is run unlike most other games. It is not
based around a central plot to which the characters do not
question or deviate. That is to say, this is never a game about
everyone gearing up to go slay the evil dragon and just do what
it takes to get there along the way.
It’s not a game of random, non-sequitur moments strung
together with no concern for mystery, plot cohesion, or
character growth either.
It’s closer to a group of people co-writing a novel or co-scripting
a movie – and one person in either case acting as the lead author
or director. Everyone gets their input, but there must be a
person with a unifying concept in mind. So let’s talk about this
lead author/director – this Storyteller. The role of the
Storyteller is one of mystery and exploration. To run World of
Darkness as a Storyteller you will be doing four main things:
setting the scene, creating a living and logical world the players
can explore, instigating a themed story, and listening to the
players and their characters.
Setting the Scene
First let’s talk about how to start roleplaying at all. It’s hard for
actors to act without a stage and props – so give them a bunch!
When you set up this scene and interact in it or narrate it – you
should think of items or locations details or NPC actions which
highlight the theme and establish the plot of the night. Always
start the first scene of the night in media res – in the middle of
the action. This can be any kind of action, social, mysterious,
dangerous, etc. Never start with an empty scene of “What are
you doing?”. Have some established action for them.
It may be the characters in the middle of a heated conversation
as they walk up three flights of stairs. Give the players a pitch
based on your plot and theme needs and let them roleplay out
the results however they may. In this example it might be to
pitch to the players, “One of you just got a parking ticket for a
bad parking habit and now there is a debate as to the threat
written on the back.” The players then roleplay their characters
debating conspiracy theory of the symbol on the ticket,
harraging each other about being cautios enough, or waxing
philosophical about the parking ticket and fate. Or you might
start them off with a big bang: in the middle of a gunfight, the
sounds of intruders in their home, or a growl of a terrifying beast
stalking them.
Whatever it is you do, make sure to describe the pertinent parts
of their surroundings, the general mood of the scene and
atmosphere of the area they are in, and any other NPCs in the
scene as well. Let them place themselves wherever they think
they might likely be and they pick up from there, in character, in
first person narrative.
Any follow on scenes from that point on for the rest of the game
night can start however makes the most sense. Sometimes it
might be simply knocking at the door of a rival, kicking in the
door to a threat, or getting into the car to go make a visitation.
These scenes can start with action or they can start with a
simple ‘scene cut’ or ‘fade to black’ from one to the next.
While you got to choose the first scene of the night to kick things
off, likely it will be the players who tell you where they want to
go and what they want to do with their characters next. Try to
address the player’s character and not the player – it helps with
immersion and gets people thinking about what their character
would do – not what they would do.
These scenes and the way you frame them and how they lead
from one into the next will be your key to inserting your story
into the game, and not just forcing players to do what you want
their characters to do over and over again. This leads to the next
way you run a World of Darkness game – listening to the players
and their characters.
Listening
You might have a few ideas of what events you want to add to
the game. You might have dozens. But you can’t just tell the
players “you are going to do this next.” They need to be able
to explore the world and uncover the mysteries, or step on the
landmines - all of their own accord. And as they talk to each
other, as they interact with NPCs, and as they ask around about
mysteries or follow up on clues – they will leave themselves
open to a variety of drama and danger.
This may be as easy as you wanting to have a shoot out to
highlight danger with a rival faction being fed up with the player
character’s antics. And you wanted it at a flashy, public place -
full of shattering glass and screaming bystanders as possible.
Don’t tell the players they stop at a diner on the way to their
destination. Listen for them to tell you they are headed
somewhere public. Or at most, hint at them maybe being
hungry, it has been many hours since they ate after all. Then if
they go to the diner to eat, great – you got your set scene. If
they go home, that’s fine too – keep that scene in your pocket,
they will hit somewhere public soon enough! Be patient but
don’t be afraid to remind them of their obligations, jobs, loved
ones, or basic needs. Then let them set the timeline and agenda.
Use NPCs to encourage player characters to set their own
conditions for success or victory. The more the character talks,
the more tools you have to build your story into theirs.
And be ready to re-write your scene. Maybe they know they are
being followed or watched. Maybe they know the hit is coming.
So instead, reveal the car full of gangsters and machine guns
across the street – then have them drive away making ominous
eye contact. Don’t worry, the guns will blaze later on – but right
there – with that show of passive aggression, the players and
their characters feel the danger – and that was your goal all
along.
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Instigation
Let’s look at this idea of a themed story. As you think over the idea
of what you want the game to be about (true love, vengeance,
redemption, etc.), think about the events that truly highlight that
theme. You can make a rough outline of the several ideas you have
about what someone might do or experience to bring the theme to
life and place it before the players and their characters.
Don’t worry overly much about the order of this outline, just note
the main things that you want to bring to the table for this theme.
You can sequentially build to a crescendo, but the middle bits need
to stay flexible for which order they come in. In a way, this isn’t any
different than a player thinking up ideas of things they want to do
with their character in this world during game. If your story was
your character, then your themed events are that character’s
actions imposing themselves upon the world and others.
You have a lot of ways you can insert your story and plot into any
given scene. Remember to use NPCs, from dangerous thugs, to
silver tongued rats, to nervous mooks. Sometimes a threat goes as
far as a gunshot. Nothing puts the fear in a character’s heart more
than a threatening letter pinned to their loved one’s front door.
And don’t forget bait! Always remember the bait.
Let the badguy falter, let his minions fail, let the players find that
opening they need. The story has room for drama on all sides, and
failure is a major part of that – the characters and the NPCs alike.
Even good intentioned allies can screw things up for the characters,
and now they got to be bailed out.
The world and plot should be logical in that it follows what a
rational thinking person and prepared organization would do.
Everyone has assets and allies and favours owed. So don’t forget
to let the world utilize these assets, even if they are super powers
or just a simple cellphone call. This will allow you to instigate your
events outside of what the players are doing with their characters.
Then as news makes it to the player characters, they will decide
how and when they will address this new development. And if you
have built in heartfelt reasons why they should care, and you have
let them set the conditions of their victory – they will know the
stakes if they chose to let this go instead of addressing it
themselves.
Adapt, update, or let it die. If an event you wanted to see happen just
doesn’t fit – change it. Adapt it to the new perspective you have on the
characters and move on. If that loses the sense of the event, update it
to consider any new desires or ideals the character may have. And if that
all fails – let it die. Just because you thought it was cool, does not mean
it won’t end up on the editing room floor.
Pacing
The pace of the story is the rate at which story problems
establish and relieve tension, and how engaging that is for
players. Pace is not as simple as "the faster the better," or else I
would just tell you to throw life or death situations at the players
until they pass out from too much fun. There are a few major
concepts in keeping a game from bogging down, getting
tiresome, or being boring. Even the best plots can seem tedious
if there is little to do, less to feel important about, and too many
steps to get things done.
#1 – The Storyteller must have a good idea of what number one,
main thing it is that they want to happen that night. Then they
can dictate the game pacing by putting a number of more or less
steps to achieving that - and more or less opportunities for
players to initiate their own scenes with their own goals aside
to the plot. If it’s needed, you can have up to three main scenes,
or concepts you want to do in a single night. Generally any more
than that, and you run the risk of not getting most of them done,
or blasting past player initiated scenes and goals. Stay away
from requiring player characters do a specific action to trigger
your special scenes for the night. Be flexible and alter your
scenes location, NPCs or whatever else the fiction will allow so
that they can be easily inserted at a variety of times.
Know when to end the scene. Make sure each scene has a fairly clear
goal before you start it. You can clarify out of character ahead of time if
it’s too fuzzy, but otherwise keep it brief. Once the characters more or
less achieve the goal of the scene, even if only partially or screwing up
and chasing off their chances - give a narrative hint or scene description
that indicates there is little more to do here unless they decide they
need more. But do make sure they are aware the goal is already met (or
failed), and it might be a better to start a new scene to follow up or carry
out some new goals, and thus move the fiction forward.
#2 – Don’t kill the story’s momentum. Pacing for a given scene is
based on how quickly you let the player achieve the goal of any
given scene. (Get the info, kill the bad guy, plant the bomb, etc).
This can be made faster by letting the players succeed in a single
roll or narrative exchange. And it can be made longer by putting
multiple complications/rolls in front of the characters that they
must address to advance towards their goal. If they fail a roll,
sometimes it’s best to let them get what they wanted then end
the scene with a complication for later. This goes for combat
too. How tough your bad guys are, how many there are, etc –
will determine if this is a long or a short fight – and not all fights
need to be a major affair. Sometimes just a quick and clever
skirmish is all you need to set the tension!
It’s not exact math, but consider that each complication or each extra
challenge you make the players interact with will take 15 to 20 minutes
to resolve. This is for any number of reasons; from players taking time to
roleplay, to combat actions just taking time, to players adding in their own
drama or narrative perspectives. So making one scene with 3 things the
players have to overcome will likely take 45 minutes to an hour to
complete.
100
#3 – Be aware of who can really add to a scene. Players are fully
required to insert themselves into the scenes and find purpose
and activity within the plot. But not all scenes are that straight
forward, and not all scenes are meaningful to all characters. So
assuming the players are doing their job to stay proactive, it’s
your job to make sure that nobody is rendered useless or
unnecessary. While one or two characters might carry the scene
or have the spotlight, be aware of the difficulty the other
characters have in staying engaged and make sure they get
choices to make, and drama to interact with.
Sometimes it’s ok to have other characters sit out a scene and
wait for their compatriots to resolve their drama on their own.
This is a good time to keep complications to a minimum and
investigations short. Nothing makes a game seem more boring,
than having to constantly fight for things to do, or reasons to be
in a scene when they are only relevant to others. So make all
characters important or as involved as is reasonable in each
scene they are in, or cut them out and resolve it quick.
#4 – Nothing never happens. Take any given roll, especially
failed or botched rolls, and narrate the results in line with the
player's narrative approach and goals - then add in your own
bits to subtly guide the results into the direction you need the
scene to continue to progress. Keep the fiction moving forward.
Don’t let multiple failed rolls bring the scene or the game to a
slow halt! And don’t forget that rolls are not always needed!
World of Darkness uses a scale of 1 to 5 for a reason – you can
use that as a guide to simply let a character narrate success
when failure isn’t interesting or good for pacing.
When you do enter a scene, consider opening it with the action
or as close to the interesting drama or danger as you can. And
by that same token, end the scene when the interesting parts
are done. If the players are still having fun in the scene, great
let them do so - but make sure on some level they are aware the
main drama is resolved unless they kick up some more.
#5 – Track character Goals. When a player states they have a
goal for a character, set up a 5 dot goal tracker. Each time they
complete a scene in the game that narratively advances that
goal, fill in a dot. Once all 5 dots are filled in, the character
achieves that goal. Dots can never be removed from this
tracker. This kind of pacing is to ensure the players are getting
a sense of accomplishment in the game, and can end up being
the most important aspect of a game story. Make sure to help
players pick goals that are in line with group play and the main
plot as much as possible, this will help merge goal achievement
scenes with plot and other character scenes.
The Storyteller can introduce any number of obstacles to
achieve a dot, but typically 1 obstacle is plenty (there is always
other drama surrounding goals so only add more if plot
demands it).
COMBAT PACING
NPC Actions
Antagonists represent all kinds of opposition to the player
characters and their agendas. They are never evil, mindlessly
insane, or without a self-serving goal. If there is not some area
of contention that they have no other option but to accost the
character, only then will they do so. But World of Darkness is as
much about shadow moves and preparedness as it is about dark
powers. Remember, when dealing with player characters, most
antagonists have both prepared for the assault, and thought of
at least a few ways out if things go to shit.
When running NPCs in a game, you must have prepared the
following before accosting the player character: Antagonist
Goals and Resolve Triggers.
Antagonist Agendas
People who are opposed to the player characters or their goals
are going to have thought things through, at least a little. They
are not prepared for every circumstance, but they at least have
a goal in mind. There can be some wiggle room in the agenda,
so don’t make it too specific. If the thugs just want to rob the
characters of money, then a gold watch thrown at them as the
characters run away might just be good enough. Consider the
Intrigue Pyramid and where this dangerous confrontation fits in.
Antagonist Agendas can also be used for social scenes as well.
Giving the NPC a goal of what Compels they want to inflict will
give the scene some texture and more avenues to maneuver
socially. Some typical goals that are interesting to play through
are:
 Payback for some past slight done to them or their organization.
 Threats of violence in order to get the characters to do
something for them.
 A quick attempt to try and get some item or valuables from the
characters.
 A show of force to denote claim to an area.
If at any time the scene looks like the antagonists are not likely
to get their goal, or their goal was destroyed or ruined, then that
hits a Resolve Trigger and likely they call things off, back away
or bargain.
Resolve Triggers
All antagonists in World of Darkness have an agenda. It may be
as simple as to detain you, or to steal and item, or to take
something from you and so on. When you do something that
ruins the plans or causes a hard block to an antagonist obtaining
their objective – they are narratively defeated. A fight will only
continue if the players want it to at that point. And most
antagonist will fight for their life, but they might try to bargain
or flee or even give in to you a bit. The way this is set up is with
antagonist Resolve Triggers. This means typically they are
required to roll a Resolve check, and if they fail they are
desperate to end things. And if they succeed they may try to
still bargain their way for what they want, but will likely give in
or just try to cut their losses and run.
Each antagonist will have 1 or more Resolve Triggers. A Resolve
Trigger is a condition that when met, will cause the Antagonist
to retreat, bargain, or abandon this effort – for now. The
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Trigger could be something like; suffering a type of emotional
stress, or condition. It might be to lose an ally or have plan
ruined. It could the loss of an item or asset. When the Resolve
Trigger is activated, it means the scene has a chance to go back
into narrative mode. Give the players a chance to talk to each
other, assess the situation and address their enemy – but make
sure it fits within the fiction of the scene, and have reactions be
based on the training and abilities of the antagonists involved.
Some characters, when their Resolve Trigger is met, may still
attempt to goad or intimidate the characters, they just won’t
risk more harm to themselves or their agenda.
Mass Combat
A massive combat or battle scene is a great thing to have in a game,
but we don’t want to bring the game to a grinding halt as we roll
for dozens or more nameless enemies. This can even apply to large
social gatherings where many people could potentially have sway
over events and characters.
For large combats, wars, or big events - the players will work with the
Storyteller to come up with 1 to 3 Objectives for the scene. This may
be to take a specific bunker, then clear a path to the fortress, then
find the main antagonist and confront them. Or it may be to get into
the soiree, then rile up two social opponents, and finally to call for a
duel. Don’t just make a long list of baddies for the characters to cut
their way through – each round the characters actions should be
against an interesting obstacle in achieving that Objective. Only if
their rolls fail or if Complications arise would it take more than one
round to achieve. While the battle rages around them, the storyteller
can narrate explosions, battle cries, bullets flying all over the place
and so on.
When dealing with large numbers of NPCs involved in the combat
or event, don’t roll for each individual. First give each group of mass
NPCs (usually one group on PCs side and one on the Antagonists
side) one main Objective for the fight. Then the ST will assign that
Objective a scale of 2 to 5 for how quickly they could achieve it. The
ST will roll once per round for the Antagonist’s NPC group, and one
of the players will roll once per round for NPCs on their side.
Whoever gets the most successes makes 1 progress towards their
goal. Don’t track how many people die on each side, that’s always
a waste of time, just narrate how it sounds like things went and let
the Player Characters be the highlights of the battle.
Dice pools for each NPC group are based only on their description and major
assets. A suggestion for the single dice roll might be as follows: Side A has a trained
force (+2), they have a good leader (+1) and they have already set into position
(+2). Side B has an untrained force (+1) but they have a brilliant leader (+3) and
they have explosives to crack the defenders bunkers (+2). Side A has 5 dice versus
Side B who has 6 dice. Let the players put in a few comments towards general
battle tactics, possibly adding a die or two to their side if they are clever and
prepare well.
Nemesis Combat
Your Nemesis is the NPC who is the main Antagonist of the Plot.
They are important enough that you may want them to take on
the entire character group in combat. But they don’t have to
be, some antagonists are quite easy to kill, it’s getting to them
that’s the hard part. In the case of a set-piece, final boss,
supernaturally powerful antagonist; here are guidelines for
creating and running that kind of fight. Note that this fight
should still be one that is done for plot reasons, and if the
players out-thought the antagonist and one-shot killed them –
that’s fine, their plotting and planning was good enough.
Rounds of Combat
Combat is handled the same as normal with the following
changes. Location is important here, so make sure your
antagonist is at the place they need to be if at all possible.
 Initiative: Draw cards or Players choose who goes
first if not using cards.
 Actions: The Antagonist gets 1 Action (card) per
Player character. If not using cards, Antagonist
gets to use only 1 Action after each player
character does. (i.e. you go, he goes, you go, he
goes, etc.) Antagonist may throw away an action
to use Special Attack or Dodge, etc
Antagonist 5 Attributes
Instead of a full character sheet, a major Nemesis will have just
these 5 stats. Any relevant Attributes needed should be made
up in the moment by the ST as pertains to that Antagonist’s
themed abilities.
1. Defenses (each one is on a scale of 1 to 5:
represents armor, dodge, soak, negate single
attack type. Enemy always has base Defense of 3)
2. Hitpoints (they have 10 +5 HP per player character
and main NPC there: represents general health
and bodily functioning)
3. Ideals (on a scale of 1 to 10 for: 1+ = how strong
they believe +1-3, how close they are to achieve
+1-3, and how widespread the ideal is +1-3)
4. Main Attacks (they have a dice pool of 10 to 15 to
do Lethal, and can have an item or weapon to
modify that)
5. Special Attacks (they have a dice pool of 5 to 10:
these limit or complicate you, same as Conditions
below. Each one must have a way to be
destroyed/deactivated/removed for the battle.
That means when creating the Nemesis, you need
to specify the source of the Special attack that can
be targeted)
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How You Defeat Them
Combat proceeds as normal with Imitative alterations. ST must
be very descriptive of their actions and the environment.
 Attacking them: (They have Hitpoints, which apply
to Bashing and Lethal attacks. Aggravated attacks do
double HP damage. If reduced to 0, they are dead
(or nearly so as drama dictates)
 Removing their Defenses (If any of these is reduced
to 0 for a duration of more than 2 rounds, that
Defense is defeated and no longer can be used)
 Arguing their Ideals (these are reduced by Compels,
instead of applying Compel, it reduces the Ideal by
that amount)
 Applying Limits Against their attacks and Actions
(When you attack them to limit them you don’t do
HP, you minus dice pool of an attack Main or Special,
if any of those dice pools is reduced to 0 for a
duration of more than 2 rounds, that Attack is
defeated and no long can be used. This can also
reduce the number of actions they get per round to
a minimum of 1)
NOTE: If you defeat their Hitpoints before you
remove their Ideal, One of their lackeys or such has
that Ideal blaze in their heart and mind and it will
come back to haunt you later as they plot revenge or
advancement of that ideal
Example Condition Limits
 Poisons
 Slow
 Entangled
 Heartbroken
 Confused
 Blind
 Enraged
Example Special Actions
 Activate attack or event or status with “timers”
 go into “invulnerable mode” if hit too hard too
fast…too many loss of HP in one attack
 Regenerate/Regain on Botch roll

Storytelling isn't about standing before an audience and reciting
memorized lines. It's a shared experience in which every player
is involved in creating the story as it unfolds. Unlike interactive
computer games, there is no prewritten script - players don't
just stumble along triggering occasional video playbacks. They
create events as they go, in cooperation with the Storyteller.
The only limit is your imagination. This has been said many times
before about many different media, but roleplaying is the truest
example of it. Since Storytelling takes place in a collaborative
imagined space, uninhibited by the limits of screen pixel count
or broadband connection speed, anything can happen as long
as it's agreed upon by the players and Storyteller. There are
certainly some rules, but they're intended to aid consistency
and believability. They can always be thrown out if the
Storyteller thinks they impede the actual story. The parts of a
story help to organize the roleplaying experience and give it
cohesion over a series of game sessions. The meaning of a story
reveals what the story is about - not what happens in it (that's
the plot, described below), but how events matter.
Monsters
You must remember the number one inviolate rule of World of
Darkness - It not about the monsters.
These are stories of people. And they are wrapped in layers of
mystery and the macabre. The term ‘Through a Mirror Darkly’ is
more important than any power, any creature, or any supernatural
event. You must paint a believable and realistic world that is many
shades darker than our own, but still recognizable as our own. In
the best stories, it’s never about being a vampire, it’s not about the
powers of mages or strangeness of changelings. It’s about the lives
the people those monsters once were. So never let the players
forget, make them remember – they are the monsters. The people
they are, not just the creature they have become.
Isolate them. Confront them with their Beast. Remind them of what
they love. Give them Hope. Then shove them out into the darkness!
Theme
Stories and chronicles have themes (sometimes chapters can
also have themes). A theme sums up what a story is about, the
so-called moral or lesson it tells. It might be "Crime never pays,
“Violence begets violence," or "A hero shall rise." Theme is
useful in reminding the Storyteller where he stands as events
unfold. The wild give and take of ideas and events in a game can
often be overwhelming, and the Storyteller might find that his
story takes a direction he didn't anticipate or doesn't even
understand. The best way to get back on solid ground is to
remember the theme and steer events back to it. It doesn't
matter what happens, as long as events illustrate the theme.
For example, in our crime fighting chronicle, the theme might
be "Crime corrupts even the just." In other words, it's about the
characters' struggle to remain moral when confronting
corruption. They'll be tempted to resort to all sorts of expedient
but unjust (even sadistic) methods of overcoming their enemies.
The bottom line is they must follow the law lest they risk
becoming as bad as their rivals. If they destroy the crime empire
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but tarnish their own reputations and souls through violence,
lying and theft, do they really win?
This theme gives the Storyteller a tool by which to focus any scene
on the overriding purpose or vision of his story. Perhaps he expects
the players' characters to be tempted to mete out their own style
of justice, but to ultimately take the thugs they capture to jail.
Instead, the characters succumb to temptation and take the thugs
out to the desert and bury them up to their necks in sand, leaving
them to bake, ripening for a confession. The Storyteller didn't
expect this, but, remembering his theme, he knows just how to run
with it. When the players return, they find one thug dead of
exposure, another half dead from scorpion poison, and the third
delirious and raving out of his mind. The characters' own actions
have led them into the trap of being corrupted by their own crime
fighting zeal.
Mood
Just as important as theme for organizing a story is mood, or
atmosphere. Keeping a story cohesive over the course of many
different sessions is made easier if a consistent mood is evoked.
Each scene, chapter, story and chronicle can have its own mood.
Mood isn't the atmosphere of the actual gaming environment
(that's covered below under "How to Tell Stories"). It's the key
images, symbols and even tension that the Storyteller
consistently invokes to set the stage for the story. Mood
reinforces theme.
Our crime fighting chronicle might have a mood characterized
as "dark and gritty" or "film noir." Things are described in
blurred contrasts, in grays rather than in black and white. For
example, the night is often fogbound and full of shadows rather
than clear. This mood implies that answers never come easily
and that choices are never simply right or wrong. Or the
Storyteller might go for something more subtle, such as
"ominous significance,” wherein everything hints at a darker
meaning beneath the surface, much like the mood evoked in the
Twin Peaks television series. Threats lurk everywhere. Nothing
and no one can be trusted. Even the swish of pine trees in the
wind seems to forebode a sinister revelation.
Mood isn't as easy to orchestrate as theme. It's more ephemeral
and requires some off-the-cuff creativity to implement,
especially when players surprise you by taking their characters
to places you weren't ready to introduce. But don't sweat it.
Consistent mood is just a tool, not a requirement. It's there to
help you focus on the theme through imagery and other sensory
data - sounds (moaning wind, piercing screams), tactile
sensations (greasy, sharp) and even smell (peppermint, rotten
eggs). If your mood is "film noir," you might avoid describing
smells or tactile sensations and concentrate solely on sight and
sound, to reinforce the stark nature of the story, devoid of any
real human touch.
Ultimately, mood makes it seem like your story's theme
pervades every part of the world. Not even the night sky, wind
or the shadows appear to escape the significance of the story's
events or meaning.
 What Happens in a Story?
Apart from the meaning you impart in a story, you must
consider what happens in a story. Everything is tied
together; the theme and the events that evoke it.
Considering the events of your story as separate units
which can be inserted at any time is a useful means of
getting this story told. In the end, they form an unbroken
continuum. It doesn’t matter when they happened only
that they did happen.
Setting
The locales in which your stories take place are characters, too.
They may not walk and talk, but they still communicate
messages, whether it's the safe vibe of a sanctum or the bone
chilling fear of a tomb.
The World of Darkness is our world as seen through a gloomy
and twisted lens. This perspective allows you to mine inspiration
for stories from your own neighborhood, or to even set your
stories there. You can reimagine the gas station attendant as the
servant of a vile, unseen monster, or the college dean as the
thrall of some otherworldly horror.
There are strange legends in real life that we've all heard, places
around town that seem tailor-made for supernatural stories.
You know that old barbershop supply store downtown with the
creepy owner who doesn't like customers? Some say he sells
black magic supplies in the back - just ask him and he'll show
you. This kid went back there once, but he won't talk about what
he saw. What's really going on there? Providing an interesting
and believable setting relies on balancing the real and unreal.
Urban legends mixed with real places - actual houses you've
walked past at dusk, the alley near your workplace that nobody
wants to go down, the old lagoon in the woods that everyone's
afraid to swim. In a sense, this is a re-enchantment of the world,
although in the World of Darkness the effect is more often
chilling and terrifying than awe-inspiring.
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Conflicts
It's been said before and it's worth repeating: Conflict is the
essence of drama. Conflict does not have to be physical
(although it quite often is in roleplaying games).
It can be as simple as a character striving to discover the location
of a store in downtown New York. The conflict is represented by
the obstacles he encounters, even if they're merely other
shoppers or the temptations of other, easier to find stores. This
is perhaps the most boring example possible, but it shows that
conflict is simply about setting an obstacle before the
characters, giving them some challenge that bars their way to
easy victory.
Of course, the most popular and ready conflict for a story
involves action and adventure. In other words, combat. Scenes
of physical prowess and ‘daring do’, clever escapes and close
misses are the gold in the treasury of Storytelling. They rarely
get tiresome, although it's still wise to vary them as much as
possible. Too many bold swings on frayed vines and the shtick
gets repetitive.
The best form of conflict is characters themselves, both
Storyteller controlled and player controlled. Stirring up the
hornet's nest of envy and pride among the players' characters is
often enough conflict to fill an entire chapter. Think of
D'artagnan's first meeting with the Three Musketeers. A series
of misunderstandings results in a grand sword duel. But that
encounter forges an alliance of heroes whose like has rarely
been seen since.
Storyteller controlled characters are the ultimate paragons of
conflict. What fun is it destroying a crime empire if you never
get to take on the boss himself? Would we know the name of
Elliot Ness without his rival Al Capone? Robin Hood without the
Sheriff of Nottingham? Woodward and Bernstein without
Nixon? Encountering a Storyteller rival is one of the most
memorable events in any story. While letting your characters
defeat the main Antagonist is not required, it can be used from
time to time to give the players a real and true sense of
accomplishment. Don’t throw every lead villain to their doom
at the players’ hands, but don’t be afraid of when it does
happen. Sometimes you have to let the players ‘win’ and that’s
ok.
To sum up, conflict - overcoming obstacles, whether they are
people, things or even one's own conscience (think of Hamlet) -
provides fun and engaging drama.
Non Player Characters
The most important part of running a good storytelling game is
the people who live in it. You can never spend too much time
making each Non Player Character (NPC) have a personality, a
backstory, and above all else – a good reason, that includes self-
preservation, for their actions.
Whether we are talking about minor actors such as the
bartender of the local dive, to the major antagonist that is
plotting the characters’ deaths – they all need to have assets
available to them, personalities and reasons for why they are
doing what they do.
In rules terms NPCs break down into two categories: Plot
Characters and Supporting Cast.
SUPPORTING CAST
Supporting Cast NPCs are the folks who make up the bulk of
your game world. From people at the local diner, to patrons at
your favorite pub, to the soldiers or minions of an organization.
These NPCs may or may not have names, though do be prepared
to give them a culturally appropriate one when a Player asks.
They don’t get full stats like a Player Character gets. Instead
they simply get a general “Competency Level” in regards to the
task at hand they are forced to perform. Just like the normal
description of stats, NPCs go by the same qualifiers, the only
difference is that they make up a single dice pool the NPC uses,
and not a skill by skill dice pool.
Use the chart below to generate the NPCs dice pool for any roll
they have to make, and be quick about it, the exact dice they get
is not important! You pick an Attribute number of dice and a
Skill number of dice.
Attributes:
 = Below Average
 = Average
 = Above Average
 = Amazing
 = One of the best in the world
Skills:
 = Knows the task at hand but not really well
 = Knows the task at hand averagely well
 = Very good at the task at hand
 = Amazing at task at hand
 = One of the best in the world at this task
For example: Players go to a mechanic and want him to fix their
getaway car after their run in with the cops. The NPC is a mechanic so
this is his job. If there is no pressure and no time limit, then he just does
it, check to see if any of the characters have Resources to pay the
mechanics. If they need the work rushed, hidden from the cops, or
custom or other, then a roll may be needed. He is an average guy, so
he gets average stats. That gives him 2 dice in an Attribute + 2 dice in
the Skill needed to do the task at hand (fix the car). Roll 4 dice and the
number of successes indicates how well he did under these trying
circumstances.
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NPCs and Social Confrontation
NPCs should be acting towards their Agenda. If this Agenda is
compromised or thwarted, they should start acting with intent
to leave and regroup or find a bargain to get what they want.
When Compelled they will immediately act on the Compel,
unless something in the fiction gives them immediate reason to
work against it. The same is true if they suffer a Command.
NPCs and Failed rolls
When a NPC has to a make a roll, it better be because there was
an interesting reason to do so. Which means if they fail, there
is drama in an interesting failure. Maybe they did the work, but
it screws the characters later. Maybe they took longer and
some clock advances. Treat it like any other Storyteller Move.
NPCs and Botch Dice
NPCs that are Supporting Cast do not bother to count botch dice.
If they botch a roll it simply means they were unable to
complete the task and the storyteller moves on in the scene (see
failed above). The only time a Storyteller bothers to let the NPC
botch and miserably fail their roll is if it serves the scene or plot
in some interesting way.
NPCs and Willpower
NPCs that are Supporting Cast do NOT get Willpower Points to
spend to enhance a roll or resist an attack or power – treat any
loss of Willpower they suffer as having a Social Attack:
Meltdown. They may get to roll willpower to resist an attack
but they can’t spent Willpower Points. Supporting Cast NPCs
should have Willpower dots ratings from 2 to 4.
PLOT DRIVEN CAST
Plot NPCs are always named; full name, first and last. They must
have a backstory, and they must have a role to play in the plot
the game is set under. These might be Vampire Princes who rule
the city your Characters are in, it might be the Great Wizard who
is causing the strife your Characters are battling against. This can
be main helpers to these big guys. It might be the Police Captain
who is always helping your characters, or it might be the main
right hand man who is helping the King who is invading your
kingdom.
Whoever they are, they must have details. Why are they doing
this? What would it take for them to quit doing this? What are
they getting out of this? What are their tools, assets and
resources to do all that they do?
These NPCs need to have a character sheet just like a player
character – this means that they suffer Botches and may use
Willpower Points just like player characters. Any powers or
special items they have must be detailed in full on their
character sheet.
The Chronicle’s Plot is the Goal of the game. Characters act out
a series of events that, considered as a whole, tells a story from
beginning to middle to end. No Storyteller is completely in
charge of their plot; the players provide many twists. However,
a basic plot is helpful when presenting a story, even if it's
doomed to be derailed, hijacked or shanghaied into new
directions. Setup is done by choosing Plot Type and defining 5
Plot NPCs.
Choose Chronicle Plot Type
There are 2 types of plots in World of Darkness: Train and
Sandbox. Pick one:
 Train plots are ST created, mostly linear, plots where the goal is told
to the characters in character some way, and they are unified in
achieving that ST defined goal.
 Sandbox plots are Player created plots, without defined steps. The
players must find their own reasons to work together on a singular
plot Goal, and the ST reacts to their actions with interesting drama
until it is achieved.
Step 1
A Chronicle needs main Plot NPCs who will be the main
Antagonists, and a Central Point of Contention that these NPCs
are trying to control.
 4 of them are open actors
 1 of them is a shadow agent nobody, not even the
other NPCs are aware of
Define each Plot NPC with their personality, desires, flaws,
assets and ambition. What powers do they possess (if the game
has supernatural powers). You don’t have to go into full detail
yet, but a simple concept for each category is all you need at this
step.
 Personality: who are they as a person? Why do some people like
them? Why do some people hate them? What would draw the
characters to like them or at least want to interact with them on a
personal level?
 Desires: What motivates them as person? What makes them get
excited or highly interested? What do they want, that even if they
have, they want more of?
 Flaws: What causes them to stumble? What blind spots do they
have? What are things that they suffer from?
 Assets: Who are their lovers/family? Who are their employees?
What places do they own, operate or influence? Where does their
wealth come from?
 Ambition: Why do they want the Area of Contention? How will it
benefit them if they get it? How will it benefit their allies if they
get it? What will they lose or suffer if they don’t get it? What
events or actions have they already completed/set in motion to
control the area of contention?
 Powers: How do they rely on these powers to get what they want
or protect themselves?
Step 2
Define the central Area of Contention. Each NPC must have a
reason to want to win this area of contention and they are
actively trying to do so. Define what that thing is; which may be
an item, a place, a person, a governing body, an ideal, etc. And
give it a Strength to function and a Weakness to exploit it. Some
ideas for contention are:
 Control something  Change minds
 Destroy something  Change culture/government
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Step 3
Define the Setting. Give details on the location, manner of
governance, enforcement of law/order, cultural details, and a few
important things to the area of contention which are not
controlled or influenced by any NPC.
 Location
 Manner of Governance
 Enforcement of Law/order
 Culture
 Area of Contention areas or assets
Step 4
Go back and now fully flesh out each NPC. Give full details for
each category. Don’t forget names of anyone/organization tied
to the main 5 NPCs. This step and those above are done in secret
by the Storyteller.
Step 5
Write up Player Characters. This step is done as a group, with
the Storyteller only revealing non-secret, and publically known
info on the world and NPCs. Come up with their personality,
desires, flaws, assets and ambition. What powers do they
possess (if the game has supernatural powers). Then tie each
one to the 5 NPCs (Mix it up however it makes sense.
Remember the Shadow Agent is secret, so anyone tied to that
NPC does not know it, or who the Shadow is. So as ties are
made, the Storyteller may make some of these ties secretly on
their own).
 Personality: who are they as a person? Why do some people like
them? Why do some people hate them? What would draw the
other player characters to like them or at least want to interact
with them on a personal level?
 Desires: What motivates them as person? What makes them get
excited or highly interested? What do they want, that even if they
have, they want more of?
 Flaws: What causes them to stumble? What blind spots do they
have? What are things that they suffer from?
 Assets: Who are their lovers/family? Who are their employees?
What places do they own, operate or influence? Where does their
wealth come from?
 Ambition: Pick a personal goal in this setting which is ambitious
and large (but is not the area of contention). What does the Area
of Contention have to do with your own personal goal? Which
NPC will be the most beneficial to the PC if they attain the Area of
Contention? Some ideas for personal goals are:
o Run an interesting operation as its leader
o Defeat a rival or enemy
o Fix a problem that plagues you and all those you love
o Attain a spiritual or philosophical truth through/with others.
 Powers: How do they rely on these powers to get what they want
or protect themselves?

Don’t play the wishing game, hoping it will simply work itself out
when the time comes.
Whether you’re a meticulous outliner or run game plots by the
seat of your pants, have an idea where your story is going and
think about your ending every day. How you expect the story
to end should inform every game scene, every session. It may
change, evolve, and grow as you and the players experience the
inevitable plot arcs, but never leave it to chance. And if you get
near the end and worry something’s missing — that the punch
isn’t there or that it doesn’t live up to the power of the other
elements of your game — don’t rush it. Give yourself padding
by bringing up relationships or personal character goals that
could add power and emotion to the ending.
Keep the End in Sight the Whole Way
Read through everything you’ve written. Take a long walk. Think
on it. Sleep on it. Jot notes about it. Let your subconscious work
on it. Play what-if games. Be outrageous if only to see what
potentials your plots have. Think about what the players are
saying about the ending, and use their ideas to make that ending
to sing. Make it unforgettable by fulfilling their hopes, even ones
they don’t know they have.
Musts
 Be generous with your players. They have invested in you and
your game the entire way. Give them a proper payoff. Don’t
allow it to be rushed by just ending in unemotional combat.
 Make it unpredictable but fair. You want players to feel they
should have seen it coming — because you planted enough
hints — but not feel hoodwinked. Don’t make up new plot
points that only serve to trick players. If they figure it out,
that’s fine!
 If you have too many ideas for how it should end, don’t
despair. When in doubt, players long to be moved. Go for the
heart before the blade.
 Rewrite it until it shines. All gaming is improv, and this is never
more true than at the end of your game. Have an idea of how
it will end, but don’t set it in stone. Lean into the emotional
plots of the player characters and let those inform your
ending.
 Always lean into relationships. NPCs are the life blood of your
game, so make their connections to characters matter and full
of emotional bonding.
 Don’t rush it. This can’t be said often enough.
Nothing Can Follow the End
This goes without saying. But I say it anyway, why? Because too
many storytellers think it appears sophisticated to leave things
nebulous, and they want to save something crucial for the epilogue.
Avoid that mistake. The ending is for your players, not for your
epilogue narration. Take the time to invent a story world for your
players and deliver a satisfying experience for them. They have
invested their time and creativity, believing you will uphold your
end of the bargain — and that means an ending which fulfils the
hopes of their characters. One that satisfies. That doesn’t mean
every ending is happily-ever-after, everything tied in a neat bow.
And it doesn’t mean the characters get all they wanted. It means
the players know what happened, puzzles are solved, and the
mystery feels like it was revealed. Maybe they won, maybe they
failed. Regardless – all of the reasons why it ended the way it did
are clear.
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If you write from harsher themes, at least be consistent. If this
means everyone dies, or the villain wins, or the characters fell prey
to the plot – make sure everyone is clear they are on that train. So
when it gets to its stop, they are excited to experience the tragedy,
and not blindsided by it. That said, some stories end too neatly and
then appear contrived. Build on character relationships so that
emotions play a big part of how the game ends. Why you kill the
villain is always more important than how you kill them.
Don’t Forget the Characters
This may seem obvious, but it’s all too often violated. The player
characters should be center stage at the end. Everything they
learned throughout all the complications that arose from them
trying to fix the terrible trouble you plunged them into should
by now have made them the dramatic protagonists who rise to
the occasion. Maybe at this point they are flawed, weak,
defeated. But it’s their character story that is about to resolve
and become complete - so empower them and make it great!
The action must happen “on stage”, not just be about or
remembered or simply narrated. It can’t be resolved by a
miracle or because he realizes something. It must be the
player’s choices that drive the ending home! That’s what
makes a player respond emotionally, if it’s their agency that won
the day, it will move them exponentially more than whatever
contrivances you could have simply narrated out for them.
Final Considerations
When it comes to gaming creativity, there’s no black-and-white,
right or wrong. You can end your game in any number of ways. So
experiment. Read a lot in your games’ genre so you’re familiar with
the conventions, for example: romance gamers expect personal
emotional endings, mysteries serve up clues that lead to a logical
reveal, sci-fi and horror reward perseverance and valor.
Finally, consider the emotional impact you want to leave your
readers with:
 In a sweet ending, characters get both what they want and
what they need.
 A semi-sweet ending delivers only what your characters need.
 A bittersweet ending gives them only what they want.
 In a bitter ending, characters get neither.
End your game well, but don’t feel like you have to end it
perfect. As Stephen King says, “…in real life, endings aren’t
always neat, whether they’re happy or sad.”

When running World of Darkness, there are often times where
you want to get into the details of the world – especially the
gritty ones. When players are looking to either commit a crime
or investigate a mystery – help the players make their
characters competent and wise as they can be (taking into any
Flaws they have of course).
When doing this, have the player narrate what their character
is doing to investigate or who they are talking to and then roll
the attribute that best represents their approach Attribute +
Investigation skill.
Each success allows the player to as the ST one question from
below, in which the ST will provide information or answers
based on what the character could reasonable perceive or what
the NPC could have known. They are not required to pick from
this list only, they may have some other more specific question
in mind. Regardless this list should be provided to the players
to look at first and attempt to pull from it before any other. The
ST can always declare any question simply not reasonable given
the scene and fiction of what could be determined – or they can
give an answer of “You don’t have the ability to determine that
as you have done so for, but perhaps some further use of your
skills could reveal what you asked.”
 Where would I find __?
 How secure is __?
 Who or what is related to __?
 Who owns or is employed by __?
 Who or what is __ most valuable to?
 What is the relationship between __ and __?
 What potential complication do I need to be wary of?
 Who or what is my biggest threat in this situation?
 Who or what is in control here?
 What do I know about someone influential here?
Once they have asked the question, you can either simply
answer it as best the fiction allows or you can take it as a note
and roleplay the scene with the character looking around and
narrate out what they see or what someone they are talking to
has to say in answer to the question.
Crime
This section considers the game played from the perspective of
a criminal, or at least someone committing a crime or engaging
in criminal activity. Let the scenes player out with players
narrating out how their character commits the crime. Here are
things you should prompt them for should they be important to
the plot or details the characters ought to know (especially if
they live a life of crime or interact with it often.) The ST can
outright ask the characters how they are doing each of these
things, or the ST can be more subtle and hint at potential threats
to the crime at hand by highlighting items or events which
would leave evidence or lead back to the character or be
potential threats at the time.
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CONCEAL EVIDENCE
A character who wishes to hide an item or cover her tracks after
a crime can do so with a conceal evidence action, rolling usually
Intelligence + Stealth as a dramatic action. The Storyteller
should note how many successes they roll, and apply it as the
negative modifier anytime someone else attempts to search for
the evidence. To save time, the Storyteller does not need to roll
for evidence concealed by NPCs, but can simply assume the
difficulty is equal to that character’s Stealth rating.
DISGUISE
A character can roll Intelligence + Crafts to create a disguise that
masks her true identity. Doing so requires about an hour or
three spent in costuming, applying make-up, dying hair, and
getting in character. She may take penalties on the roll if her
fake identity is in some way hard to fake, complicated, rushed,
or you are interacting with someone who has good reasons to
notice you are a fake (family, lovers, etc). On a successful roll,
the disguise works for the remainder of the scene.
Once per scene, anyone who interacts with the disguised
character for around five minutes or more is entitled to a
Perception + Empathy – successes on your disguise roll to
notice that there is something not quite right about the way you
look.
LOCKPICKING
Picking locks or bypassing other mechanical security devices
requires a successful Dexterity + Crafts roll. The Locks section
details out what kinds of locks characters will encounter. Take
this as a suggestion to consider the type of lock you put in front
the characters. The type of lock says two things to players: how
serious this location is about security, and how much you don’t
want them to bother trying this course of action. So don’t go
putting back vaults on every millionaire’s home stash.
PICKPOCKET
Stealing an item from another character’s person is a Dexterity
+ Stealth roll opposed by the targets’ Perception + Awareness.
If the thief’s roll succeeds, he is able to retrieve the item without
his victim noticing. If it fails, the ST is encouraged to make a Hard
Action against the character. It is impossible to pickpocket items
that are in active use by a character, nor is it generally possible
to steal clothing, armor, or any other item too bulky to feasibly
remove without its wearer noticing. These rules can also be
used to steal unattended items from a store without the
shopkeeper noticing. Again, like with locks, the amount of
security, how observant an NPCs and what other items in the
scene may cause complication for the character should be taken
into consideration as they will send a message to players on how
secure an area or clever an NPC is. Don’t make every location
Fort Knox.
Investigation
Characters will at times need to dig into the world and
interact with the people within to find clues surrounding
mysteries or events that confront them. Whenever this
happens, a character will often investigate an area or
interrogate suspects, or question witnesses. What
follows then are suggestions to both the ST and the
players for the typical things that characters can to do
find clues in a mystery or study an area for evidence.
Make these suggestions to the players – especially if any
of them are experienced investigators or the like.

CASE SCENE
A character can use a case scene action to search an area
for anything of interest that might be hidden: an
incriminating letter hidden in a police sergeant’s office,
the concealed lever that reveals a secret safe, or a cache
of contraband on a smuggler’s boat. The player usually
rolls Perception + Investigation narrating how they are
searching. The amount deducted from the character’s
investigation roll is determined by the Storyteller based
on the fiction at hand (location, NPC type, and plot), and
possibly even the Conceal Evidence action as well. On a
success, the character finds anything hidden. This is not
a guessing game! Don’t make the player try to guess
what to look for – ever! Just let them narrate the kinds
of things or concepts their character is looking for or
doing and then if they make the roll – given them what
they were hoping to find.

The case scene action can also be used to uncover clues

when pursuing a mystery or solving a crime. The
character must actually be in a location relevant to his
case in order to do so, and must have at least some idea
of what he’s trying to find. A successful roll uncovers a
piece of information at the site that will somehow
advance the investigation, allowing him to proceed to a
new scene. The Storyteller should narrate the
character’s deductions, rather than just giving him the
clue itself. Instead of telling a player “You find a smear of
yellow mud,” tell him “You find a smear of yellow mud—
whoever did this must have come from the docks!”

PROFILE CHARACTER
The profile character action can be used to read people,
examining them for any clues in their posture,
demeanor, or appearance. After spending at least five
minutes interacting with or observing the person he
wishes to profile, the player rolls Perception + Empathy
minus the target’s Subterfuge if actively lying or Wits if
simply naturally hiding their secrets. On a success, the
Storyteller should give the player a brief rundown of basic
facts about the character that aren’t immediately obvious—
social class, occupation, mood or demeanor, where he was an
hour ago, or similar. This isn’t mind reading or magical
divination, but it will allow a character to get a basic idea of what
someone does, and possibly notice some incongruous details.
This can also be used to interrogate witnesses to try and gain
clues from people around.

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 A great way to get at their prey, is to take out their support. In
games where the characters are part of an organization, the
There are lots of ways to build a story, hook characters into a
antagonist will more often approach or threaten sources of
plot and resolve the drama. In general, this is a dark game,
stability, network contacts, and other established “friendly”
which builds its story on a foundation of themes that can run
NPCs. Sometimes the antagonist is referred to as the
the gamut from horror, to dread, to black deeds, to simply crime
“conspiracy”, this typically means the organization or asset
ridden life. In general though, there should be progress. Maybe
structure of the antagonist. Rarely if ever does the “man at the
toppling a villain is not the ultimate goal (and in most overall
top” manage all of the details of his schemes threats, he has
plots it shouldn’t be!), but there should be moments in time
people for that. So sometimes, low level leaders or bosses will
where the players feel a sense of accomplishment towards a
be the ones orchestrating the threats to the characters.
larger goal for their own lives or the setting. What follows is a
suggested outline for how to set up a plot of intrigue and
The antagonist responses move up the Intrigue Pyramid as the
mystery by giving a suggested set of actions to whoever or
characters’ investigation begins to impede or interfere with the
whatever your plays the part of your antagonist. antagonist conspiracy. An action by the characters against one level

The Intrigue Pyramid

The Intrigue Pyramid provides a dramatic
response algorithm for the antagonists, guiding
their reactions to the characters’ assault on
their security and their plans. It creates a more
natural-seeming story than just a storm of
attacks or overly escalated reactions; it helps
drive the narrative along an organic arc,
providing story momentum in between the
characters’ active plans. Its personalized
responses give the characters a little more skin
in the game than simply busting up random
one-off human trafficking rings or terror cults.

By creating more antagonist actions, it also

opens up the space for more personal drama,
clues, forensics, witnesses, and intel-gathering
opportunities. The Storyteller can use the
Intrigue Pyramid constantly, for a brief story
arc, or solely for inspiration. All of these rules,
options, and actions are general in nature: if
you have a better specific idea, or a twist to
pull, or just want to ignore or skip something, do it!
The antagonist’ response begins with any one of the options
along Row One: Reflex. The Storyteller can select whichever
sounds the most intriguing, or one that best fits her sense of the
conspiracy’s methods or current events. From that option, the
lines lead toward the most natural escalations.
You don’t have to follow the lines, they simply offer generally
similar themed escalation.
A conspiracy that begins with an attempt to frame a character
will likely move into either killing the character’s enemy
(probably under very suspicious circumstances) or isolating the
character from his allies. Although the sections below refer to
“the character” for simplicity’s sake, almost all of these options
can be carried out against either one character or the characters
as a group, or against their associates.
of the Intrigue Pyramid “unlocks” the corresponding row of the
Intrigue Pyramid: (e.g., once the characters begin taking care of 2
or 3 antagonist actions from Level 3 of the Intrigue Pyramid, the
antagonist escalates up to the options on Row 4 of the Intrigue
Pyramid.)
The antagonist can always use an option on Row 1, regardless of
whichever rows have already been “unlocked.” Once an option is
used, cross it off: multiple attempts to frame a character (or
whatever) become boring.
Again, typically the next row up should not be unlocked until at
least 2 or 3 antagonist actions at the current level have been dealt
with or mostly completed by the characters. Note that some
actions, Double Agent can come from a plot such as, “Suborn a
Network Contact”. And Threaten Safety could come from a plot
like, “Rat the character out to the Authorities”. So consider the
pyramid overall themes, not exact detailed responses.

In personal plots that are born from a single characters’ background, the
antagonist will usually only operate against that one character – but not
always! Drag characters into each other’s plots!

110
ROW ONE: REFLEX
This represents the initial and almost reflexive reactions
of the antagonist. The antagonist may not even know if
the characters yet, or how much a threat they are, so they
will test and find out, or send minor threats in hopes the
problem just goes away as most small problems tend to.
Offer Payoff: Some seemingly unconnected part of the
conspiracy offers the character a handsome payoff to walk
away. This also provides the players with a clue to another
part of the conspiracy.
Frame Character: The conspiracy frames the character for
some crime, in whatever fashion seems believable.
Characters with amnesia or dark pasts are perfect for this.
Shadow Character: The conspiracy shadows the character,
attempting to discover his patterns, associates, safe
houses, resources, etc. This sets up a contest of
surveillance; the antagonist may not particularly care if
their surveillance is noticed. If they do care, using double-
blinds and dead drops keeps things on the down low.
Shadow Source: The conspiracy shadows a character’s
source of stability or network contact, almost always
obviously. This is an attempt to drive them into panic,
allowing the conspiracy to map the characters’ threat
routines. The fear might remove a contact, or make a safe
place unable to be used.
Contract Hit: The conspiracy sends a genuinely
unaffiliated attacker after the character: a contract killer,
the cops, a gang working on a malevolent tipoff, or some
other independent agent. The goal is to get the character
embroiled in a fight with some other force, allowing the
conspiracy to monitor their skills and attack a weakened
foe later. Characters’ investigative abilities may let them
track their attackers back to the conspiracy anyhow.
Probing Attack: The conspiracy’s street-level soldiers
ambush and attack the character. This probably won’t kill
the target, but will help the conspiracy assess the threat,
and possibly identify sources of weapons or special gear.
An antagonist agent may be tasked to observe the fight to
perform just such an assessment; the characters’ Sense
Trouble may make them aware of that observer.
111
ROW TWO: CONTAINMENT
Here the antagonist uses simple bully tactics to drive off
all but the most stalwart of threats to them. This is where
you really get to show off how well prepared and
observant the antagonist is. The older the organization,
the more established, the better and more effective this
level should be.
Kill Enemy: The conspiracy just goes ahead and kills an enemy of
the character. This might be intended to frame the character, to
stir up a vendetta, as a gruesome bribe, or just to create the
illusion of some third force at work. If the character already
strongly dislike an NPC, kill that one. (Even if he’s a conspirator,
the antagonist might consider him an acceptable sacrifice.) An
antagonist hit squad are reliably capable of killing just about any
enemy the characters might have, and might leave really
interesting forensic evidence behind to drive the investigation
forward.
Isolate Character: The conspiracy isolates a character, either by
ruining his reputation with his contacts, killing members of his
organization until he refuses to risk any others, or by driving
wedges between one character and the others. In a deep
machination game, the conspiracy might arrest or kidnap a
character, hold him for 24 hours, and then release him just to
make the other characters suspicious. A more subtle conspiracy
might just jam contacts’ cell phones, have the police deport them,
or otherwise drive the characters’ resources away. A skilled field
operative of the antagonist is usually the point man for such an
attempt; beating him restores the characters assets to previous
functionality.
Threaten Safety: The conspiracy threatens a character’s place of
safety, either overtly (with a raid or search) or subtly (by buying
the neighboring property, or suborning its caretaker). If the
conspiracy cannot realistically know any character’s place of
safety, they threaten the characters’ known hangouts or meeting
places. They may hint that their own organization contact who set
them up in it is unreliable, send in a black-bagger, or simply order
a SWAT team into it guns blazing.
Red Herring: The conspiracy plants a lead pointing to someone
else as the locus of the mystery: the Vatican, the CIA, a perfectly
innocent street gang. Make sure that the lead can point back to
the conspiracy after the characters have triggered the trap or
otherwise discovered their error. With deft roleplaying, the
characters may even get an ally or two out of the process.
Hard Feint: The conspiracy strikes at a character to provoke a
response — one coordinated to distract the characters from a
conspiracy operation elsewhere. Ideally, the response also gets
the characters in trouble with the local authorities or their own
organization, raising other drama for them.
ROW THREE: DEFLECTION
At this point the characters are a real problem for the
antagonist. And all of their most common and subtle
methods are just not getting the job done. But perhaps
still the characters are only a possible opportunity for the
antagonist. With the right bribe or red herring, they just
might take the teeth out of this tiger.
Offer Protection: The conspiracy offers the character a problem
removed, protection from his other enemies, or even from the
conspiracy its self. The conspiracy conveys this offer through a
trusted associate: an old handler, a family member, or fellow
organization member.
Double Agent: The conspiracy plants a double agent in the
character’s circle: possibly a previously created contact, a plant
“rescued” from some conspiracy brothel, or someone who
approaches the characters with meaty intel on the conspiracy’s
plans.
Bait And Switch: The conspiracy leaves a trail false of intel and
leaves the character holding the bag and overextended: a shipping
container that contains dead goats instead of sex trafficking
victims; a tempting contact who turns out to be a deluded
wannabe; a nonexistent Russian mafiyoso “Keyser Söze’d” into
existence by rumor and mesmerism. This might be intended to
make the characters doubt their best clues, their deductions, or
each other. It may be combined with an attempted ambush or
arrest. As with the red herring, the moment the characters realize
their error should also point them in a useful direction: the supplier
of the goats, or the wannabe’s “psychiatrist.
ROW FIVE: ENTRAPMENT
Last resorts. The character is too close, and they know
too much. They are either join the antagonist or have to
be destroyed – there are just no other options left. The
antagonist might even expose something of great value
they possess in order to give the character a truly hard
choice, because there are benefits to joining the
antagonist, real and powerful ones.
Lure Character: The conspiracy lures the characters to their
capture. At this stage of the game, this usually involves actually
exposing some important target — a legendary crypt, the true
vault, the alien craft — and loading it up with possibly even
supernatural puissance. Then the character is given “an offer they
cannot refuse”, and it should be a good one, one that makes the
player and character think “maybe I should take this offer…”
Hunt Character: The conspiracy hunts the characters down with
the intent of killing them. The conspiracy tries to time this for a
period when the characters are exposed, deep in unfamiliar
country, and under heavy threat. Then the antagonist unleashes
all they have based on all that they have learned about the
characters. If the characters survive the ambush, they have major
leverage and the campaign moves into its end game.
ROW SIX: DESTRUCTION
The antagonist decides this shit needs to end – now.

Haunt Character: The conspiracy puts the full court press on a
character. Every supernatural trick in the book gets unleashed in an
attempt to simply drive the character into retirement or insanity or
both. (This may be accompanied by rumors spread through the
characters’ contacts that they’ve gone around the bend.) A ghostly
asset is ideal for this assignment; something the characters can’t
simply shoot off their back.
ROW FOUR: EMBRACE
This is where the antagonist shows a few of their play
cards, they stretch their muscles. This level is gonna hurt
the character and remind them just what a massive threat
this antagonist is. Nobody gets out of this level
unscathed. Here is where blood is spilled and vengeance
is sworn.
Kill Character: As the characters prepare their final assault on the
antagonist (be that a court case, gunfight, or social character
assassination or whatever), the conspiracy gets inside their
decision loop and strikes first with all the might they can muster.
(i.e. If the characters plan to hit the ceremony on Halloween, a
thug firebombs their ammo stockpile at noon on October 29 and
the antagonist attacks that night.) Reach to the utmost in planning
the preemptive assault of a competent and prepared antagonist.
Make the players feel like they’ve earned that hit on Halloween,
either by driving off every single assault on their preparations, by
keeping letter-perfect tradecraft and operational security (lots of
contests of surveillance and infiltration), or by weathering the
worst the antagonist can throw at them.

Offer Milestone: The conspiracy offers to fulfill one character’s

personal Milestones, resolve their story arc, or otherwise take
them off the board happy and well-rewarded. Refusal might lead
to deliberate attack on their Milestone; or refusal might still lead
to rewards only to then to mess with the characters’ teammates.

Double Cross: If the conspiracy has a double agent from Row

Three, the traitor leads the characters into an ambush or lets a
major target get away. If the characters are down on funds, the
conspiracy hires them to do a false-flagged job and then reveals
who they’ve been suckered into working for again.

Kill /Ally: The conspiracy kills an ally or loved one right front of
him. Using a pack of uniformed dead-end thugs sends exactly
the right message of horror and helplessness.

112

World of Darkness is nothing if not macabre tales and
sorrowful partings. While a storyteller will have to use intrigue
and character plots to create emotions of love and loss, hate
and envy and more. These are the rules by which they can
break a character’s resolve and drive them mad. You don’t
have to use them, but if you do, they can convey a real sense
of dread and ominous terror to a location or story. There are
two ways, compatible to use together, but not mutually
required – that the storyteller can bring elements of horror or
simple dread to a story. Fear and Madness are the tools by
which both the players and storyteller will gauge how dark the
world is, and how much the characters have fallen from their
typical sane and stable selves. Many things can bring fear and
madness to a character, not just what it listed below, but these
are good tools by which everyone can have an understanding
as to just how fucked up this story is getting.
Fear
While a character is generally able to fend off the effects of
terror or fright with a good strong set of Wits and Resolve,
there are supernatural powers that can break even the
hardiest of people.
FEARMONGERS
The worst of the abominations of the World of Darkness are
the “Fearmongers,” powerful creatures radiating a palpable
aura of fear in an area. Defeating one of these suckers comes
with a lot of rewards, but first you need to know a little more
about just what a fearmonger is and isn’t. Fearmongers are
not common, and they’re not easy to defeat. It’s the most
unnatural thing in an area. An ancient vampire, lich, or other
powerful monster is commonly a fearmonger as well.
Sometimes a fearmonger is a group committing horrors
instead of a single monster. A pack of cultists terrorizing an
area might be the fearmonger instead of a single powerful
individual. Of course, if they’re led by an ancient vampire,
they’re just its minions, and the vampire is the fearmonger.
The threat has to be one that locals fear and dread more than
anything else in the area, and even then, the threat must
break a certain threshold. If the locals are scared to death of
pink flowers, they’re just wacky (unless we’re talking about
carnivorous flowers slowly growing towards their town, and
then they’re just really observant wackos). Finally, don’t
expect every chronicle to even have a fearmonger. If you’re
fighting mutants or an outlaw biker gang, they’re probably
just typical antagonists. They might be plenty dangerous and
even scary, but they’re not horrific.
The point is that a fearmonger must be very powerful,
supernatural, and horrific. Lesser threats certainly
contribute to the overall Fear Level, but defeating the local
bully just isn’t a big enough deal to lower an entire Fear
Level. Even fending off Arch Magos Throckmorton’s goons is
inspiring, but doing so can’t cause a Fear Level to drop
because you’re not fighting against that kind of fear. Still,
such tasks are a great way to get warmed up for tougher
foes. In any event, your storyteller determines what a
Fearmonger is and what’s not, so you don’t really have to
worry about it. We just wanted you to have some idea what’s
worth getting killed over and what you should probably run
screaming from.
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SPREADING FEAR
Supernatural Fear is done by area, and by level. Looking
at this from the Fearmonger’s perspective they have to
get a number of narrative accomplishments based on the
size of area they want to instill Fear in. This is a sustained
effort, and does not include rolls. They either completed
the task they needed to increase the Fear Level in the area
or they wasted of time and effort or exposed themselves
and their plot.
Successful Tasks Size of Area
1 Bedroom
5 City Block
15 Small Town
25 Full City
Generating successes is done by enacting scenes of terror
and fright upon the inhabitants of that location. Attacks,
robberies, murders, mutilations, maniacal ranting
scrawled on walls, dark rituals, and so on. Each action
generally takes a full scene to complete, and only should
be done once every 24 hours or so.
Once the number of successful tasks has been garnered,
the Fearmonger now increases the Fear Level in that
area by 1. Levels range from 1 to 5 and can be raised only
by supernatural rituals each taking at least a full scene or
several hours to perform, some taking days or months.
This is done somewhat unique to each Fearmonger but in
general it follows along the lines of one of the following
examples:
 Sacrifices to a dark entity
 Black Magic rituals to warp minds and perceptions
 Empowerment of negative emotion/concepts in area
 Summoning a supernatural beast
 Murdering a local pillar of the community
 Destroying or Desecrating holy or peaceful places
REDUCING FEAR LEVELS
There are two main ways to reduce the Fear Level in an
area. Firstly is defeating or destroying the Fearmonger.
Not all Fearmongers must be destroyed to be defeated,
some merely need their plans foiled to the point they
cannot recover (maybe they had an auspicious night to
sacrifice a specific child and you prevented the events of
that night, thus until a new night comes and special child
are born, the fearmonger must leave). Defeat, or
Destruction causes the Fear Level in the area to drop by 1.
The second way is that each Fearmonger has a Sigil. What
this Sigil is must be determined by the Storyteller. It may
be an item, a person, a song, etc. It must be a specific
singular thing. Once this Sigil is either ‘purified’ or
destroyed then the Fear Level in the area is dropped by 1.
Any remaining Fear Levels are left in that location forever.
FEAR LEVELS
In general it will be listed in the Fearmonger’s powers
what level they may raise the Fear to. But as a common
theme the following are examples of each Fear level: note
that each Fear level stacks its effects upon all the previous
ones...

Level Effect
1 Shadows seem darker, rocks seem sharper, and trees have
claws for branches. The victim jumps at anything that might
look odd or dark. This might give away their hiding place, or
they might start to spout gibberish about something they
saw reminding them of some nightmare.
2 Inhabitants are moodier, more prone to violence. Things
that would normally evoke a negative emotion or a fearful
one are acted upon by the victim with unusual reckless
abandon.
3 There is a pervading dread about the location, you are never
quite able to settle down and feel comfortable or relax. The
victim cannot stay put for longer than a few moments before
pacing and leaving for a supposedly better location (often
illogical).
4 All victims are prone to sudden panic from reflections,
shadows, or predator animals. They may attack recklessly or
flee with no thought to caution or where they are going. The
victim is good and unsettled, they see danger in all things,
smashing creepy plants, attacking stray dogs or shattering
mirrors that seem to reflect only the Fearmongers face in
their own. With no hesitation things may spark the victim to
strike out.
5 All victims see everyone else as the enemy, and will stop at
nothing to kill them in desperate hopes of ending the Horror.
There are slim chances a loved one or friend or family
member can talk them out of their homicide - but not likely,
suicides are also quite common, and always grizzly in how
they are carried out. The victims now actively seek out a way
to end the nightmare. They attack anyone how does not
earnestly follow their flawed logic thinking of them as an
agent of the Fearmonger, they may not be able to cope with
situation, or it may have been going on for days and they
become hopeless, thinking the only way to end it all is to
sacrifice themselves in the most horrific way.

Effects of Fear Levels

Anyone not a Fearmonger must make a Wits + Resolve
roll upon first entering the area, they are at a -1 die
penalty equal to the Fear Level. And they must make
another check each new scene they encounter the
Fearmonger or its agents within the area. The number of
successes determines the victim’s state of panic:

Successes Actions
5+ Nerves of steel and chalk full of grit the victim is
unaffected by the Fear.
3-4 The victim is shaken, but otherwise acts as normal, they
are at a -1 die penalty to all actions.
1-2 The victim keeps their wits about them, but they are
rattled. They are at a -2 die penalty to all actions.
0 The victim acts out the Effect of the Fear Level in their
own manner, if they are able to find a place that is calm
and full of light and clean they might work their bravery
up enough to try and go back outside (and thus roll again)
Botch The victim is hopelessly broken and is unmanageable for
a number of hours equal to the number of botch die.
They act out the worst parts of the Effects of the Level
during this time. After this period ends, they may
attempt to roll again by suppressing the horror and
knowledge of what broke them: for example, burning
books or clues, stopping rituals (be they to make the Fear
less or worse), or killing someone who also knows the
truth.

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Madness
War, abuse, hardship, loss, encounters with the unknown,
or any other strong personal experience can scar feelings.
What we believe to be the immutable laws of time and
space are valid only locally, and only partly are true.
Beyond our ken are infinities where greater realities hold
sway. To emphasize certain aspects of fear and the
unknown, Madness is used to show what a character has
gone through and how well they have taken all that
trauma. Characters can gain madness through in game
trauma. This Madness may be temporary or it may be
permanent. See the Flaw: Madness for more details.
EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE MADNESS
See a stream flow with blood
Find mangled human corpse
Awake trapped in a coffin
Witness a friend’s violent death
See a monster
Meet someone you know to be dead
Undergo severe torture
See a corpse rise from its grave
See gigantic severed inhuman head fall from sky
When a character encounters a situation similar to one of
those above, they make a Wits + Resolve roll needing a
number of successes chosen by the Storyteller based on
the situation at hand (typically 2 to 5). If they succeed
that roll then all is well and they are just a little shaken
from the experience. If they fail that roll then they gain a
Temporary Madness - roll 1d10 +1 for each 1 rolled. (i.e.
if you got two 1’s on your failed roll, then rolled a 7 for
Temporary Madness, add +2 (one for each 1) resulting in
9 on the chart below).
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Madness Effect Table
1 Uneasy: The character stares for a moment at the
scene and loses his next Action Card.
2 Queasy: The victim stares in horror at the scene, loses
his next Action Card, and subtracts –2 from
any rolls made the rest of the round.
3 The Willies: The character staggers back and stares in
horror, missing his turn for the round. His
actions are at –2 until he succeeds a
Willpower check, which he may attempt as an
action.
4 The Heebie-Jeebies: The character turns white as a sheet and loses
his entire turn. All actions are at –2 for the
next few days.
5 Weak in the Knees: At grotesque scenes, he loses his lunch and
staggers away. At terrible scenes, he puts his
tail between his legs and gets the hell out of
there. In either case, he is completely
ineffectual until the scene is over. He remains
at –2 for the remainder of the next few days.
6 Dead Faint: The Character makes a Stamina roll, if she
fails she faints away until she recovers. She
must make a Resolve roll immediately
needing at least 1 success. If she fails, she
loses 1 dot of Willpower permanently as she
slowly recovers from the shock.
7 Minor Phobia: The character goes Weak in the Knees as
above and gains a permanent
Flaw:Madness(Minor Phobia) associated with
the current event or environment. She suffers
a –2 penalty to any actions when the stimulus
of her fear is present.
8 Major Disorder: The character suffers “Weak in the Knees”
and gains a major Disorder. This is the same
as a permanent Flaw:Madness(Minor Phobia)
except the penalty when the feared item,
environment, or thing is present, the penalty
is doubled.
9 Corporeal The character gains a permanent
Alteration: Flaw:Madness(Minor Phobia) and suffers a
physical defect of some kind, such as a streak
of white hair, his voice box contracts and he
can only speak in whispers, etc.
10 The “Shakes”: The character gets a permanent
Flaw:Madness(Major Phobia) and must make
a Wits + Resolve roll or reduce Dexterity by
one dot permanently. If the roll is made,
Dexterity is reduced only for the next 1d10
days.
11 Heart Attack: The poor sap’s heart skips a beat. He must
make a Resolve + Stamina roll. If successful,
he gains a permanent Flaw:Madness(Major
Disorder). If failed, his Stamina is
permanently reduced by one dot, If botched,
he has a heart attack and dies unless
someone else can get him to a doctor in less
than one hour.
12+ Corporeal Aging: The character suffers “Heart Attack” as above
and ages 1 year.
CURING THE INSANE
In World of Darkness there are two ways to cure
characters of the Flaw: Madness. The first is more
dramatic and tends to flow well in dark stories where the
madness is brought on by the supernatural – this is
Traumatic Catharsis. Then there are stories that may call
upon more realistic and long term cures that speak to
realistically dealing with trauma and mental illness. These
are called Traditional Cures. Of course, there is no
guarantee of cure, but there can be a path to some degree
of recovery.
Traumatic Catharsis
This is the movie scene coping mechanism of the insane
where the only way for them to find peace and stability
again is to destroy, hide or encrypt all that which made
them go mad in the first place. For each item they destroy
that contains truth or reveals a mystery they relates to
(typically) the supernatural event or creature that made
them go mad – they gain 1 Recovery point. Every time
they encrypt or encode or otherwise obfuscate the truth
of what drove them to madness, they gain 1 Recovery
point. Every time they attack someone and forcibly
prevent them from learning a truth about what made
them go mad, they gain 1 Recovery point. Every time they
take a crucial item that led to the truth of their madness
and what caused it and they hide it in a meaningful and
dramatic location, they gain 1 Recovery point.
Once they reach 10 Recovery points they feel that their
madness has been destroyed, hidden, beaten down, and
forgotten. They no longer suffer their madness unless
they are once again confronted with what made them
mad in the first place. In which case they make a Wits +
Resolve roll. If they succeed the roll, they have overcome
this Madness and it is gone forever. If they fail - it comes
roaring back and they much gain Recovery points all over
again….
Traditional Cures
This is just a suggested list of things that you can use to
cure the insane or inspire you to think up other paths back
towards sanity in your setting. They are narrative and
have no set rules for when or if they cure the madness.
But if you want a simple rule, consider giving the
character 1 Recovery point each month they continuously
partake in the traditional cure. Once they reach 10
months they are no longer dependent on the cure for
their sanity and no longer suffer the Madness – unless
what made them go mad confront them again…
Medications
Paraldehyde: a cyclic ether, introduced in 1882 as a
hypnotic. It is an effective treatment for alcohol
withdrawal symptoms, anxiety, and insomnia. It is
metabolized in the lungs, and has an offensive taste and
ubiquitous odor.
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Barbiturates: introduced in 1903 as a sedative. Hypnotic
drugs of first choice until the 1960s, when
benzodiazipines were introduced. Barbiturates have a
high potential for abuse. Used for anxiety, insomnia, and
apprehension. Overdoses are frequently fatal.
Intoxication symptoms include confusion, drowsiness,
irritability, hyporeflexia, ataxia, and nystagmus.
Reserpine: historically, the first antipsychotic drug. It is a
constituent of the shrub rauwolfia, which is native to
India, Africa, and South America, and used in folk
medicines for centuries. It was used in the 1920s, but the
paper describing its effectiveness in treating mania and
hypertension was written in 1931.
Antipsychotics: a variety of drugs used for the treatment
of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Drugs
include chlorpromazine, thioridazine, haloperidal, and
newer or specialized ones such as risperidone and clozap-
ine. These drugs are also called neuroleptics, and they can
have motor abnormality side effects such as restlessness
and erratic body movements. They take a few weeks to
begin to reverse the psychosis, but any sedational effects
are dose-dependent from the beginning. Stopping the
drug in a chronic psychotic condition results in the patient
re-entering the psychotic state.
Antidepressants: used to treat depressive symptoms,
usually in major depressive episodes. These include Elavil
and other tricyclic drugs, Parnate and other monoamine
oxidase inhibitors, and Prozac and other selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors. It often takes a month or
six weeks to begin to treat a major depressive episode. If
the drug is stopped before the episode is over (six months
to a year), the patient re-experiences the symptoms.
Mood Stabilizers: used in bipolar disorders, especially in
manic phases, these drugs acts as an umbrella to prevent
the moods of a person with this illness from swinging too
high or low. The classic drug is lithium, followed by
various anticonvulsants such as carbamazapine, valproic
acid, and gabapentin. Lithium can be very toxic, and if
taken as an overdose (or if a per-son becomes
dehydrated, etc.), the person can enter into seizures and
coma.
Anxiolytics: sedatives used to treat anxiety symptoms.
The first ones used were barbiturates such as
secobarbital, but they were highly addictive. They were
abandoned for benzodiazipes (Valium, etc.), which are
addictive as well, but to a lesser degree, and without so
many side effects. These drugs are often sold as street
drugs, under many names (“Red Devils” is a street term
for secobarbital).
Many Others: for movement disorders, beta-blockers,
anticholinergics; for dementia, Aracept; for eating
disorders, mood stabilizers and antidepressants; for
opioid addiction, methadone weaning; and so forth.
Treatments
Acupuncture: an ancient Chinese treatment, acupuncture
is the stimulation of specific points of the body with a
twisting needle. The stimulation is associated with
specific points which relieve certain symptoms and are
identified with certain organs. Chinese doctors have
sworn this treatment is effective for a variety of dis-
orders, and modern psychiatrists say it may have some
effect in treating some depression and substance
dependence (e.g., nicotine, caffeine, cocaine, heroin).
Insulin Coma Therapy: introduced in 1933. It was thought
that some schizophrenics who went into a coma
appeared to have decreased symptoms. Insulin was used
to induce a coma lasting 15-60 minutes. The risk of death
or cognitive impairment was high. The treatment was
abandoned in the 1950s, with the introduction of
antipsychotic medication.
Carbon Dioxide Therapy: introduced in 1929. Patients
inhaled car-bon dioxide, resulting in abreaction (verbal
discharge of emotion) with severe motor excitement after
removing the breathing mask. The treatment was used
for neurotic patients. It was always considered a dubious
treatment, and was soon abandoned.
Continuous Sleep Treatment: a symptomatic method of
treatment in which the patient is sedated with a variety
of drugs in order to induce twenty hours of sleep a day,
sometimes for as long as three weeks in severely agitated
patients. Klaesi introduced the name in 1922 and used
barbiturates to obtain deep narcosis. The treatment is no
longer used.
Hypnosis: originated by Mesmer (1734-1815). The term
hypnosis originated with Baird, in the 1840s. In the late
19th century the French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot
studied it further. Sigmund Freud, who studied with
Charcot, used hypnosis early in his career to help patients
recover repressed memories. He noted that patients
relive traumatic events while under hypnosis, a process
known as abreaction. Freud later replaced hypnosis with
the technique of free association.
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Electroconvulsive Therapy: seizure inducements have
been used to treat psychosis since the 16th century.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was introduced in 1934,
first with injections of camphor to produce seizures, and
then with electrically induced seizures in 1938.
Alternating currents of electricity are passed through the
patient’s head between two electrodes that are placed
over the temples. This causes unconsciousness and
seizures. Though ECT produced good results, it also
produced such violent seizures as to routinely fracture
patients’ bones! With the advent of anaesthesia and
paralysis drugs in the modern era, patients avoid this
problem. In the United States, ECT treats depressive
disorders, manic episodes, and other serious disorders in
50,000 to 100,000 patients annually. The main side effect
is that patients suffer from short-term memory loss, and
often they entirely lose the memories of the hours or days
connected with ECT.
Light Therapy (Phototherapy): used to treat mood
symptoms coinciding with seasonal changes. A bright
artificial light bathes the patient every day as long as the
symptoms last. Response occurs in a few days, the only
side effects being occasional headaches, eye strain, or
nervousness.
Psychosurgery: surgical modification of the brain,
including lobotomies and cingulotomies. This extreme
procedure was widespread in the 1940s and 1950s, then
nearly abandoned when antipsychotic drugs were
introduced. It is resorted to now only when all else fails.
Treatments by Time Period
1936: Frontal lobotomies (Moniz).
1938: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) begun (Cerletti and Bini).
1940: Phenytoin introduced as an anticonvulsant (Putnam).
1943: Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) synthesized (Hofmann).
1949: Lithium introduced as mood stabilizer.
1952: Chlorpromazine introduced as antipsychotic.
1955-1958: Tricyclics and monoamine oxidase inhibitors introduced as
anti-depressants.
1960: Chlordiazepoxide introduced (minor tranquilizers, benzo-
diazipines).
1960-present: Introduction of newer and target anxiolytics,
antipsychotics, antidepressants, light therapy, and a plethora of other
therapies.
Today: New drugs constantly are being moved through the R&D,
testing, and approval process. These new therapies are big business.