Post by Triple 7 on Mar 23, 2019 9:48:00 GMT -8
PHYSIOLOGY
Some of the things about a Character's physiology aren't exactly covered in V20. This will help narrow down some of the conflicting ideologies so that everyone is on the same page for this specific Chronicle. We try our best to remain as close to V20 as things were intended, but at the end of the day not everything was covered. This section will only cover what is allowable for Player Creation. Most things can be found in the various title for the V20 line; but these will cover judgments that aren't particularly spelled out well enough for me as a Storyteller.
GENERAL
- Blood Bonds: To establish a bond at any level, there must be at least 1BP gifted to the Thrall from the Ragnant. While the quantity of that blood point will never be established, it will always be obvious to the Thrall that they're drinking blood unless mechanically camouflaged in some manner.
These will follow the rules listed on Pg. 286-288, V20 with one notable exception; seeing the Ragnant does not reinforce the Blood Bond, only blood does. That is to mean that when it comes to breaking the Blood Bond, seeing the Ragnant does not strengthen the bond. If you do not ingest the Ragnant's blood within 12 minus Willpower in months, the bond will be reduced by one level. Players should inform the Storyteller if this applies to your Character. We keep accurate notes on your character sheet on when the last drink was ingested for this reason. Once a character reaches a 3 Step Blood Bond, all other bonds they had will be destroyed and they cannot gain lesser bonds until that 3 Step bond is reduced or removed.
You only need to spend 1WP (total) to initiate the resisting Blood Bond Willpower rolls. - The Embrace: Guidance for this action can be found on Pg. 9, V20. The blood of the intended Childe must be fully removed (doesn't matter how) from their blood pool. 1BP must be returned after their heart stops beating. An awakening roll is not required, Not awakening is subject to the Storyteller and meant for dramatic purposes effecting a non-Player Character (NPC) only. There is no risk to degeneration for the Embrace by the Sire. Frenzy rolls for hunger will only take effect if the Vampire is purposefully prevented from reaching satisfied (more blood points than seven minus Self-Control/Instinct). If they are prevented this, they risk hunger found on Pg. 366, V20.
Being embraced will not remove a Blood Bond, but could potentially add a bond to the Sire due to the 1BP ingested at the time of the embrace.
- Social in Frenzy: Due to the unique circumstances that Frenzy provides, we take the passage on Pg. 298, V20 to mean that Dementation, Dominate, Presence, and some aspects of Thaumaturgy are all at a +2 Difficulty to effect someone in Frenzy. While we considered including Chimerstry and Obfuscate in this debate, it ultimately came down to mentally control of a frenzied character doesn't mean just effecting what they perceive. It means to force a character to do something other than what they want to do. Chimerstry and Obfuscate will not be affected by the +2 Difficulty.
- Conviction: Pg. 314, V20 defines; "Creatures who can sense the Beast (vampires, werewolves, etc.) immediately recognize someone with the Conviction Virtue for what he truly is: a monster." We will also narrow this down further and say that anyone with Awareness can recognize them as well.
- Feeding on Mortals, Ghouls, and Revenants: When feeding on mortals, the mortal will remove from their Blood Pool (BP) in the tracker. You may remove 3BP's without causing damage. When you take more than 3BP's it starts to inflict 1HL of Lethal Damage per blood point removed which can be soaked by ghouls normally. Ghouls can heal this damage by spending their Vitae Blood Pool (VBP) toward healing. Mortals have to go by the Mortal Lethal Healing Times found on Pg. 286, V20. Ghouls default to this if they don't have VBP to spend on healing or choose not to use those blood points for healing purposes. When feeding from ghouls, it depletes both their normal VBP and their BP as the vitae is consumed first.
Mortals and ghouls both regain 1BP per 24 hours after rest. To alleviate continuity issues that have come up in the past, you may only feed on a mortal, ghoul, or revenant (you can always feed on vampires) if you are currently in only one scene (not to include free-from-time scenes). Sometimes scenes last longer than one real world day and the consequences of blood loss need to be maintained.
This only applies to Player Character (PC) ran ghouls and mortals, not Retainers. They have their own mechanics that are similar found in House Rules > Retainers. - Vitae: Unless mystically preserved; Vitae removed from the Kindred will last only so long as the next sunrise. Sunlight burns off and destroys Vitae, but even if kept from the rays of the sun the Vitae will fade into inert blood by the next sunrise (losing its active properties, but not its sympathetic connection to the owner). In other words, you have only until the next sunrise to use the damnation within the Vitae.
The Thaumaturgical Ritual: Sanguineous Phial will preserve the properties of Vitae, but the Thaumaturgical Ritual: Principle Focus of Vitae Infusion will not (because you're transmuting the Vitae into an object and altering its properties). It will become inert blood within the object. Because it still retains its sympathetic link to the owner, things like Path of Blood 1 or the Merit: Connoisseur will still function as written. - Blood: Mortal blood is alive, until it isn't. When blood leaves the body it starts to coagulate immediately. Processed blood from a donor (blood banks, hospital supplies, artificially synthesized blood platelets) involves anticoagulants that preserve the blood and keeps it from turning into slush (unusable). It isn't as nourishing as fresh blood and mechanically it serves for half of what it could directly from the source. This prevents others from storing blood in standard bottles without chemical additives ruining the flavor.
- Poisons: We will follow modified mechanics listed on Pg. 301-302, V20 for generic poisons and ignore the limited mechanics listed on Pg. 65, HH2. I have zero interest in going through examples of real world harmful chemicals and associated a Lethal damage rating of 1-10 for them. With that in mind, the modified mechanics will be any Kindred ingesting a harmful poison will automatically receive 1-3 Lethal Health Levels in damage based on the number of blood points ingested at a 1:1 ratio per turn. Mortals will receive similar damage based on the method of delivery, which will be covered under Equipment.
MORTALS
- Rising Again: Should a mortal be Embraced in the course of the story, they do not receive the benefits of the rule found on Pg. 500, V20. In addition, they lose any Backgrounds, Numina, or Merits and Flaws that are associated with their conceptual design. Some things are removed immediately like Numina, you lose it the moment you're embraced. Others are pending per the story. Most Merits and Flaws will be removed if they're specific to mortal creation like Fist of God, or Addicted to Vampire Blood.
- Taking the Drink: Similarly, if a Mortal becomes a Ghoul; they will lose access to any applicable Backgrounds, Numina, or Merits and Flaws that are associated with their conceptual design that doesn't fit as a servant of the damned. Some things are removed immediately like Numina, you lose it the moment you're embraced. Others are pending per the story. Most Merits and Flaws will be removed if they're specific to mortal creation like Fist of God.
- Dismemberment: When trying to dismember someone, the target modifiers found on Pg. 274, V20 apply (+1 or +2 Difficulty, +1 Damage). If the damage rolled exceeds 3 Successes, the target is dismembered as Mortals cannot soak Lethal Damage. In the case of removing someone's head in one action, you must succeed with 8 Successes or more to kill them.
GHOULS
- Creating a Servant: When turning a Mortal PC into a Ghoul PC, it happens on the first drink according to Pg. 7, G&R. Upon accepting the blood at the First Drink; they are able to use it to heal, increase their Physical Attributes, and prolong their mortal aging process.
- Disciplines: Found on Pg. 120, G&R; we subscribe to the Revised Discipline Limits for Ghouls and Retainers. Upon the Third Drink, they are automatically given Potence 1 and afforded the option to be taught a second in-Clan Discipline (for free) of their Domitor's choosing (pending a DTA submission from both teacher and student). If a Mortal becomes a Ghoul without a Domitor, they must find their own teacher (but the Discipline dot is still free of XP cost). Celerity and Fortitude come instinctively to a Ghoul and are able to be learned without a teacher.
- Taking Damage: As normal with Mortals, Aggravated Damage will be considered Lethal. Because of their association with Kindred, Ghouls will be able to soak Lethal Damage. While able to soak Bashing like normal Mortals, they do not halve the Damage because of their unholy union with the damned. Ghouls over the total age of 200 may soak Bashing damage like Vampires, halving the results and rounding down (Pg.42, G&R).
- Weaknesses: Ghouls carry the Flaws of their Clan according to the book Ghouls & Revenants. Each of them can be found listed under the various Domitor's Clans in the book. This happens the moment of the Third Drink is consumed.
- Embraced Yesterday: We subscribe to the rule found on Pg. 500, V20. When embraced, your Ghoul will be given enough Attributes, Abilities, and Discipline dots to bring them up to 15, 27, and 3 dots respectively.
- Remain A Ghoul: Found on Pg. 40, G&R; Ghouls only need to be fed once a month to maintain their condition. We also take this to mean that the Vitae within them dissolves at 1BP a month to maintain their condition. This does not apply to Retainers, only a Player's Ghoul.
- Paths of Enlightenment: Character's on a Path of Enlightenment that use Instinct who lose access to their Beast when no longer imbibing Vitae will immediately revert to Humanity 1 with the Virtues of Conscience 1 and Self-control 1 (if they survive withdrawal symptoms).
- Blood Versus Vitae: Starting Ghouls will have 2 Vitae Blood Point's (VBP's) as found on Pg. 140, G&R. For every two-hundred years they serve, they will gain an additional VBP to add to their maximum, up to a total of 4VBP's at four-hundred years or more of service. This needs to be augmented by their normal blood to equal out to ten total blood points (BP) between their BP's and VBP's. As normal, mortals will regain BP's at 1BP per day. NOTE: Ghouls are not the same as Retainers, which use different mechanics. When talking about Ghouls here, we are discussing a Player's Character.
- Overfeeding: This is an overdose. Looking at the rules on Pg. 43, G&R; any time your character received more Vitae than the maximum they're allowed to have in their system, you will roll Stamina, Difficulty 8. Success allows you to retain that blood and use it like normal. NOTE: It also gives you +1 Dexterity, +2 Difficulty toward Frenzy checks, and each new scene while the blood is in your system will need a Perception + Self-Control, Difficulty 6 roll in order to not hallucinate. Failure causes you to take as many dice in Lethal Damage as BP's you ingested and you cannot spend blood until you vomit up the excess blood in your stomach. A Botch will cause the failure results, as well as vomiting up 3VBP's from your pool in addition to the extra blood you ingested.
- Dismemberment: When trying to dismember someone, the target modifiers found on Pg. 274, V20 apply. (+1 or +2 Difficulty, +1 Damage) If the damage rolled exceeds 3 Successes after the victim rolls for soak, the target is dismembered. In the case of removing someone's head, you must succeed with 8 Successes or more after soaking to kill them.
- Regeneration: Ghouls may ty to regenerate lost limbs at the time of dismemberment (with the exception of the head, obviously). They may try to regenerate lost body parts with a successful Willpower, Difficulty 8 roll. The cost for this varies from 1 blood point for a finger to 3 blood points for a limb. If the roll fails or they don't have the prerequisite blood cost, it cannot be reattempted and the body part is lost.
REVENANTS
- Disciplines: According to Pg. 120-121, G&R; Revenants only have access to the first level of a Discipline naturally. As it says "Your ghoul or revenant must drink enough blood from an appropriate character over the course of many nights", we take this to mean that they will get themselves bound to a Vampire for the benefit of increasing their Disciplines. Doing this makes them Ghouls, and brings forward all the benefits and limitations that come with it. Choose wisely if this is the course you would like to go with your Revenant.
- Vitae Rate of Return: Vitae will regenerate at 1BP per 24 hours for the Revenant.
- Regeneration: Revenants may ty to regenerate lost limbs at the time of dismemberment (with the exception of the head, obviously). They may try to regenerate lost body parts with a successful Willpower, Difficulty 8 roll. The cost for this varies from 1 blood point for a finger to 3 blood points for a limb. If the roll fails or they don't have the prerequisite blood cost, it cannot be reattempted and the body part is lost.
VAMPIRES
- Bleeding: Kindred do not bleed, or rather; their hearts do not pump blood and thus there isn't blood pressure to push the blood out naturally. If a Kindred is stabbed, there will be blood on the weapon. If they are gruesomely hit or violently ripped open; blood spatter will be evidently cast wherever the momentum will carry it in the environment. It will not be even 1 blood points worth, but enough to stain clothing or leave evidence behind.
- Cutting Your Hair: Kindred can cut their hair for the evening. Upon awakening the next day, your hair will return to how it looked upon your death and Embrace.
- Skin or Hair Samples: Kindred do not shed these particles. As their bodies are dead, they do not grow new hair or new skin cells.
- Finger Prints: Kindred do not leave finger prints naturally. Without a body that naturally produces oils and grease, they will not leave finger prints naturally. However, they will leave them from typical grease, oil, ink, etc. unless they regularly wash their hands to prevent this. Please assume that unless your character has a Derangement tailored toward cleanliness, you will likely leave behind second hand finger prints from the environment your character encounters nightly.
- Eating Food: If you eat food in a scene without the Merit: Eat Food (1pt.) you will immediately vomit up the contents you just consumed. Willpower may not be spent to prolong this action, only the Merit will allow you to hold down food until a later time when even then you have to vomit the contents of your stomach and purge the food.
- Appearing Mortal: Mechanics for this are found on Pg. 269, V20 (you must spend a number of blood points equal to 8 minus Humanity to appear mortal). Without the Merit: Blush of Health (2pt.), you will have all the symptoms of being a dead corpse. Even then the Merit only covers retaining the color of a living mortal and your skin feels only slightly cool to the touch. It does not cover the physiological behaviors of breathing, blinking, sweating, etc. This is covered by the Merit: Master of the Masquerade. Trying to pose as a dead corpse will require a Manipulation + Performance, Difficulty 7 roll to keep from flinching or revealing that you're an animated corpse. The alternative of course is voluntary Torpor to prevent yourself from moving inappropriately when the morgue begins the autopsy or something similar. NOTE: Only Kindred on Humanity may spend blood to appear mortal.
For Kindred choosing not to spend the blood to appear Mortal; others may roll Perception + Alertness, Difficulty 7 while needing 3 Successes to determine the physical characteristics not being maintained by the target. You'll need the Merit: Kindred Lore to know for certain what you assess is related to Vampires. Additionally, if someone is examining a Kindred body (physically touching it, testing it, closely scrutinizing it during a medical examination) you may use Perception + Medicine, Difficulty 7 and similarly need 3 Successes to determine wait you a clinically examining is abnormal. - Disease: When coming into contact with disease (ingesting or mystically transferring tainted blood), the Player will roll Stamina + Fortitude, Difficulty 8 as listed similarly upon Pg. 181, BJD. Failure means they have contracted the disease (and gained the Flaw: Disease Carrier) while a Botch means they also vomit up 3BP's worth of vitae.
- Final Death: Upon reaching this stage, your Kindred will age to the appropriate level of decay for natural death up to and including disintegration. Anything over a couple hundred years total existence will cause the body to crumble to ash. Anything less will be what is appropriate to the narrative for that age; which will likely be either a decaying corpse or a pile of crumbling bones. Note: Regardless of age, the body will crumble to ash if exposed to fire or sunlight.
- Torpor: In order to awaken someone from Torpor due to wounds prior to the table found on Pg. 283, V20; you use Path of Blood 2 to force the one in Torpor to spend blood on healing to bring them higher than Incapacitated. Blood Bonds will effect the one sleeping like normal for a blood loss Torpor. Those in Torpor due to blood loss may awaken normally per the rules found on Pg. 283, V20. Voluntary Torpor can be awakened normally using similar rules to awakening someone from Torpor due to wounds. Note: Just because your character is in Torpor, does not mean they are considered to be "removed from the story." Other characters may effect their Torpor, for better or worse.
- Hunger: Pg. 366, V20 discusses the potential for Kindred to be hungry. We will use this formula of 7 minus Self-Control in blood points to determine if a Kindred is hungry. When they are, hunting will force a Self-Control, Difficulty 6 for tasting blood. As usual, 5 Successes will be needed to overcome the Beast. You will be released from Frenzy once you have satisfied this hunger (blood pool above 7 minus Self-Control).
Characters with zero blood points in their blood pools begin to lose health levels (in Bashing damage) each time the rules call for them to spend blood. Pg. 283, V20. (Pg. 283, V20). When tasting blood (hunting or feeding), they will automatically frenzy due to a player may never roll more dice for a Self-Control or Instinct roll than the character has blood pool (Pg. 268, V20). - Deterioration: Vampires that suffer this kind of torture will develop a Derangement, reflecting the permanent mental damage as discussed on Pg. 293, V20.
- Frenzy Motives: While a Character is in Frenzy; they resort to the most basic of instinct as to why the Frenzy occurred in the first place. Typically, this is regarded as fight or flight, but also encompasses hunger. Additionally; you are restricted to the three basic physical Disciplines. It discusses on Pg. 299, V20 the performance of actions and how the Storyteller has the right to deem actions inappropriate (activating mental Disciplines, invoking a Thaumaturgy action, etc.) to Frenzy and it costing a Willpower point to perform. We will be utilizing this and restricting "appropriate actions" to Celerity, Fortitude, and Potence as they relate to the Beast. Anything else will cost a Willpower point to activate and will be considered on a case by case basis.
- Removing the Heart: Surgically (or otherwise more grotesque methods of) removing the heart will cause loss of all Vitae from the Vampire. The heart is the seat of Vitae for the Vampire. Removing the heart removes access to their blood pool. Because of this, they are placed in Torpor due to blood loss and cannot be awakened under normal circumstances found on Pg. 283, V20 until their heart is surgically implanted where it functionally belongs. Once done, they must be fed 1BP to awaken regardless of Morality rating. If using Medicine; the roll will be Dexterity + Medicine, Difficulty 7 with 7 Successes required. Each roll takes an hour to perform and anything less than 3 Successes per roll causes 1 Lethal point of unsoakable damage to be delivered to the "patient". We will use the same rolls to implant the heart successfully.
- The Vaulderie: Pg. 289-290, V20 discusses the Vaulderie eroding Blood Bonds and lists details on how this happens. It also mentions "On the other hand, a vampire attempting to replace Vinculi with a new blood bond is in for a disappointment — unless her blood is powerfully potent, Vinculi may not be so easily erased. Unlike normal blood bonds, Vinculi do not fade over time". We take this to mean that there are two ways a Vinculi are removed; everyone you share a connection to meeting Final Death, or a Vampire three Generations or less from you feeding you 1BP to establish the bond again.
- Dismemberment: When trying to dismember someone, the target modifiers found on Pg. 274, V20 apply. (+1 or +2 Difficulty, +1 Damage) If the damage rolled exceeds 3 Successes after the victim rolls for soak, the target is dismembered. In the case of removing someone's head, you must succeed with 9 Successes or more after soaking in a single action to kill them. (8HL's place them in Torpor, 9HL's puts them at Final Death) This falls under the massive trauma remarks found on Pg. 285, V20 and the house rules for combat.
- Fangs: Should your fangs ever be removed or broken; it will cause one unsoakable Aggravated health level similar to the effects found on Pg. 156, HH2 and suffer the Flaw: Dulled Bite found on Pg. 481, V20. Trying to initiate a Bite or a Kiss is at +1 Difficulty and -1 Damage.
- Rötschreck: In the event of a Failure, the Vampire will immediately flee the area in fear of being burned to Final Death. They will only stop once they are sufficiently far enough away from the threat. They will stop at nothing in their path and if another individual tries to stop them it will result in combat. In the event of a Botch, you must tag "Storyteller" to determine the fate of your Character.