NWoD Combined: The Accord Addendum for UNIVERSAL

Effective Date: 2/2/14Last Updated: 1/1/14

This addendum is organized into the following sections:

1. The Golden Rules2. Approvals3. General Approval Levels and Storyteller Information4. Character Creation and Experience Points5. Player Characters6. Storyteller Characters7. System Clarifications8. System Changes9. Merits10. Additional General Books11. Appropriate Knowledge and Specializations12. Building a Hunter, Mortal or Lesser Template13. Auras

Text in red indicates new or changed items in the last major revision.Text in blue indicates new or changed items since the last major revision.All Accord information can be found on the Accord Website: https://sites.google.com/site/mesaccord/

This addendum provides the rules for the Mind's Eye Society’s (MES) live-action New World of Darkness Accord chronicle and provides a level playing-field throughout the organization. Storytellers are not permitted to change or ignore approval requirements or take more than reasonable leeway to bend the rules to develop stories. Rules from this supplement and sanctioned White Wolf books must be particularly strictly observed when character death is a likely possibility. This addendum does not apply to the live-action Old World of Darkness chronicle or to the MES nWoD focused venues.

Some materials are © copyright 2013 and trademarked by CCP hf. All rights reserved. Errata for published materials are treated separately from the materials they reference. If published material is sanctioned in whole or in part or if is not sanctioned has no bearing on the sanctioning of the commensurate errata.

1. The Golden Rules

1. The World of Darkness is a setting which deals with adult topics including, but not limited to, death, abduction, abuse and insanity. It is the responsibility of the player to notify the presiding ST if they become uncomfortable with any of the themes present in the game at any point.

2. If you know that something is not the intent of the MES’s interpretation of the books, departs drastically from common sense, or is otherwise wrong but appears to be technically possible due to vague wording or legal loophole, don’t do it. Don’t be that kind of player

3. The World of Darkness utilizes extremely disturbing themes. While characters can and do commit awful acts, this is never an excuse to traumatize a player. It is the responsibility of all storytellers and players to ask if the players of PCs targeted for inclusion in traumatic acts (e.g., sexual violence, human sacrifice, etc.) are comfortable participating, and to offer options such as “fade to black” or alternate scene otherwise.

4. If a rule in a book contradicts a rule in this addendum, this document takes precedence.

1

5. The Accord venue is a Combined nWoD cross-venue game that focuses on the world-shattering consequences of when reality is under siege. It is a separate continuity from all other MES venues.

6. The ultimate authority on rules and story lies with the aNST Accord and the US NST.a. All items marked “Reserved for NST” or “Not Sanctioned” may be used by the NST

office.b. All places outside the authority of an Accord VST, DST, or RST are under the

authority of the ANST Accord, including locations outside the bounds of a VSS outside the United States/MES.

c. For details on the Accord, status in the organization, and other benefits, see the Accord Player’s Guide and the Accord Politics and Cell Guide.

d. For details on The Truth and it’s minions, see the Accord Guide to the Reality Quotient, Corruption, and Mutation and the Accord Player’s Guide.

e. For details on Reality Quotient, see the Accord Guide to the Reality Quotient, Corruption, and Mutation.

f. The Accord venue uses its own versions of the Addendums from the NWOD focused genres, including the Universal Addendum which can be found here.

7. The VST has the final authority on any rules call, character sheet, or special item not mentioned.8. VSTs may remove a PC from their VSS at their discretion. A PC that is not attached to a VSS is not allowed to

be portrayed in the Accord chronicle until it has been accepted into a VSS. New PCs may play for a month with verbal approval from their VST.

9. If a major rules issue arises during a scene, VSTs have final authority to adjudicate all questions on power interactions and usage. VSTs are encouraged to bring such issues to the attention of the aNST Accord so that errata may be added to the appropriate Addendum if necessary.

10. Deviation from published rules must be noted as an Aberration in the VSS, which requires approval. See the Aberration section of the Accord Combined Addendum for more details.

11. Due to the expansive nature of the sanctioned ruleset, ST rules calls will be handled slightly differently in the Accord Venue.

a. As usual, a VST has the authority to rewind a scene to a previous point in time to redo something that has been shown to have been done incorrectly as long as this is done during the scene in question.

b. If a VST makes a rules call that is clearly and quickly provably wrong, but the VST persists in that ruling, the scene may be frozen while that ruling is appealed to the next higher ST.

c. If the criteria of clearly and quickly provably wrong is not met, the scene will continue with the ruling as it stands.

d. To have a scene rewritten after the fact by the RST requires more than showing that an incorrect rules call was made, even in the cases of PC death. The following criteria must be met for a scene rewrite to be considered after the fact:

i. The scene would not have been possible if the rules call was made correctly OR the outcome of the scene would not have been possible if the rules call had been made correctly.

e. The onus of providing correct rules information is on the player who has those mechanics on their PC. They are responsible for knowing how it works, what the draw pool is, where to find the item in a book, providing access to those mechanics to any ST or player upon request, and being familiar with any Addendum changes made to it.

f. A player who provides incorrect information to any ST or player may be subject to disciplinary action. In the case of an honest mistake, this will often be a Letter of Counseling or reduced XP award for the session. In the case of repeated offenses or a severe incident, more action may be taken. In all cases, the player should receive mentoring to learn how to avoid repeating the issue.

g. Any player using a power or ability must reveal what it is and any effects modifying it to any other player or storyteller who asks.

2. Approvals2

1. How Approvals Worka. All character sheets are Low Approval for creation and updating. Anything from

sanctioned material that can be applied to a character sheet is Low Approval unless otherwise specified in this document.

b. All approvals must have comments from each storyteller in the approval chain. If an approval reaches a level without a comment from a previous storyteller, it should be moved back to said level if the previous storyteller does not provide a comment within two weeks.

c. Consolidated Approvalsi. The Accord Venue does not use Consolidated Approvals.

2. Notificationsa. Notifications require an acknowledgement from certain Storytellers and are usually

used for tracking purposes. They don't require standard approval, although they must be added to the MES's approvals database (where available) as usual. Any additional information requested by a Storyteller in a comment on the notification must be supplied.

b. Items requiring Notifications enter play when the required Approval level has been satisfied.

c. Storytellers reserve the right to examine notification items and determine if they are appropriate for their game.

3. Universal Approval Lexicona. Character Class: Groups or classifications that are optional to join (e.g. orders or

covenants).b. Character Type: The inherent (and usually unchangeable) classifications for

supernatural beings (e.g. clan), or classifications that become unchangeable once made (e.g. bloodline). c. Place of Power: A location where the power or presence of the supernatural is

especially strong in some way (e.g. Loci, Hallows, Wyrm's Nests, Demesne, Keyed Gateway to the Hedge, etc.).

d. Player Character: a character portrayed by a player.e. Power Stat: The measure of a supernatural creature's inner strength and affinity. In

Requiem this is Blood Potency, in Forsaken it is Primal Urge, in Awakening it is Gnosis,and in Lost it is Wyrd, etc.

f. Story: While a Chapter is a single game session, a Story is considered a month of time.

g. Storyteller Character (NPC): A character created by a Storyteller as part of his venue storyline

h. Temporary: A period of time in which the listed item exists and has an effect lasting no longer than 1 plot/story.

i. Venue: A World of Darkness game based around a type of supernatural (e.g. Forsaken).

j. Malleable: This term indicates the rule has changed in this addendum cycle and the change is sufficient that the item may be refunded at Low Approval. This change must occur within one month of the effective date of the addendum.

4. Universal Approval Clarificationsa. Weaknesses and Dramatic Failures

i. Some character types or classes described in White Wolf material have a weakness or flaw that relies on the "dramatic failure" system. In live play these characters treat automatic failures (i.e. drawing an Ace) as a dramatic failure when that is relevant to their weakness or flaw. This is an exception to Mind's Eye Theatre not using dramatic failures.

ii. If Dramatic Failures are listed as in use through an Aberration on the VSS, use the book rules instead of the method listed above.

b. Probabilityi. Several combinations of effects deny a character the 10-again rule but allow for the 8-again or 9-

again. In the instance of a 9-again, but no 10-again, the effects cancel and treat the draw with the standard 10-again rules. In the instance of an 8-again but no 10-again, treat it as a 9-again.

3

ii. The best permutation that can be achieved through any means is 8-again. There is no such thing as 7-again (or better).

c. Power Statsi. Storytellers are encouraged to require extensive waiting periods (e.g. 6 months) between buying

each dot of a power stat, but this is not mandatory.5. Grandfathering

a. If something was listed as a specific approval level in previous rules document has increased in approval requirement here, it will NOT be "grandfathered". In order to keep the approval, the full process must be followed for the new approval level. This is to ensure fairness and consistency in the venue.

b. Items changed to Not Sanctioned are not grandfathered unless specifically stated otherwise.

6. Affiliates Without MES Approval Database Accessa. If a player is from an affiliate that does not use the approvals database they are

responsible for confirmation of items requiring special approval or notification when attending a game within the Mind’s Eye Society. The confirmation (written or electronic) must be from the highest approval Storyteller for each item. This is in addition to any other Venue Style Sheet requirements at the game being visited.

3. General Approval Levels and Storyteller Information

1. Low Approvala. Canon Materials: Antagonist storyteller character types that appear in specific books

for the venue.b. Canon Materials: Antagonist storyteller character types from venue-neutral books.c. Canon Materials: Antagonist storyteller characters that come from character-types

available for player characters in the venue. Some aspects of these characters may require higher approval, noted in the venue addenda (example: Some bloodlines).

d. Character: Sheet rewrite for a character that has been in play for less than 4 months. This may be done once per character. This rewrite may not change the fundamental aspects of the character, such as Clan or Seeming, but may be used as an in-character reason to leave a social group, such as Covenant or Order.

e. Character: Anything intended for your character type or class from core venue books and subgroup-specific books (e.g. it is Low Approval for a Guardian of the Veil to access mechanics from the Guardians of the Veil book), unless otherwise noted.

f. Character: Derangements and Flaws from any sanctioned material are Low Approval for all venues so long as they are appropriate for the character type.

g. Character: Virtue/Vice change of the player character.h. Character IC Knowledge: Occult specialization in "Spirits" or “Ghosts”.i. Storyteller Authority: Minor magical items, rituals and effects that are part of local

storylines do not require special approval. These must be temporary, can only have effects related to the plot they are created for, and be limited to the local venue.

j. Spirits: Rank 1-4.k. Storyteller Authority: Minor changes to a scene, e.g. reversing a mistaken rules call

within the session. High Notification is required if any participant is unhappy with the results.l. Character: Sheet rewrites to make a character game legal after an error has been

made. While Low Approval, an entry must be made and approved in the Approvals Database. (e.g. a rewrite to remove Creation Only merits purchased with MC or game XP).

m. Character: Purchase or manipulation of a city specific NPC, such as a mayor or chief of police.

n. Storyteller Authority: All places of power unless otherwise specified.o. Storyteller Authority: Use of local major NPCs, such as the mayor or chief of police.

4

2. High Approvala. Character Sheet: To infiltrate a different character type or class under an alternate

identity (e.g. it is High Approval for a member of the Mysterium to create a fake identity and infiltrate the Free Council).

b. Spirits: Rank 5.c. Storyteller Authority: Any other objects that would kill a character despite previously

perfect health (or fully paralyze them or deny opportunity to escape), or devices that would lead to immediate or inevitable death.

d. Storyteller Authority: Significant alteration or removal of scenes from continuity, particularly involving significant effects (e.g. Torpor, loss of limb).

e. Storyteller Authority: Use of state-based government agencies or officials.3. Top Approval

a. Canon Affecting: Usage of any unique magic items from source material.b. Canon Affecting: Use of any unique (“named”) or Canon NPC. When in doubt about if

an NPC can be used, ask up the ST chain.c. Canon Material: Access to non-supernatural items and mechanics from another

venue (e.g. it is Top Approval for a Daeva to possess the Storm Lord social Merit).d. Storyteller Tools: Access to Military personnel or hardware - for each instance or use.e. Storyteller Tools: Access to any kind of Storyteller "hit squad" (e.g. Moroi) called in by

a player character to affect another player characterf. Changes to continuity on Minds Eye Society Accord lists.g. IRC Based Venue Style Sheets are Top Approval, save for the National Online VSS.

One time IRC events are not changed in approval level.h. Character Background: Dark Points on the Map outside the United States and its

territories: Major historical presence. Being a major historical figure (e.g., Joan of Arc, Benito Mussolini, Christopher Marlowe, etc.), having significant interactions with a historical figure (e.g., being an advisor to Catherine the Great, Rommel's aide-de-camp, being a drinking buddy to Pancho Villa), or having significant effects upon events (e.g., the secret power behind Franco's Spain, a major figure in the Petrograd Soviet).

i. Character: Access to Merits based in Dark Places on the Map (e.g., a police Contact in Egypt, a Caribbean island Haven, Resources in a Swiss bank account, etc.).

j. Character Background: Interaction with major historical figures.k. Character Sheet: Rewrite for members who have played in the venue in excess of

four monthsl. Spirits: Rank 6+.m. Spirits, etc: Use of a true Deity or divine entity from any religion is Reserved for the

use of NST.n. Storyteller Authority: Use of a dead PC as an NPC ghost.o. Storyteller Authority: Use of Federal government agencies or officials.p. Storyteller Authority: Events of a sufficiently extreme or unusual nature that would

make the national news circuit and that have not been covered up: Top Notification. This includes things like mass murders, child abductions, possible hate crimes, successful bank robberies, and serial arson.

q. Storyteller Tools: Mobile places of power.r. Storyteller Tools: Places of power that grant XP benefits unless otherwise noted in

the venue addenda.s. Storylines: It is Top Approval for any character (PC or NPC) to engage in any activity

that causes or is any way linked to events that could be classified as: terrorism, bombings, mass murder, mass kidnappings, hijackings, WMD usage, mass destruction of property, mass sexual assault, or the destruction or theft of cultural treasures.

t. Time Travel.u. Any interaction with other dimensions.

4. Not Sanctioned

5

a. Canon Affecting: Significantly reshaping paradigm in one or more venues (e.g. wide scale destruction of the Masquerade).

b. Canon Affecting: Any plot where supernatural future telling powers indicate that there is a risk of paradigm being significantly reshaped, except where this is due to a published mechanic for giving false results.

c. Canon Materials: Any mechanic or system utilizing mundane Hypnotism is Not Sanctioned

d. Character: Resurrection of a dead character unless otherwise specified in the Addenda.

e. Character: PC Ghost of a dead PC.f. Custom Items: Any custom item of any sort which mimics a published item in a

current White Wolf product (sanctioned or unsanctioned).g. New Custom Mechanics: Unique custom materials are reserved for use of the US

NST office. Otherwise, see individual venue addenda.h. Canon Materials: Access to any item not typically allowed to the character,

specifically those found within books or material specific to another group (example: taking a merit or power found in a clan or covenant book that is not your own).

i. Portraying an actual Person from History: Reserved for use by the NSTs office.j. Being the cause of or having significant influence within an event of historical

significance: Not Sanctioned5. Supernatural Benefits inherent to a Character type of Class

a. Unless otherwise specified in this document or appendices, characters may never have access to supernatural mechanics or benefits inherent to another character type or class (e.g. only True Members of the Carthian Movement may learn supernatural powers from the Carthians book).

b. These rules are often superseded by venue-specific details in this document's Appendices for items and mechanics that are commonly shared.

6. Altered Levels of Approvala. Performing in-character actions affecting a large area requires approval of the

principal Storyteller with the lowest approval authority over that area (e.g. affecting New York City would require approval from the city's Domain Storyteller).

7. VSSsa. All VSSs are at least High Approval.b. VSSs with non-standard Aberrations are Top Approval. See the Aberration section of

the Accord Combined Addendum.c. Each Accord VSS in a Domain after the first is always Top Approval.d. All Accord VSSs must use the official Accord VSS Template which can be found

here.e. The RQ of each VSS must be reported every month via the RQ Tracker for that VSS.

VSTs can claim their RQ Tracker here.f. VSSs that don’t run monthly games, but which have PCs that are played in other

VSSs, are known as Orphan VSSs.i. Orphan VSSs do not need to calculate ARQ every month. Their ARQ is considered to be zero.ii. Whichever ST is in charge of an Orphan VSS (DST, VST, etc) must still keep the VSS RQ

Tracker up to date to track the RQ for every PC on the VSS.iii. The tracker does not need to be submitted monthly. It only needs to be submitted if the RQ of any

PC on the VSS changes in that month.iv. The tracker must be updated and submitted at least every six months.v. The RQ of an Orphan VSS is limited to 400.vi. The RQ of each PCs on an Orphan VSS is limited to 75.

g. VSSs sometimes go dormant. This means no games are played and PCs on the VSS are not played in any other game.

i. Dormant VSSs often do not have an ST assigned to them. In this case, they do not need to send their RQ to national on a monthly basis.

6

ii. The VSS must be marked as Dormant in the VSS RQ tracker.iii. Players who wish to play their PCs, or spend XP, must move to a non-dormant VSS first.

4. Character Creation and Experience Points

1. Primary Charactersa. Player characters are created according to sanctioned material.b. A player is allowed two characters only. These are both considered Primary PCs. c. These PCs may not be on the same VSS. d. A player may never portray a PC in a VSS where he has a different PC attached.e. Members with multiple characters must design and play them in such a way as to

never directly interact in any way, even through a secondary source. f. Primary characters add experience points (XP) based on the Membership Class

(MC) of their player.g. Players can voluntarily take fewer than the allocated starting dots and XP. This must

be recorded on the character sheet. These points are gone forever and are not available to be used later 2. Allowed Templates

a. Greater Templates: Changelings, Changing Breeds, Mages, Mummies, Possessed, Prometheans, Purified, Sin-Eaters, Vampires, Werewolves.

b. Lesser Templates: Dampyr, Fae-Touched, Ghouls, Hunters (Tier 3), Proximi, Psychics, Thaumaturges, Wolf-blooded

i. Lesser templates are built as Hunters from Vigil and have access to Hunter Professions, merits, and organizations unless otherwise restricted.

ii. Only Hunters without a template may be a member of a Tier 3 Conspiracy (this counts as a Lesser Template). Ghouls and Proximi may not be in Tier 2 Compacts.

c. It is Low Approval to have been a member of the Church of Ultimate Truth in a PC’s background. PCs may not have gone beyond the Sixth Ray, as that requires becoming a Servant.

d. PCs may not have ever been a Servant as outlined in the Accord Guide to the Reality Quotient, Corruption, and Mutation.

e. PCs may know someone who was obliterated in the Langley Massacre at Low Approval. Nobody and nothing survived the Massacre.

3. Membership Class Experience Pointsa. Primary Characters:

i. Add 20 XP per MC +30 XP at creation. The Accord venue does NOT use Milestones.1. Example: At MC 5 a Primary character receives 130 XP.b. These XP are added after normal character creation is complete, before entering play

(i.e. they cannot be spent on "creation only" merits).c. Up to ten XP can be left unspent and saved; other unspent XP is lost when the

character enters play. This includes XP from the XP floor.d. When a player gains new MC levels, all their Primary characters add 20 XP per level

gained.e. If a player loses MC levels, all their Primary characters lose XP equal to the worth of

the MC. This may cause characters to go into "XP debt" (they do not lose dots from their sheet), which must be paid off before anything else is bought for that character.

4. Experience Point Earninga. After entering play a character can earn a maximum of 14 XP per month.b. A maximum of 10 XP per game may be awarded.c. Storytellers can use the "After a Chapter" and "After a Story" systems described in

MET if this is noted in the game's Venue Style Sheet.d. A player's direct Storyteller can award up to 6 XP per month for activities not related

to a game.i. Example: bonuses for written downtimes, character journals, end-of-story bonuses, etc.

7

ii. The award for each downtime activity is typically 3 XP and no higher than 4 xp.iii. If a PC is not played at a game or in a proxy during a month, the limit is raised from 6 to 10.

e. Unless otherwise stipulated in the Addendum, no trait can be purchased if doing so would impose an XP debt. Regardless whether a given trait has been earned in play or approved at the requisite level, the character must earn the required XP prior to purchase.

f. A Primary Storyteller that reports on time may claim up to a game’s worth of XP (10) on one PC. Primary Storytellers are: NST, RST, and VST. A DST may be awarded this by the RST if they report on time and directly run an Accord VSS that does not have a VST.

i. A primary officer that has an assistant which manages the Accord venue for them may allow that assistant to claim up to a game’s worth of XP for a PC if they report on time. Only one such assistant may be given this award, and they must be responsible for the venue at their level. For DST or lower, all such awards must be tracked in the next month’s report.

g. Storytellers that are in charge of a VSS (VST, DST without a VST, etc) and thus in charge of submitting their RQ information to National may only take the above XP if they report their RQ for the month on time through their RQ tracker in addition to their usual VST report.

h. Character Creation Document: Found here. By completing this document, a player’s VST may award 10 XP to the PC for whom it was completed. These experience points are treated the same as Member Class granted Experience Points, with all the same limitations.

5. Event Experiencea. The system of “Overcap XP” is replaced with “Event XP.” Event Experience points

are awarded for special events that occur within the year. XP awarded for these events follow the standard game limits above, but have an additional award above and beyond the monthly cap.

i. Example: At a regional convention in June, the Primary ST awards the full XP per game session for Requiem (6 per session), which goes towards the June monthly XP cap. She also awards 5 Event XP for the convention, which is tracked separately from the monthly XP awards.

b. The yearly cap on Event XP is 28 per calendar year. Each Event XP award should be tracked separately from monthly totals in the character’s XP Log.

c. Events which can award Event XP are as follows, these events are worth Event XP, above and beyond the normal game XP awards.

i. Each region may host, with RST approval, twelve “Featured Games of the Month” per venue, per month. These events are typically hosted by a single domain. These events are worth 4 Event XP.

ii. Regionally hosted conventions run through the MES NCA office are worth 5 Event XP.iii. Nationally hosted conventions run through the MES NCA officer are worth 6 Event XP.iv. The US NST office may approve other Event XP awards separate from those

mentioned above, such as First Night games, special proxies, surveys, etc.d. Special Event XP Awards apply to all PCs portrayed at the event, even multiple PCs

by the same player.e. For previous Overcap awards from 2013, the above rules are backdated. For every

special Event attended, the characters receive the Event XP award in addition to the XP awarded for that game. This may result in an increase of earned XP, as players may not have reached full Overcap for these events at the time.

f. The primary Storyteller in charge of an event that provides Event XP may claim that Event XP on all of their appropriate PCs.

6. Experience Point Floora. At the beginning of each month, if a PC did not earn at least 7 XP the previous month

from attending games and submitting downtimes, their earned XP for the previous month is set to 7. If XP is backdated for that month, this is recalculated. New PCs start with 7 XP per month of chronicle, starting with June, 2013.

b. XP Removed from or denied a PC due to a Disciplinary Action is not replaced by the XP floor.

7. “Special XP”

8

a. The Accord venue does not make use of extra, genre specific types of XP (Arcane, Practical, Vitriol, etc). For supernatural types with extra types of XP, a VST may award a little extra on top of a game or downtime award if the player exhibits RP or learning that would lead to said XP normally. This XP is spent per normal and subject to the normal caps.

b. Prometheans may convert normal XP into Vitriol on a 1:1 basis with VST approval.c. No power or effect that grants XP is allowed.

5. Player Characters

1. Character Sanctioning and Recordsa. The player's direct Storyteller must approve all their characters for that particular

venue.i. In order to place an existing PC on a different VSS, you must have documented permission from

your old and new VSTs (both must agree) and a Low Approval in the database.ii. To place a new PC on a non-local VSS, you only need the approval of the VST of the VSS.

b. Any time there is a discrepancy between the player's copy and the copy on record, the Storyteller's copy is considered accurate.

c. A complete character record includes:i. Character sheetii. Verification of any special approvalsiii. Experience point log.

d. The experience point log must include:i. How starting dots were spent at creationii. How XP was spent afterwards.iii. A list of games attended and XP awards.iv. All XP awards and expenditures must be dated.

2. Retirementa. A player can choose to retire a character.b. Once retired, the character becomes an NPC under the control of the player's direct

Storyteller (or the temporary supervision of the supervising Storyteller of a particular game or convention).c. The character's activities are then limited to resolving unfinished business with other

player characters or story elements, unless both the player and the Storyteller have agreed the character can become a recurring NPC.

d. It is Top Approval for the player of a retired PC to portray them if they have been converted to an NPC.

e. See the Accord Guide to the Reality Quotient, Corruption, and Mutation for information on how PC Death affects the RQ and find the exact value in the Action RQ Worksheet.

f. When taking a Heroes’ Walk as detailed in the Accord Guide to the Reality Quotient, Corruption, and Mutation, the PC is retired. If the next PC brought into play by that player meets the following conditions, they may start with 10XP/month of chronicle instead of the usual 7XP/Month of chronicle.

i. The new PC has an RQ less than half of the retired PC’s RQ.ii. The old PC must have been portrayed in at least six games. Proxies do not count.iii. The player agrees not to change Templates (or acquire one if it doesn't have one) for at least six

months from the new PC’s creation. The VST may waive this condition if circumstances outside of the player’s control require it.

iv. The player agrees to keep the new PC’s RQ below one half the RQ of the old PC for six months. The VST may waive this condition if circumstances outside of the player’s control require it.

v. The player puts a Low Notification into the Database for the new PC which references the old PC.vi. The VSTs Approves it. The VST should deny this if the player attempted pre-death RQ pumping

to take advantage of this rule.

9

g. Resurrection: Methods that usually allow for bringing back a dead person (Child of Judas, Post-Mortem Embrace, Lazarus Benediction, etc.), do not work on Believers (see the Accord Player’s Guide) in the Accord venue as The Truth devours the soul. Sin-Eaters, Purified, Changelings with a Death Pact and other methods that prevent true death are an exception and are noted in the addenda.

h. Morality 0: All PCs who reach morality zero become NPCs immediately. They do not change demeanor or make any outward sign of this change. See the Accord Guide to the Reality Quotient, Corruption, and Mutation for more details.

3. Character Historya. Characters that do not conform to the limitations in this section will be removed

from play until they have been edited to come into line with these rules. If a player does not bring their character into conformance in a timely manner, the character will be permanently desanctioned.

b. The players of characters whose histories include being a noteworthy figure in mortal or supernatural affairs in an area, being tied into that area's published IC events/history, interacting with the area's local supernatural population (e.g. attending court meetings, gatherings, etc.), or who resided in an area for more than 100 years, must gain the approval of the presiding storyteller for that area. For histories that have an impact outside the USA, the US NST must be contacted for approval.

c. Players should create well-researched backgrounds with tie-ins with other player characters.

d. Player characters cannot genuinely have been real historical figures or fictional characters.

e. Any character concept that creates powerful emotional reactions and whose victims are still potentially alive in the real world cannot be portrayed. For example, Mongols, whose victims are long dead, may be portrayed. Nazis and terrorists, however, cannot.

i. Storytellers are strongly encouraged to deny any backgrounds that may lead to conflict with real world authorities or civic organizations.

ii. Any references to real world terrorist organizations in emails or other communications must include a clear disclaimer that the communication is a prop for entertainment.

f. Players must create backgrounds for their characters that conform with the sanctioned chronicle history of an area.

g. Players must not create backgrounds for their characters that are overtly offensive or abusive.

h. Players must not use names or likenesses from current or prior White Wolf works or other copyrighted fiction (White Wolf or non-White Wolf).

i. For time spent in DPoTM in background, use the GSL form here.4. Character Knowledge

a. Characters have access to in-character (IC) information applicable to their type. E.g. a Forsaken character would usually have access to casual knowledge from Werewolf: The Forsaken and from books or portions of books specific to her character type and class.

b. Common sense should be applied. Information stated in published material to be commonly known does not require a specialty. Information stated in published material to be particularly secret or rare may be unavailable even with a specialty.

5. Date of Birtha. If your template is not naturally long-lived (requiring a merit or power) this must be

purchased at creation for justifying extreme age.b. This table is for subjective lifetime. Time spent outside the timestream through trips to

Arcadia or the Time Arcana does not reduce the need for RQ increase.c. The minimum PC age is 18. PCs may not appear to be children, nor may they have

the mind of a child in an adult body.d. If your PC goes over the Old line during play, they must then recalculate their RQ as

normal. If they go over the Max Limit in play, that is allowed at Low Approval.

10

Template More than this requires you to select the “old” checkbox when calculating your RQ

Max Limit

Vampire 200 500

Ghoul 100 200

Purified 500 1000

Possessed (this host) 100 250

Lucifuge 200 300

Werewolves 80 150

Prometheans 80 150

Changing Breeds with Long Life 150 200

Changelings with Long of Days 100 150

Mages with Artificially extended lifespans 80 150

Others 60 100

6. Storyteller Characters

1. General NPC Informationa. Each NPC must be approved by a principal Storyteller.b. NPCs are created like player characters; they are subject to the same approval

limitations as PCs unless specifically noted otherwise. E.g., “High Approval (Low Approval for NPCs)”.c. Storyteller characters can be built with any XP value needed to support the story.

This XP may be modified during the life of the NPC with the approval of the Primary ST.d. NPCs may not be utilized either as the target of powers that would give PCs long

term or permanent benefit(s) nor as the source of such powers. This limitation may be waived on an individual, case-by-case basis with Top Approval. For example, the Oath of Blood Loyalty may not give disciplines to NPCs nor used for a PC to receive them from NPCs. It is not the intent of this section to prevent characters from using Possession, powers that enhance feeding, or such powers as Stalwart Servant, which are explicitly designed to apply to retainers. Lost pledges are an exception to this rule. Storytellers must remain vigilant to ensure Pledges confer a risk/burden as well as a reward, even when made with NPCs.

2. Spirits, Ghosts and Numinaa. Spirits and ghosts can spend a maximum number of Essence equal to their Rank per

turn. b. In cases where a Numina is found in a book separate from Book of Spirits (such as

the Forsaken or Mage Core books), the rules from the Book of Spirits are used.c. Spirits and ghosts may only used published numina for powers. They may not use,

gifts, rotes or custom powers of any kind. NPC Spirits of Rank 5 or greater are an exception to this rule.d. When PCs gain access to numina, sometimes the rules are based on the Power,

Finesse or Resistance of the user. Some templates provide rules on how to translate these powers for a specific character type. In cases where there are no translation rules, to determine the value to use, add the lowest two of the three attributes in that category.

i. For example, a numina that has a duration based on the Resistance of the user would use the sum of the lowest two of the user’s Resolve, Stamina and Composure.

e. Numina

11

i. Grant Influence Numina [Astral Realms]: This numina is not approved for play at this time.ii. Telekinesis: Damage done by this power is always Bashing.iii. Blast: The type of blast is chosen when purchased. This may be purchased multiple times for

different flavors of blast (fire, ice, boiling jello, etc). Be sure to use the Book of Spirits version of this power.

iv. Ensnare: The target is not grappled or immobilized, instead they receive a -2 to all physical actions and running speed is halved while ensnared. This power lasts for a number of turns equal to success drawn and does not stack with multiple applications, from any source.

v. Heal: Only Rank 3 spirits and PCs can heal Aggravated damage. All essence for this power must be spent in one turn.

vi. Morphic Form: Only spirits may use this numina, and only while in their natural state. Being combined with a physical form prevents this numina from working.

f. Ghostly Numinai. Dissembling Guise: If a character overcomes this power by succeeding on the draw or spending

a willpower, they are no longer affected by this power for the rest of the scene.g. Influences:

i. These allow for non-mechanical, flavor effects related to their realm of influence. ii. Mechanical benefits are limited to giving a bonus to draws appropriate to their realm of influence,

up to their Rank. iii. No other mechanical benefits are allowed when determined by PCs (such as familiars). NPC

influence may function as normal when directed by an ST.iv. For example: A spirit with Flesh influence could give someone trying to heal a torn muscle a

bonus to their Medicine draw, but could not heal the damage directly.v. For example: A spirit of electricity could cause lights to flicker on and off, but could not cause a

bolt of power to leap out of a socket to shock someone.

7. System Clarifications

1. General System Informationa. Testing for all venues is performed using systems presented in Mind's Eye Theatre,

except as follows. Dice pools equate to draw bonuses (with the exception of "multi-draws" detailed below). If a tabletop source book calls for a system permutation, use the live-action version (MET p181-184).

i. The official resolution system for the MES Chronicle is "8 div 3". After trait pools are calculated, a success is reached if your total of pool plus card draw is eight (8). Success iterations are determined at intervals of three after that (11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, etc.).

b. All Morality draws (including creature type versions such as Humanity, Harmony and Wisdom) use the "multi-draw" system of pulling multiple cards (MET p101-102). Bonuses or penalties add or remove draws.

c. There is conflicting text regarding the maximum number of characters that can attack a target at the same time. MET p26 is correct – four attackers maximum.

i. Allies acting on a character to “use up” the available attacker slots for that character so that enemies can not attack that character do not count towards this limit, and the players should be punished for such shenanigans.

ii. If a character takes damage from an effect started in a previous round (poison, being lit on fire), this takes up an attacker slot for that character.

1. If the character that caused the effect attacks the target again, the damage from the effect counts as part of the attacker’s damage cap instead of taking up an attacker slot.

d. There is conflicting text regarding Willpower being spent to bolster a draw. A Willpower point adds +2 to a Resistance Attribute during a resisted test or to Defense (when the Willpower user is not making a draw). When used to bolster the spender's draw, including a contested

12

resistance draw, it adds +3.e. Optional Rules from all books are not used in the sanctioned chronicle, unless

specifically noted in the genre Addendums. The following are exceptions from the base WoD book:i. Morality Derangements (pg. 103)ii. A Matter of Resolve (pg. 174).

2. Exceptional Success and Dramatic Failuresa. A VSS that elects to use the ES/DF Aberration uses the following rules to determine

the occurrence of ES/DF instead of the usual book rules.b. A Dramatic Failure check occurs when a player draws a natural one.

i. If they have a Penalized or Advanced action for this draw, they only check if the chosen card is a one.

ii. To check for Dramatic Failure, draw a single card. This draw may not be modified in any way. If the result is a 3 or less, a Dramatic Failure occurs.

c. An Exceptional Success check occurs when the following conditions are met:i. A player draws a natural ten and at least an eight on the -again draw.ii. If they have a Penalized or Advanced action for this draw, they only check if the card chosen is a

ten.iii. If they are not eligible for an -again draw on this action, make a special draw to find if they qualify

for an Exceptional Success, but do not add that draw to the ten.iv. The final success total is also 5 or more. If it is a contested action, subtract the defender’s

successes before making this determination.3. Social Tests: It is important to note that mundane Social tests are valid mechanics in the Chronicle and should

be treated as such. Please refer to the section on Social Skills in MET p84 for more details. It is recommended that STs and Narrators monitor the use of mundane Social tests and encourage players to make a reasonable effort to roleplay social encounters.

a. The default “Influence, Don’t Adjudicate” rule (MET p83) is in force. Mundane Social tests do not allow for a level of control over the target comparable to supernatural mental control (e.g., Dominance Gifts, Mind Arcanum, Dominate Discipline, etc.). Targets of mundane Social tests cannot be forced to participate in acts to which the character would be adamantly opposed, nor do Social tests – mundane or supernatural – constitute an exception to this rule.

4. Specializations: You cannot specialize in supernatural powers.5. Tracking: The rules for tracking on p 178-179 of Werewolf the Forsaken (WW30000) are sanctioned for all

characters.6. Attribute Damage

a. If a power deals damage to an Attribute, their effective trait total is diminished. i. For example, if a victim has a Strength of 5 and it is reduced to 2 through attribute damage, they

would not be able to use a weapon with a requirement of Strength 4.b. Derived traits such as Willpower and Health are not recalculated.c. Attribute damage heals naturally at the same rate as Bashing damage, unless

otherwise specified in the power inflicting it.d. For the purposes of supernatural healing (werewolf regeneration, healing contracts,

vitae, etc), treat each point of Attribute damage like it is a Lethal wound.7. Resistant Damage

a. Resistant damage heals in an amount of time it would take a mundane mortal to heal the damage in the normal world in objective time. It may not be sped up by any supernatural powers, including time-dilation or natural regeneration.

b. Medical treatment of Resistant damage may not downgrade more than one wound level per objective day in the real world.

c. Supernatural bonuses to the Medicine skill of the person treating someone with Resistant damage work as normal.

d. Vampires or other creatures who don’t heal naturally must wait the usual amount of time it would take for a normal person to heal the damage. After that point it is no longer considered Resistant and can be healed as normal.

13

e. For the purposes of Resistant Damage on a Vampire, Carthian Night Doctors may “treat” them like they are a normal person receiving medical care, and thus downgrade one level of damage per day.

f. Mundane merits can speed the healing of Resistant damage.8. One-Shot Kills: Any powers or mechanics that would incapacitate or completely paralyze a character with one

challenge are High Approval to use.a. Vampiric staking is an exception to this rule and is sanctioned as adjusted in the

Requiem Addendum.b. The grappling maneuver "immobilize" does not place a character in a killing blow

situation.9. Power Targeting

a. PCs that are supernatural creatures with a combined aspect do not count as valid targets of powers that affect just their supernatural part, unless otherwise stated. For example, a demon that is bonded to a human cannot be individually targeted as a demon.

b. A Purified does not count as a spirit while they inhabit their body, however as the book states, they do count as a spirit when they have left their body.

c. Effects that target “mortals” can be applied only to lesser templates and hunters unless otherwise noted in the addenda.

10. Effects that End Once the Target is Attacked:a. For powers or abilities that cause a penalty that ends once the target is attacked (i.e.

Insomnium 4), this attack can only come from a hostile source. Allies may not mock attack to end the effect, doing so only incurs the full draw of damage and the ability continues to function.

11. Mental Commands for Suicidea. Targets under the control of any kind of mental domination do not need to follow any

command to commit suicide.12. Contested Successes

a. In a contested challenge, the defender’s successes are always subtracted from the attacker’s to determine the final successes of the challenge as per MET p.170.

13. Traitsa. No trait may have a natural rating of more than 10 dots. This does not include

temporary modifiers or effects.b. No power or effect may bring a trait below zero dots. This does not apply to

modifiers.14. Exceeding Limits

a. No effect allows a character to exceed normal expenditure limits of vitae, essence, mana, pyros, glamour, willpower, etc unless otherwise stated in this addendum or a sanctioned White Wolf book.

15. Speeda. Unless directly specified, modifiers to speed only add to the Running Speed of a

character, not the Acting Speed.b. When multiple multipliers or “doubler” effects are in use, add them up and multiply

the character’s Running Speed by the result.16. Downtimes

a. “A Matter of Resolve” (MET p 174) is in effect; PCs have a number of downtime actions per downtime period equal to their unmodified Resolve+1.

b. A downtime period is one month, and refreshes on the first of the next month.c. Some powers and abilities might add to the total number of downtimes in a month,

please see venue specific addenda. No single power can give a PC more than one additional Downtime action per month.

d. Retainers and retainer-like merits (example: Familiars, Hedge Beast Companions, etc.) can be given tasks. These are limited to one task per Merit.

e. Powers or effects that reduce the time that tasks take do not grant extra Downtime actions.

14

f. When making draws for things during downtime, only powers or effects that have a duration of a month or more can be used to add to the draw. Thus no willpower or fuel-based stat-buffing may be added.

17. Supernatural Masqueradesa. Supernatural creatures with a Greater Template are all immune to the effects of a

supernatural’s defensive illusions (Disbelief, Lunacy, Disquiet, etc.)i. Effects that modify a lesser template’s resistance to these illusions (Indomitable, the natural

bonus of some lesser templates, etc) work in the most beneficial way possible. For Lunacy/Delirium and Disbelief they add to the Willpower charts, for Disquiet they add to resistance, and for Unraveling they subtract from the mortal’s resistance, etc.

b. The effects of the Changeling Masque can only be penetrated by Aura Perception/related powers (per Rites of Spring), the True Sight of Saint Abel, or being Ensorcelled.

c. The effects hiding a Promethean’s Disfigurements cannot be pierced unless the Promethean is using Pyros, healing from electricity, or someone is using the True Sight of Saint Abel.

18. Moralitya. No mechanic may grant dots of morality. Any which does instead provides some, but

not guaranteed, justification for the VST to allow re-buying of morality.19. Power Durations

a. Unless otherwise specified, powers may be ended before their full duration is completed by spending an instant action.

20. Other Realmsa. Only the established methods of entering another realm are used. Mechanics that

allow a normally non-native PC to enter a realm are sanctioned. Books that handle realms are the best sources for these powers (Book of Spirits, Book of the Dead, etc). Appropriate specialties are required to know how to enter these realms.

b. Power stats, powers, abilities, or ‘fuel types’ that are noted as having an effect in a separate realm (Wyrd effects in the Hedge or plasm in the Underworld) are the only ones which do so, unless otherwise noted in the books (Blood Potency cannot be used to shape the hedge, etc.)

c. Mage Arcadia and Lost Arcadia are, for all mechanical purposes, completely unrelated. PCs are welcome to speculate or believe differently in-character.

8. System Changes

1. Draw Mechanics: Any time the mechanic “1’s subtract from successes” is used, replace it with “A draw of 1 or 2 is considered an automatic failure.”

2. Durability: This cannot be applied to any PC or NPC, including animated creations (e.g., zombies). Replace each dot of Durability with two dots of Armor.

3. All-Out Attack: A character can opt to execute an all-out attack as part of a close-combat attack. If so, she gains a +2 bonus to her attack pool, but cannot benefit from her Defense for the turn. An all-out attack cannot be made in the same turn as Defense has been used against an attack.

4. Initiativea. If a player lower in the initiative order is attacked by one higher in the initiative order,

they may choose to move their action to immediately after their attacker’s. They return to the normal initiative in the next turn. VSTs should not allow fast PCs to use this mechanic to speed up their slower allies.

5. Grapple: Instead of the rule from MET pg. 218-219, use the following systems, modified from the God Machine Chronicle book.

a. To grab your opponent, roll Strength + Brawl – Defense. On a success, both of you are grappling. If you’ve got a length of rope, a chain, or a whip, you can add its weapon bonus to your pool when grappling. After a successful grab, the grapple is established, and the contested grapple challenges begin on the next turn.

15

i. If the defender has not acted yet this turn, on their initiative they may take an action approved by the VST as being possible to do while grappled, or initiate a grapple challenge as below that is not “Break Free.”. If the latter case, if the attacker wins the challenge, there is no effect save maintaining the grapple until the next turn, at the highest initiative, where the grapple actions resume as described.

b. When grappling, each party makes an Instant Contested Strength + Brawl versus Strength + Brawl action on the higher of the two characters’ Initiative. The winner picks a move from the list below:

i. Break Free from the grapple. You can move up to your Full Speed but do no other action.ii. Control Weapon/Item: You draw a weapon/item or gain control of an opponent’s weapon/item.iii. Damage: You deal damage equal to successes. If you previously succeeded at a Control

Weapon action, add the weapon bonus to your pool.1. Default damage is bashing. Damage is upgraded by type depending on weapon or

natural weapons involved.iv. Disarm: You remove a weapon from the grapple entirely. You must first have succeeded on a

Control Weapon move.v. Drop Prone: You throw both you and your opponent to the ground. You must Break Free before

rising.vi. Hold: You hold your opponent in place. Neither you nor your opponent can apply your Defense. vii. Restrain: If you have previously achieved a Hold, you can attempt to immobilize an opponent with

a piece of restraining equipment (zip cord, duct tape, handcuffs, etc). viii.Contested Move: Against a resisting opponent, you may move all actors in the grapple up to your

acting speed.ix. Uncontested Move: If the primary actor you are grappling is Restrained, unconscious, or takes no

Instant Action for the turn, you may move yourself and the primary actor you are grappling up to your full Running Speed, as modified by your strength carrying capacity (Mind’s Eye Theater, pg 50).

x. Concealment: You may use another’s body for concealment. If they resisted, this move provides partial concealment of -2 penalty to ranged attacks. If the target is Restrained, Unconscious, or does not take an Instant Action for the turn, this move provides substantial concealment at a -3 penalty to all ranged attacks.

c. A character may declare they are “defending only” before participating in the the grapple challenge. In this case, if they win the grapple challenge, there is no effect. They may then choose to take a different action, which is approved by their VST as being possible to do in a grapple, on their personal initiative.

d. If more than one person tries to grapple the same victim, count the attempt as a teamwork action. On the team side, both primary and secondary actors roll Strength + Brawl - Defense to engage. In the grapple, both primary and secondary actors roll Strength + Brawl in a contested action with their victim, with successes from the secondary actors added as a positive modifier to the primary actor’s draw pool. If the defender wins, any chosen moves only affect the primary actor.

e. A grapple may only involve up to two teams of four actors each. Players are encouraged to decide amongst themselves who the primary actors are and team composition. If this cannot be quickly decided, the presiding storyteller may determine team composition and primary actors. If fighting over a restrained or unconscious body, the restrained or unconscious body does not count as an actor in the challenge. To gain possession over the contested restrained or unconscious body, one team must succeed in a Control Weapon/Item move with the body counted as the item, and also succeed in a Break Free move to end the grapple.

6. Single Attack Limit and Loss of Action:a. If a power or effect would allow for multiple actions in the same turn, it instead makes

a single action into an Advanced Action (MET: 182).b. If a power or effect would cause the loss of an action, it instead causes the player

to draw again as if it was an Advanced Action, but to take the worst of the two draws instead of the best. This is known as a Penalized Action.

16

c. Multiple Advanced Action and Penalized Action effects do not stack; the most you will ever draw is two cards.

d. If an action is both Advanced and Penalized, no matter how many of each effect is applied to an action, they cancel out and one draw is done as normal.

7. Damage Limits (aka Damage Cap):a. The damage caused by a single attack is limited to 5.b. Supernatural enhancements to a Trait do not increase the Damage Cap.

i. The only exceptions are Garou and War-Forms for Forsaken/Pure and Changing Breeds add +2 to Damage Cap, not to exceed 7 points of damage.

c. Any attack which causes damage in a subsequent round counts toward the damaging PC’s damage cap for that round.

i. For example, A stabs B with a poisoned dagger, inflicting 4 lethal. The next round, B tests for the poison and takes 1 lethal from it. A also stabs B again, doing 5 lethal again. Because B already took damage from the poison, damage from A’s knife is reduced to 4 lethal.

8. Supernatural Weaknessesa. Any weapon which deals Aggravated Damage to a creature because of its

weaknesses to the element (fire for vampires, silver for werewolves, etc) is Low Approval unless otherwise specified in the venue addenda.

b. Rules for Fire and Silver based weapons can be found in Armory Reforged.i. Fire and Silver based ammunition (bullets, arrows, crossbow bolts) are Low Approval.

c. See the Accord Lost Addendum for rules on Cold/Hand Forged Iron.d. Creatures who have a supernatural weakness to a certain thing are only affected by

mundane, natural occurrences of that thing, except where noted in the text of the power.i. Powers specifically designed to take advantage of a weakness are an exception to this, such as

the Gift Silver Jaws.ii. For example, a Vampire would take lethal, not aggravated damage from sunlight generated by a

spirit with the Blast Numina.iii. For example, an iron bar conjured by a Mage with matter would not bypass a Lost’s contract-

based defenses.9. Direct Damage Adjustments

a. Powers that directly add or remove levels of damage on a successful attack may add or remove at most two levels of damage per attack.

10. Damage Immunitya. Powers that make a character immune to a certain type of damage instead

downgrade qualifying damage to the next damage type. Bashing damage downgraded is instead ignored, down to a minimum of one level.

11. Sacrificesa. Mechanics that require a permanent sacrifice of something may not be powered

by sacrificing a temporary version. For example, something that requires sacrificing a merit may not be powered by sacrificing a temporary merit granted from a changeling Pledge.

b. Damage taken to power effects (yours or other PCs’) may not be downgraded, mitigated or otherwise prevented unless specified in the power. Damage voluntarily taken to power someone else’s power is considered Resistant. VSTs should be vigilant to prevent abuse of this.

12. Remote Power Targetinga. Any use of a power across a barrier like the Gauntlet, from twilight to the normal

world, or even remotely from different locations in the real world, opens a temporary hole in reality which can only be used by the one targeted and allows them to use any appropriate offensive power or ability to target the power user until the end of the target’s next action.

b. Particularly subtle powers may, at VST Discretion, require the target to pass a perception draw to notice them. Sensory-only powers should almost always require a draw to be noticed.

13. Temporary Power Stat Increasesa. A character’s Power Stat (Blood Potency, Wyrd, etc) can never be raised by more

than two from its natural level.

17

14. Extended Actionsa. The total number of draws that can be made for any extended action is equal to the

Base Pool of the action.b. If a one is drawn in an Extended action, subtract 5 successes from the current

success total. If this brings the total to zero or less, the action fails.15. Power Range Limits

a. All powers end at the borders of the VSS the PC is currently in. b. Powers used in DPotM have a range defined by the overseeing ST for that DPoTM.c. Only powers that provide for direct VSS to VSS travel are not limited by this rule.

16. Cross-VSS travela. Any magic that allows direct travel from one VSS to another, such as teleportation, is

limited.b. All such powers take a minimum of one hour to prepare, before the resource

expenditure and challenge are made. This hour must be spent dedicated to preparing the power, no other activities can be done.

c. No permanent cross-VSS pathways are sanctioned.d. The VSTs of both source and target destinations must approve the transit before it

happens.17. Poisons and Toxins

a. No poison or toxin inflicts its damage all at once. A minimum of one turn passes before a toxin begins to take effect.

b. Damage is inflicted at the rate of no faster than one per turn, minute or hour, depending on substance.

c. A resistance draw is made each time damage would be imposed until a number of tests equal to the poison's toxicity have been made.

d. Multiple applications of a toxin adds virulence to the total number of draws made; they do not mean multiple draws at a time.

e. Non-supernatural poisons with higher than Toxicity 5 are not sanctioned for PC use.f. STs should limit the doses of poison one PC fcarries, based on the rarity and danger

of carrying it on one’s person.g. Note the section above on number of attackers when doing damage over time.

18. Weapons and Equipmenta. Rules for weapons and armor are found solely in MES’ Armory Reforged document.

Weapons must conform to these basic rules, whatever the IC representation of the weapon is.i. Approval Levels in Reforged: Approval levels listed in Reforged are all lowered to Low

Approval. However, special care, training, and time needs to be spent to get these higher quality items, especially melee based Armor Piercing. As noted in the guide, magical or high quality items are more easily created with these enhancements. It takes PCs trained in Craft downtime actions to make these items.

ii. Armor Piercing: Rules for Armor Piercing can be found in Armory Reforged. The only values that can be achieved with mundane crafts is Armor Piercing 2 and Armor Piercing 4. Spells and other supernatural abilities may increase this, subject to individual venue rules.

b. A VSS may elect to use an Aberration to allow individual PCs to use the Armory Aberration Guide.

c. A character can benefit from only one type of protective equipment that provides armor, whether mundane or supernatural (e.g. Kevlar Vest or Hedgespun Riot Gear). All other supernatural effects that provide armor (e.g. Unseen Aegis) stack with this equipment (though equipment is not required).

d. All power specific limitations on the stacking of armor are removed. (e.g. Flesh of Iron may combine with protective equipment).

i. The exception to this is Mage Armors, of which only one is applicable at a time for Armor per MET Awakening. They still stack with mundane and other supernatural armors as above, though.

18

ii. Penalties from multiple armors or armor effects stack, to maximum Initiative and Speed penalties of -5 to each.

1. Published Armors that list a Defense penalty have that changed to Initiative penalty instead.

iii. Bulletproof armor does not downgrade crossbow bolt, arrow, or thrown weapon damage to bashing.

e. Armor is modified in Accord. For an effect that adds armor in the form of X/Y, use the higher of the two values all the time.

f. Using a called shot to circumvent Armor on a target is always at least a -5 penalty to the draw.

g. Attacks from non-firearms projectile weapons do not deny the target their Defense.h. Blessed/Holy Items: These are now defined as a Merit (see the Magic Items section

of the Accord Combined Addendum).i. Mundane, unrestricted equipment not defined in a particular book is Low Approval

as long as it represents real-world technology. The VST has final authority on the bonus provided. This equipment may not be used to remove non-numerical penalties, such as replacing a lost eye or limb. VSTs should feel free to limit cutting-edge technology to tech-based supernaturals as it makes no sense for heavily occult-based characters to use it.

19. Proxy Playa. "Proxy" refers to sending your character sheet to a Storyteller other than your own, to

portray a character without your physical presence.b. 48 hours must be given to the Storyteller supervising the scene, unless they give an

exception. c. Permission must be explicitly given by the VST for the area you are proxying to

before the proxy is considered to be accepted.d. You must notify the VST for the VSS your PC is on whenever you proxy.e. Full character sheet, XP log with creation spending, and all Approval numbers must

be provided.f. Also include a brief description of intentions, motivations, personality and reactions to

possible situations.g. When proxying, a player grants the Storyteller all rights to the character for the

duration of the proxy.h. Storytellers may modify proxy rules further in their Venue Style Sheets.i. Storytellers must keep players informed of proxy progress, providing updates at least

on a weekly basis, and must portray proxied characters to the best of their ability and in keeping with the player's proxy instructions.

j. For live game proxies, the proxying PC must have the permission of their VST, the hosting VST, and a player who has a PC on the hosting VSS.

i. Each player may only have one PC proxied to them at a time. They are responsible for managing the proxied character sheet, under the direction of the VST.

ii. If a proxying player cannot find a local player to run their sheet, they may not proxy to the game.20. Modifier Categories

a. A pool to take an action is separated into the 'base pool' and the 'modifiers'. Anything that increases or decreases the base pool is considered a modifier.

i. Positive modifiers are applied first and cannot result in a pool higher than base pool plus 15ii. Negative modifiers are applied second and may only reduce the pool by at most 15 points.

1. A target’s Resistance or Defense pools are not considered negative modifiers, more on these below.

iii. No pool may go below zero at any time.iv. When equipment is added to the base pool, only the unmodified bonus is added to the base.

Special equipment (enhanced items, hedgespun, etc.) bonuses beyond the base equipment bonus are considered a modifier to the base pool.

19

1. Example: Joe Changeling has a +5 hedgespun sword. The unmodified +3 is part of the base pool. The extra +2 from the hedgespun is considered a modifier.

b. A 'base pool' is the unmodified Attribute + Skill + Equipment, or the relevant pool listed in the power description. Examples:

i. A 'base pool' for fighting with an axe is unmodified Strength + Weaponry + Axe.ii. A 'base pool' for Dominate 1: Command is unmodified Intelligence + Intimidation + Dominate.

c. Specializations that apply to a draw are always considered modifiers.d. For a Resisted action, consider the unmodified resisting Attribute as its own base

pool.i. Calculate the offence pool including all modifiers and limits.ii. Calculate the resisting pool including all modifiers and limits.iii. Subtract the final resisting pool from the final offence pool as usual.iv. Draw.

e. Defense is slightly different than normal Resisted actions: the base pool is unmodified Attribute + unmodified Armor.

i. Equipment that adds to defense includes pole-arms and shields. These add their bonus as modifiers.

ii. The bonus from Dodging (doubling the unmodified Attribute or adding of a skill via a Dodge merit) is considered a modifier. Doubling or Tripling Defense acts on the unmodified Defense score.

iii. Supernatural abilities that add to Dodge (Seeming or Kith bonuses, for example) are considered modifiers.

iv. For magical armor or armor that has been given a bonus, the amount added to the base pool is equal to the armor score of the mundane version of that armor.

1. For example, Betty has a magical Leather Jacket with 6 armor. It only contributes 1 to her base pool for Defense, with the rest being modifier.

v. Armor Piercing is considered a negative modifier to the Armor component of the Defense pool only (Armor Piercing in excess of the Armor rating provides no further benefit).

vi. Cover is considered a negative modifier to the Attack pool.f. Initiative is considered a pool whose base is comprised of the unmodified Dexterity +

unmodified Composure.i. Fighting Styles or other merits that add to Initiative are considered modifiers.

g. Contested Resistances are considered a pool whose base is comprised of the unmodified Resistance Attribute + unmodified Power Stat.

h. Mundane equipment used in play may provide up to a +5 bonus to non-combat test pools (see MET p193).

i. Mundane equipment may not provide bonuses to supernatural challenges.j. Any power that “halves” a target’s pool (such as halving Defense via Darkness 5 in

Lost), is still subject to the negative modifier limit of -15.k. Mechanics that completely remove or ignore a target’s defense do not affect

contributions from Armor.l. Running speed is not limited.m. Base Health is unmodified size + unmodified stamina. Health is limited to Base + 15.

Health from shapechanging is considered part of the +15 modifier limit, not the base.n. Additions to Size are limited to +10 of the PC’s natural Size.

21. Effect Limitsa. Multiple uses of the same effect, even if from different PCs, do not stack unless

otherwise specified. Use the best version.i. Multiple copies of the same effect that just adds a modifier to a draw or a derived trait do stack,

but are considered a single source, even if they are from different sources.ii. A PC may only apply one effect that “adds to all draws” to a draw pool.

b. No single source may add or subtract more than 5 points from a pool or derived trait.c. This per-source cap is applied before including the source in the usual pool and

modifier cap calculations.

20

d. Additions to running speed are not limited. Additions to Health, Size, Initiative, Willpower or any other derived or calculated trait are limited to 5 per source.

e. Unmodified Attributes, Skills and Power Stats used in a base pool are the exception to this rule.

f. Examples:i. A PC with natural unmodified Strength of 6 may use all 6 points in their base pool.ii. A Changeling Stonebones with Wyrd 6 may only add 5 points of armor from their seeming

blessing to their Defense pool.iii. A vampire using Feeding the Crone who manages 7 successes on their activation draw may only

add 5 as a modifier to their attack pool.iv. A Vampire that spends 3 Vitae to add to a Strength pool only adds 5 of the possible 6 as they are

all considered the same source.22. Pre-Game Effects

a. Activation of pre-game powers that take significant time to implement (e.g. Coil of Beast 3, specific rituals) should be worked out with the ST, who can use their judgment regarding timings and other practicalities.

b. Costs for fueling any pre-game effects, even ones done days or weeks prior, are paid at the start of game, after starting fuel is determined.

c. The VST may allow players to use downtime actions to pay for the time or fuel required by long-running pre-game effects, at their discretion.

23. Timea. Any effect that would rewind a round of combat is altered. The action is changed to

reflexive. It must be used immediately after your action this turn. The cost and any drawbacks are the same. The effect is changed to undo only your action, not the entire turn.

b. Time travel to the past (from the present or the future) is Top Approval, in all situations except the above rule.

c. No power that predicts the future is in any way binding or reliable.24. Fuel

a. PCs may not share fuel based traits with other PCs that have a different fuel type.i. A mage with at least three dots each of Spirit and Prime may attempt to transfer essence to a

being that uses it such as a Werewolf, Changing Breed, or Purified. The process is inefficient, every point of essence transferred counts as 1/4th of an Essence point.

b. Damage taken from blood loss due to a Vampire feeding on a willing target is considered Resistant. Supernaturally forced willingness does not count. Blood not taken directly from a victim only provides 1 vitae for every 8 points ingested.

c. Fuel ingested from a Servant may lead to a Minor Mutation at VST discretion.d. Changelings may not harvest Glamour from the emotions of any PC or anything with

a Greater Template.e. Pledges may only transfer Glamour to and from characters that can naturally have

Glamour (or mundane mortals) and pledges do not work with any other fuel type.25. Fuel Spending Limits

a. Willpower is considered a fuel with its own pool that is limited in the same way as supernatural fuels, even if a user has their own supernatural fuel type in addition to willpower.

b. Characters may never spend more than three times their natural, unmodified total pool worth of willpower or fuel in one session.

i. Fuel spent directly from a fuel storage device without entering the character’s pool does count towards this total.

ii. For example, Bob the vampire has a pool of 15 blood. He comes into play full. He has 15 stored on his person in Reliquaries. He spends his 15, and refuels from his stored 15. He then uses all that, so he goes out and finds a bus full of people. He gains 15 more from feeding there and spends it all healing damage. He can fill up again on the remaining passengers, but can spend no more vitae for the rest of the game session.

26. Starting Fuel

21

a. Storytellers can set up their own guidelines for starting fuel for supernatural creatures (Vitae, Essence etc).

b. These must be recorded in the Venue Style Sheet.27. Fuel Storage

a. No PC may have more fuel available to them in storage (Glamour Goblin Fruit, Vitae Reliquaries, etc) than their natural, unmodified fuel pool.

b. Willpower is also limited in the same way, with its own pool and storage limit, even if the PC has another supernatural fuel. For example, a vampire with a blood pool of 10 and a willpower pool of 5 may store 10 blood and 5 willpower.

c. Magical powers cannot be used to transmute stored fuel into other forms, such as a mage trying to extract mana from the Vitae in a Reliquary. Attempts to do so render the stored fuel inert.

d. PCs that do not have a method of external fuel storage may not “hold” someone else’s fuel which is stored with that method so that they may store more.

i. For example, Vitae Reliquaries held by a vampire without the ritual to make them will count against the total available to the PC who created them as well as the stored fuel limit of the PC ‘holding’ them.

28. Universal Clash of Willsa. If a power provides some kind of supernatural concealment (invisibility, obfuscation,

etc), an appropriate supernatural perception power can attempt to pierce it.i. Mundane Stealth or Investigation draws, even when receiving bonuses to the draws from

supernatural powers, do not count as supernatural concealment or perception for the purposes of triggering a Clash of Wills.

1. For example, a PC who gets a +1 to Investigation draws from a changeling pledge would not trigger a clash of wills against a vampire with obfuscate.

ii. Concealment powers with built-in methods for penetrating them are still subject to those rules, as well as being able to be penetrated by a Universal Clash of Wills draw.

1. For example, a character with Auspex attempts to pierce an Obfuscated character’s cloak and fails. The Obfuscated character then punches someone, drawing attention to themselves and ending their power.

iii. Note that vague, unfocused detection powers such as Unseen Senses don’t allow for a clash of wills.

b. Clash of Wills is a contested draw with the aggressor being the person who instigated the clash. Tied clashes go to the defender as usual.

i. For example, if a character activates Obfuscate and then enters a room where a PC already has Auspex active, the Obfuscate character is the aggressor. If the Auspex PC did not have it active, but subsequently activated it, they would instead be the aggressor.

c. For both the concealment power and the perception power, activation successes on the power’s draw are used for the successes in the Clash of Wills.

i. If there is no draw for the concealment power, use Dexterity + Stealth + dot rating of the power. If it does not have any dot rating, then add zero. If it has multiple factors with dots (such as a vampire Devotion) use the single factor with the highest dot rating.

ii. If there is no draw for the perception power, use Wits + Investigation + dot rating of the power. If it does not have any dot rating, then add zero. If it has multiple factors with dots (such as a vampire Devotion) use the single factor with the highest dot rating.

d. Once pierced, the perceiving character sees through that particular stealth power for that particular character until the end of the scene, even if the power is ended and reactivated.

e. If the perceiving character fails, they may not test against that particular stealth power from that particular character until the next scene.

29. Character Knowledgea. PCs may be specialized in other template types at Low Approval, with sufficient

justification.b. PCs may not specialize in individual, in-depth aspects of a different template, such as

Covenants, Orders or Lodges.

22

c. There is not enough knowledge about The Truth to have a specialization in anything regarding it.

d. A VST is encouraged to make a player draw to find out if a PC knows or remembers detailed information about a specific supernatural topic. This is the usual Wits + Occult roll, with successes indicating how much detail they recall.

e. PCs may remember information that they pick up in a live game session. VSTs should not allow players to divulge large amounts of Insider information and be watchful for players who attempt to contrive justification for large scale transfer of inappropriate knowledge.

f. The VST is the final arbiter of what is too esoteric to know when using a specialization.

g. For more information on what specializations are available for a PC, see the Appropriate Knowledge section below.

30. Scope of Social Merits and the Governmenta. To have a position of authority in the mortal government requires appropriate levels

of Status.b. It is an Approval level equal to the scope of the position to hold that position.

i. For example, it is Low Approval to be Chief of Police, and usually High Approval to be a County Sheriff.

c. It is Top Approval to work for or be part of a Federal Government office or agency above the local level.

d. Working for a Federal Agency at the local level does not put any of their non-local resources at your disposal. It is for roleplay ONLY and has no mechanical benefits other than those listed below.

i. For example, working at the local Military base would not give you access to military weaponry.ii. Working for the local FEMA center would not allow you to declare a disaster or requisition

massive amounts of aid.e. It is Top Approval to acquire or use any government agency resources, including

military ones.f. For Allies, Contacts or Status in a local branch of any organization that extends

outside of the local area, treat them as equal in power to a similar local-only group, but with a +2 modifier to the draw to use them.

i. For example, Allies: Local FBI would work just like Allies: Police, but should be harder to acquire, have a draw modifier, and be of use in fewer and more focused situations.

g. Zero Company:i. Supernatural members of the US Military are all members of Zero Company. This is Top

Notification.ii. Status: Military is used to represent rank in Zero Company.iii. Being in ZC does not eliminate the need for Top Approval to access Military resources.iv. Fort Harmon, the original ZC HQ, was decommissioned in 2006 and all ZC soldiers were re-

assigned to Base XVI by General Felix Waters, which is another alias of Senator Wells.31. States of Being

a. Any soul-removal effect used on a Believer (Spirit magic, Soul Jar Ritual, etc) immediately causes the soul to start being pulled towards The Truth. Attempts to do anything with the soul are at a -5 modifier due to this pull. The soul may spend a Willpower Dot at any time to immediately return to its own body. If the soul is not back in its original body in 1 hour, no matter if it is stored or contained in some way, it is devoured by The Truth with the usual cost in Action RQ.

b. A Believer’s soul may only be removed from its body once per scene.c. If a Believer’s soul is devoured by The Truth, but the Believer is still alive, they

immediately become a Servant.d. Devouring the soul of a Believer results in the gaining of a permanent Minor Mutation

that does not go away in the usual 6 months, but no increase in the Action RQ.e. Attempts by an NPC to devour the soul of a Believer always fail.

23

f. Living Greater Templates cannot be Embraced. Attempting to embrace a Greater Template fails.

g. You cannot make a Promethean out of any parts of a Believer.h. Once a character is a Believer, there is no way to remove their connection to The

Truth. Memory wipes and other powers can remove the knowledge of it, but they will still be a Believer.i. Once a character is a Servant, nothing can change that state.j. Servants never count as Sleepers. Believers may or may not depending on the

individual.k. Any step towards reaching a template end-goal (Golconda, Pilgrimage, etc) is Top

Approval.l. Death of the PC that enacted a power ends that power, unless otherwise specified.

32. Ghostsa. Ghosts use the same Rank system as spirits, found in Book of Spirits, pg. 131.

i. As a general guideline, ghosts of Rank 1 are under 50 years dead and ghost of Rank 2 are 51-100 years. Each higher rank is another 100 year cap.

ii. Ghosts beyond the Second River of the Underworld are always Rank 2.iii. Ghosts cannot exceed Rank 5.iv. Use of a ghost of a historical figure has the same approval rating that such an NPC would have if

alive. A local figure would be Mid, while a celebrity or well-known politician (such as a president or Founding Father) would be Top.

v. Ghosts may not have Influence.33. Dreams

a. If a power or ability that gives access to a target’s dreams has a contested draw defined, use that instead of the following mechanic.

b. Accessing the dreams of a target that did not give permission prior to entering sleep requires, in addition to any other procedures or expenditures, an extended and contested challenge. Draw Resolve + Composure vs Resolve + Composure, each draw representing one minute of mental struggle. The first to 5 successes wins. If the defender wins, the attacker may not attempt to enter their dreams again that night.

34. Metamorphosisa. Changing from one template to another is limited.b. Changing templates requires High Approval with roleplay beforehand.

i. Only the Embrace does not need to be pre-planned. c. This is required even for hunters going from tier 2 to tier 3. d. Tier 3 hunters always require a Top Approval to change templates, even to

vampirism. A hunter of such dedication would never accept a change so easily, therefore significant roleplay is required beforehand. This means the Embrace fails if done prior to approval, as the hunter rejects the change subconsciously.

i. The one exception to this is TFV members transferring to VASCU. Since both organizations share a base and some leadership, this has been specially arranged for them. Members of TFV who manifest any supernatural ability are immediately shuffled off to VASCU. This is High Approval.

ii. Agents of TFV and VASCU that are changed into a different supernatural (even another lesser template) are immediately transferred to Zero Company.

iii. Any other change requires that the character ‘kill off’ his old identify and purchase New Identity at 4 dots. VSTs should utilize non-believer NPC hunter squads if the identify of the hunter is ever discovered.

iv. Any PC who leaves a Tier 3 hunter group loses all memory of the secrets, techniques, insider information, and procedures of that hunter group as a consequence of losing the supernatural advantages granted by that group.

e. For Purified and Geist, even after approval of metamorphosis, there is a chance of failure. Draw a card. On a 1 or 2 the potion fails or there is no geist around to make the bargain.

24

f. When becoming Lost, fae will not "rescue" anyone in a bad situation, it must never be a beneficial time to be taken.

i. The fetch will never be left in a situation where it is easily discovered or vulnerable.g. To have the potential to undergo First Change, the High Approval must be submitted

before the PC enters play, except in the case of Kin, who may submit it after creation.h. A player may only have one approved metamorphosis application per PC at a time. i. Player characters with a lesser template that are changed into a Greater Template

receive a full rewrite of their character sheet with the following procedure:i. All mechanics specific to their lesser template are refunded or removed (Sleepwalker merit,

wolf-blooded merit, Ghoul family benefits/flaws, ghoul disciplines, Hunter merits, psychic merits, Thaumaturgy merits, Endowments. etc.)

ii. Characters then apply the Greater Template as normal.iii. Characters may not increase Power Stat with refunded creation dots. Refunded/banked XP may

be spent on Power Stat but only to a maximum of 3 dots.1. Characters that changed before 1/1/14 are grandfathered from this one clause.

35. Lesser Oathsa. Lesser oaths are another means of metaphysically enforcing a declaration. Though

they may come from separate sources, they are treated with the same metaphysical weight.b. Character Types that can bind others into Lesser Oaths:

i. All Lost. This does not count against their Wyrd limit.ii. Mages may use Fate 2 to swear an Oath for themselves. They may use Fate 4 rote to officiate

over others who are entering into a Lesser Oath. iii. Vampires with any Blood Sorcery at level 2 or greater may purchase the oath as a level 2 ritual.

Masquerade style Necromancy and Thaumaturgy are not considered Blood Sorcery for this purpose.

iv. Masquerade Vampires with Thaumaturgy 3 and Dominate 2 may purchase a Lesser Oath devotion for 15 xp.

v. Invictus Vampires may purchase the ability to administer Lesser Oaths for 10 xp.c. Limitations and Uses

i. A PC may be bound by 1 lesser Oath, no matter the source, at a time. There is no limit to how many lesser Oaths a PC may oversee or have sworn to them.

ii. Each Lesser Oath is between a single swearer and a single oathkeeper. The ‘caster’ of the power designates the swearer and the oathkeeper (which need not be the caster, though he can be either or both).

iii. The effects of a Lesser Oath are permanent until released by death or the by oathkeeper, who may not be supernaturally forced to do so.

iv. A lesser oath must be written down (the text of which must be clear, and sealed by a drop of blood from all participants. This cannot be used as a sympathetic connection unless the Oath is broken, at which point it can be used to track down the Oathbreaker.

v. One cannot be supernaturally coerced into an Oath. They must agree to swear.vi. No effect can supernaturally twist or alter an Oath.

d. Positive Effect: i. The oath swearers receive a mystical bonus to being coerced or forced against their Oath.

The Oath gives the player the opportunity to reflexively test with Resolve + Composure for the character to act in circumstances that would normally forbid action. For example, the character is being controlled mentally and compelled to not uphold or to break their oath. A reflexive Resolve + Composure test can be made for her to ignore the mental compulsion for an action and to act to uphold the oath. If this Resolve + Composure draw fails, it may not be used again in the current scene.

ii. Also, at the Storyteller’s discretion, when the character undertakes some action that directly upholds the oath, she may regain a spent Willpower point just as though she indulged her Vice.

e. Negative Effecti. If the oath is broken, the Oathbreaker receives a -5 to all actions until dead or forgiven.

25

ii. There is no effect which notifies anyone when the oath is broken. The only sign is the oathbreaker’s aura.

iii. Only the Oathkeeper can forgive the Oathbreaker. which requires 5 actions of repentance, which may be in game or downtimes. These actions are chosen by the Oathkeeper. Once accepted, the amends must be sealed with a permanent Willpower dot spent by the Oathbreaker.

iv. Once forgiven, the Oath is reestablished.

9. Merits

1. Graduated and Simple Meritsa. All venues use the simple or graduated Merit cost described in MET p32.b. Simple cost merits have a single rating or an "or" separating listed ratings.

i. Example: Fast Reflexes is a simple cost Merit as it is rated "1 or 2" rather than "1 to 2".ii. When purchasing more of a simple merit, you pay the difference in costs between the two.

1. Example; If a character has Striking Looks 2, you only need to spend 4 xp to attain Striking Looks 4.

c. The 5th dot of a merit does not cost two creation points.2. Gaining and Losing Merits

a. If a player character acquires ownership or access to something in-game that would normally be represented by Merit dots, they must pay the requisite XP. There is a one month grace period before this is required.

i. If they do not pay the XP by the end of the grace period, they permanently lose access to it.ii. PCs cannot go into XP debt.iii. This cannot be avoided by passing ownership of items back and forth or leaving them in

convenient locations where they are not "owned" but access is easy. b. Merit dots are never lost permanently when the things they represent are lost or

destroyed (e.g. a fetish is broken, a retainer is killed). i. This does not apply to merits willingly sacrificed: these are removed from the sheet and

permanently lost.ii. Storytellers may temporarily remove or reduce Merits as part of a story if those Merits are later

recoverable without XP expenditure.iii. When a merit is destroyed, one of the following scenarios takes place:

1. In the case of an item (Imbued item, etc.) or Haven-style merit, the character can go through means to replace said item (remaking the Fetish, buying a new Haven, etc.). The dots return to their sheet when the new item is cleared by the storyteller

2. In the case of social merits being attacked, the dots recover at the rate of 1 dot per month, starting the month after the merit is destroyed.

c. If a character loses dots in a shared Merit such as Haven or Totem the Storyteller should give the remaining invested characters the chance to cover the loss themselves with XP expenditure, if possible.

3. PC Death/retirementa. When a PC leaves play for any reason, all the items and individuals represented by

their merits fall under the control of the VST. 4. Using Social Merits When Traveling

a. Allies, Contacts and other such merits are usually only of use in the PC’s home VSS.b. How effective such merits are outside their home domain is at the discretion of the

VST of the game the PC is visiting.c. Players who send downtime actions to the VST of the VSS they are visiting in order

for their social merits to “make local contacts” should be allowed use of their merits.d. The amount of downtimes required for full use of social merits is at the discretion of

the VST of the VSS.5. Specific Item Merits

26

a. Characters can possess multiple versions of Merits that represent specific items, people or places.

6. Merit-based Storyteller Charactersa. The Large Scale Game mechanics option is used to create Retainers (MET p146).

Allies, Mentors, Retainers and similar Merit-based NPCs are created and portrayed by the Storyteller.b. Such NPCs that represent or interact with government agencies require the special

approval of the Storyteller with jurisdiction over that level of agency or body.i. Example: Having contacts in the FBI requires Top Approval from the US National Storyteller.

c. Retainers can have lesser templates specific to the character's type (e.g. ghouls for vampires, wolfblooded for werewolves, etc) at Low Approval.

d. Retainers may not ever have a Greater Template.e. NPCs can NEVER become PCs.

7. Simple Retainersa. To reduce paperwork and complexity, the Accord venue allows but does not require

the use of Simple Retainers. b. Simple retainers do not have a sheet. They are all base mortals with no template.c. A Simple retainer is dedicated to one particular skill. d. Record them on your PC’s sheet like this: Retainer (Drive). e. For draw pools related to their focused skill, their base pool is equal to 5+their dot

rating.f. For all other draw pools, their base pool is 5.g. When resisting powers, use their retainer rating instead of the listed attribute.h. Their Health is 5+their dot rating, their Willpower is their dot rating, and their Defense

is their dot rating.i. For effects that rely upon virtue or vice, Simple Retainers are not valid targets.

8. Fighting Style Meritsa. Core Fighting Styles are defined in MES’s Armory Reforged, and only there. No other

fighting style mechanics are used, save those specific to certain venues (Hedge Dueling, Tooth and Claw, etc.) which are noted in the venue addenda. Clarifications on how to use fighting styles are provided in Armory Reforged, and are considered a corollary appendix to this addendum.

b. Other Custom Merits found in Armory Reforged are sanctioned at Low Approval.c. A VSS may elect to use an Aberration to allow PCs to use the Armory Aberration

Guide.d. Fighting Style: Dream Combat [Rites of Spring p.90]

i. Available at Low Approval to any PC that has the power to enter the dreams of another without outside assistance.

ii. ●● Double Team: The character’s attack becomes an Advanced Action.9. Sleepwalkers/Witnesses

a. Any Lesser Template, including ones with supernatural powers, may buy the 3 dot Sleepwalker merit as a Creation Only merit.

b. Only mundane mortals not in a Tier 3 Conspiracy may buy the 4 dot version.c. Sleepwalkers gain the benefits listed in MET Awakening p.434 as well as immunity to

“Special Masquerades” (Lunacy, Disquiet, etc.).d. Sleepwalker PCs may also absorb any Paradox generated in their vicinity, taking one

point of resistant Lethal damage per point of paradox to do so.e. This is combined with the Witness merit per the Accord Mummy Addendum, and non-

mages often refer to people with these capabilities by that term instead.10. Society Status Merits (Generic Rules)

a. Some source material books equate status to organizational positions. Unless otherwise noted in this document, Status levels are not requirements for in-character organizational positions described in source material as city-wide in scope. This refers to specific character type organizations (e.g. Covenant, Order) and not Storyteller run NPC groups such as City Hall, local Police etc.

27

b. The Status Merit in the Mind's Eye Theatre book is not available for supernatural organizations. Any status in a supernatural group not specifically detailed in the relevant venue book is not sanctioned for play.

c. Player attempts to develop large scale in-character supernatural groups/organizations which might warrant a formal status system are advised to contact the NST.

d. The first dot of status in a supernatural group is free to PCs who qualify for and officially join that group.

e. Status in the Military is handled across all branches in this slightly abstract fashion:i. Status 1- Junior Enlistedii. Status 2- Junior Non-Commissioned Officeriii. Status 3- Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, Junior Grade Officeriv. Status 4- Command NCO, Field Grade Officerv. Status 5- General Officer

11. Spirit Merits [Book of Spirits]a. The following merits are Low Approval for all PCs. Mortals and Lesser Templates

should have easy access to them. Greater templates should have a spirit focus, with some means of interacting with them to justify these merits.

b. Cursed Itemi. See the Magic Item section of the Accord Combined Addendum.

c. Spirit Eari. Creation only.ii. The ●● version of this Merit: Low approval

1. Characters possessing this merit automatically understand spirits without a roll.iii. The ●●●● version of this Merit: Low Approval.iv. The rules for a character with the ●● version being able to to purchase the ●●●● version at a

discount are not sanctioned.d. Spirit Tongue

i. This merit allows a character to understand as well as speak the language of spirits.ii. This merit is an identical language to First Tongue, though the merit provides only a halting,

imperfect dialect that a Shifter or Spirit would find to be not fluent.e. Residual Spirit Energy: Lethal damage from willing release of blood to create

essence is Resistant damage. (Only available for mortals).f. Other Spirit Merits:

i. Difficult to Rideii. Easy Rideiii. Pleasing Auraiv. Saintlyv. Shadowless Chambersvi. Spirit’s Tonguevii. Hollow Soulviii. Shadow Contacts

12. Totem Merit: See the Familiars section of the Accord Combined Addendum.13. Underworld Merits [Book of the Dead]

a. The following merits are not available to PCs that do not meet the listed requirements.

b. Barrister: Low Approval for PC’s with the insider Underworld Specialtyc. Beacon of Life: Low Approval for Lesser Templates.d. Dead Reckoning: Low Approval for PCs with the insider Underworld specialty.e. Death-Touched: Low Approval for PCs with a specific supernatural method of

interaction with ghosts (Kindred Medium, Gravewight kith, Bloodline discipline, etc.).i. The 2 and 4 dot versions of this merit work on all ghosts.

f. Gatekeeper: Low Approval for mortal characters, Lesser Templates, and Greater Templates with either Underworld specialization. Not available for Retainer NPCs.

28

i. This merit is not creation only and the mortal only prerequisite is removed.g. Medium: Low Approval for mortal characters and Lesser Templates. Psychics may

not take this merit (they should take Ghost Sight instead). h. Mechanical Memento: Only completely mundane machines can be powered by

these.i. Mythologist: Low Approval for those with either underworld Underworld specialty.j. Spelunker: Low Approval

i. Can only be used underground or inside a building/enclosed space.14. Other Merits

a. There are many merits that are universal to all character types found in a host of books, many venue specific or technically not sanctioned. These merits are available to all character types at the following approval levels.

b. Low Approval:i. Anonymity [Blood of the Wolf, pg. 45]ii. Area of Expertise [Free Council pg. 131]

1. This merit cannot be taken for a specialization in a power.iii. Armory [Banishers, pg. 51]iv. Athletics Dodge [Dogs of War, pg. 38]v. Combat Art [Armory Reloaded, pg. 117]vi. Crafter’s Sense [Free Council, pg. 131]vii. Demolisher [Blood of the Wolf, pg. 62]viii. EOD [Armory, pg. 208]ix. Fence [Banishers, pg. 51]x. Fighting Style: Social Maneuvers [Night Horrors: Grim Fears, pg. 63]

1. This merit cannot be used in conjunction with supernatural powers.xi. Informative [Free Council, pg 131]

1. The use of this merit is for eloquent explanations, not persuasive purposes.xii. Interdisciplinary Specialty [Free Council, pg. 132]

1. The specialty must be defined when this merit is purchased.a. Example: Bob Player takes a specialty in Cars for Crafts and then takes this

merit to apply the specialty to other skills, as long as he has three dots in that skill.

2. This merit can be taken for multiple specialties.3. This merit cannot be taken for specialties in supernatural powers.

xiii. Lucid Dreamer [Changeling the Lost, pg. 195]xiv. Luxury ●● [Seers of the Throne, pg. 52]xv. Make Do [Free Council, pg. 132]xvi. New Identity ● and ●● [Changeling the Lost, pg. 98]xvii.Parkour [Tribes of the Moon, pg. 98]

1. ●●●● Expert Traceur: The use of this ability granted an Advanced Action effect on use of Athletics that involve running, jumping, climbing, falling, etc. (non-combat, parkour based effects).

xviii. Seductive Grace [Signs of the Moon, pg. 144]xix. Shield-bearer [War Against the Pure, pg. 89]

1. This merit stacks with the Ambidexterity merit to a maximum of +0 to attack from behind a shield..

xx. Small Unit Tactics [Dogs of War, pg. 39]xxi. Staff [Ghouls, pg. 75]xxii.Technophile [Armory, pg. 208]xxiii. Territorial Familiarity [Blood of the Wolf, pg. 99]

1. Use of this merit for supernatural territories requires Low Approval and the mechanics to enter said plane (Hedge, Shadow, Underworld, etc.)

xxiv. Trained Memory [Guardians of the Veil, pg. 46]

29

xxv. Trained Observer [Dogs of War, pg. 38)1. ●●●: The use of this merit provides an Advanced Action effect to mundane Perception

tests.2. Supernatural bonuses to Perception (such as Heightened Senses, etc.) can be utilized

with this merit, but supernatural Perceptions (Clash of Wills or other powers) cannot.xxvi. Tunnel Rat [Chicago, pg. 54-55]

1. The city must be defined upon purchase of this merit.2. This merit may be purchased multiple times.

xxvii. Well-Traveled [Reliquary, pg. 85]xxviii. Architectural Attunement [Chicago Workings SAS, pg. 36]

1. This merit does not allow one to see Ley Lines or places of power, only detect them as noted.

2. If purchased for multiple cities, each separate application must include the VST and DST permission if the city is outside the local domain.

xxix. Fame ● [Mind’s Eye Theater]xxx.Luxury ●●●● [Seers of the Throne, pg. 52]xxxi. Sworn Officer ● to ●●●● [Tales from the 13th Precinct, pg. 81]: Not Sanctioned, use a

focused version of Status, for example Status: Police Officer.c. High Approval

i. Fame ●● [Mind’s Eye Theater]ii. New Identity ●●●● [Changeling the Lost, pg. 98]

d. Top Approvali. Decorated [Dogs of War, pg. 39]ii. Fame ●●● [Mind’s Eye Theater]

e. Fame [Mind’s Eye Theater]i. The Merit Fame is renown and recognition within the Mortal world.ii. Fame in a supernatural community is not sanctioned.

f. Fighting Finesse [Mind’s Eye Theater]i. This merit cannot be taken for uses of the Brawl skill.

g. Gunslinger [Mind’s Eye Theater]i. The Gunslinger merit is not considered a Fighting Style, and thus works in conjunction with FS:

Combat Marksmanship.ii. This merit works with Handguns and Heavy Handguns only, whether mundane or magical.

h. Inspiring [Mind’s Eye Theater]i. PCs may only gain one willpower per day from being inspired, no matter how many inspiring

speeches they listen to.i. Allies & Contacts [Mind’s Eye Theater]

i. Allies may only be taken in mundane, mortal groups and organizations.ii. Contacts are not limited to the mortal world, but the PC must have some way of interacting with

supernatural groups they have contacts with.

10. Additional General Books

1. If a book is non-venue specific and is not found below, then it is not sanctioned. Any mechanics therein that were acceptable to the MES chronicle have been noted elsewhere in the addendum.

2. The following books are sanctioned for play, but the history and settings in the book are not necessarily used in the chronicle.

a. World of Darkness: Chicagob. World of Darkness: Shadows of the UK (WW30202)c. World of Darkness: Shadows of Mexico (WW25201)

3. Antagonists (WW55301)

30

a. The MES Bestiary is a supplement to this book.b. The “Build a Monster” rules from Hunter the Vigil, Night Stalkers, Spirit Slayers,

Witchfinders are supplements to this book. See the Vigil addendum for details.4. Armory (WW55102)

a. See Accord Armory Guide if using the Aberration.b. For VSSs only using Armory: Reforged:

i. Chapter 4 is sanctioned. Use vehicle rules found there. Military grade vehicles are Top Approval.ii. Chapter 5 is sanctioned for mundane equipment only. Ignore rules for Armor and Shields (which

are covered in Armory Reforged).iii. The “Sighting Firearms” mechanic is not sanctioned.iv. Only fiber-optic sights can be used on bows.

5. Armory Reloaded (WW55208): Not Sanctioned unless using the Armory Aberration, in which case, See Accord Armory Guide.

6. Asylum (WW55204)a. This book is specifically sanctioned for the Merits and expanded options for the

Medicine skill.7. Book of Spirits, The (WW 55202)

a. Most locations, characters, and items are used as examples and are not necessarily used in the chronicle, although the spirits and spirit-ridden in the last chapter are usable, in the same vein as the spirits in Predators.

b. The sidebar "Mythic Resonance of Fruit" is approved for use.c. All spirit creation rules follow current approval levels (limited by Rank).d. Items not specifically mentioned in another section of the Addendum are Not

Sanctioned.8. Book of the Dead (WW 60501)

a. Methods of entering the Underworld are specifically outlined in the source material for other venues and in this book. To know about specific keys to Avernian Gates or the existence of Graveyard Gates requires an Occult specialty in the Underworld.

b. Underworld Specialty: See Appropriate Knowledge and Specializations below.c. Levels of the Underworld: A DST must coordinate what Dread Dominions are local

to a domain with their VSTs planning on utilizing the Underworld, as continuity between Dominions and Rivers must be maintained. Otherwise there is no approval beyond Low for use of all levels and rivers of the Underworld unless travel through the Underworld leaves the borders of a Domain.

d. Kerberoi:i. Kerberoi are designed as per Geist the Sin-Eaters.ii. Kerberoi rank and power is dependent on the depth of the Underworld

e. Specific Dominions and Kerberoi: Defined options in this book can be used as examples, but are not necessarily in existence as written (further definitions may be provided by the US NST staff).

f. Tutelage of the Dead: Not Sanctioned9. Changing Breeds (WW55103) See the Accord Combined Addendum.10. Glimpses of the Unknown (WW55107)

a. Mechanics from this book are not sanctioned unless specifically referenced in the appropriate venue addendum.

11. Midnight Roads (WW55205)a. This book is sanctioned at Low Approval except where noted below.b. Bad Memory or Worse Cars: Low Approval as a Rank 1 ghost. Cannot be owned or

controlled by PCs.c. Shadowcross Cars: Sanctioned for plot purposes only, cannot be owned/controlled

by PCs.d. Free Energy Cars: Not Sanctioned

12. Second Sight (WW55100)a. Psychics and Thaumaturges: See Accord Combined Addendum.

31

i. Merits Not Tied to Template1. Anti-Psi: Not Sanctioned2. Doubting Thomas: Not Sanctioned3. Ghost Ally: See Familiars in the Accord Combined Addendum.b. Access to the systems from Chapter Four: Reality-Bending Horrors: Not Sanctioned

for PCs (Low Approval for NPCs)13. Skinchangers (WW30205)

a. Mechanics and items from Chapter One: Not available for PCs (Low Approval for NPCs).

b. Mechanics and items from Chapter Two: Not available for PCs (Low Approval for NPCs).

c. Mechanics and items from Chapter Three: Top Approval as NPCs

11. Appropriate Knowledge and Specializations

1. In the Accord, multiple templates often have access to other realms and entities. It can be rather daunting to sort through these bits of info in a venue specific manner that is appropriate to Occult knowledge a character would have access too. We use Specializations of the Occult ability to represent knowledge of other realms, templates or creatures. Some PCs are more naturally attuned to a realm, and therefore innately know the ins and outs of it. There are three levels of knowledge:

a. Native: Templates with native knowledge are considered insider, but do not require an Occult specialty for the information (they can make Occult checks at +1 and have access to the information as if they had the specialty without it on their sheet). These supernatural types live and breath this realm, having a natural aptitude for knowledge and travel there based on their template. While the knowledge might be the same as someone with Insider knowledge, their natural affinity makes them true experts, more eloquent on the topic and more apt at survival in the realm. Should they have an occult specialization, they not only have a natural affinity with the Realm, but detailed knowledge. They receive a +2 to their Occult draws instead of +1, and receive a +1 situational modifier to navigation in said realm.

b. Insider: A character that has direct access to a topic of supernatural study, either by having a way to go to that realm, or being that particular creature type, is considered an Insider.

c. Outsider: An outsider is a character with no direct way to experience or interact with a topic of supernatural study. They must gain their specialization from someone who already has the specialty.

2. Below, you will find the major realms and who can generally specialize at what level of knowledge in them. Below that is more information on denizens of these realms and how information can be specialized. Character types not listed below for Outsider knowledge can be taught about the other Realms by those with purchased specialty information.

a. For Learning from a Native: They must expend downtime actions equal to (5 minus their non-modified Occult rating, minimum of 1 downtime) to attain this knowledge, yet it will always be considered Outsider level knowledge.

b. For Learning from an Insider: They must expend downtime actions equal to (8 minus their non-modified Occult rating, minimum of 2 downtimes) to attain this knowledge, yet it will always be considered Outsider level knowledge.

c. For learning from an Outsider: They must expend downtime actions equal to (10 minus their non-modified Occult rating, minimum of 4 downtimes) to attain this knowledge, yet it will always be considered Outsider level knowledge.

3. The Abyssa. Description: The Abyss is the indistinct realm that separates the Fallen World

and the Supernal Realms. It is the cause of paradox, and few understand it or its denizens, even the Awakened. Despite its nature as a Void in nature, there are creatures that call it home, and some magi

32

have close relations to it. An insider might have more intimate understanding of the madness of this realm, while outsiders only understand how to recognize its influence on the Fallen World.

b. Nativesi. There are no native understandings of the Abyss save for the entities that dwell there.

c. Insidersi. Mage the Awakening: Scelesti, Secret Order of the Gate

d. Outsidersi. Mage the Awakening: Other Magiii. Vampire the Requiem: Lasombra

4. The Hedgea. Description: The Hedge is the nightmare realm that exists as a border between the

Material World and Arcadia. Full of thorns, brambles, and barely-there paths, the Hedge is a realm best left to those who understand it intuitively. Insiders are innately tied to the realm by the Wyrd, and have an understanding of the creatures who dwell there as they were shaped by the Fae. Outsides would know of the dangers, but feel listless, always on edge, not understanding all the nuances of the Deep Thorns or the nature of hobgoblins.

b. Nativesi. Changeling the Lost: Lord Sages of the Unknown Reaches, Hedge Wardens, Barony of the

Lesser Ones, Knights of the Knowledge of the Tongue, Lost Pantheon, College of Wormsc. Insiders

i. Changeling the Lost: All other Changelingsd. Outsiders

i. Changeling the Lost: Fae-touched5. The Shadow

a. Description: The Shadow is a primal, alien place. A reflection of the Material World, it is a world where animistic principles reign. Everything has a spirit, even unawakened, and the Shadow exemplifies this. Everything is bound by the nature of spirits, and without significant knowledge of spirits or a way to get out, it can be one of the most dangerous realms. Insider knowledge of the Shadow would provide information on navigation, politics, and creatures a bit beyond spirits (Maeljin, hosts, etc) that dwell in this realm. Outsider knowledge would provide basic survival skills, especially with detailed knowledge of spirits to back it up.

b. Nativei. Werewolf the Forsaken: Werewolves (Forsaken and Pure)ii. Other: Purified

c. Insideri. Changeling the Lost: Lord Sages of the Unknown Reachesii. Mage the Awakening: Scions of God, Thrice-Great, Keepers of the Covenant, Neocologists,

Thyrsus with Spirit Arcana 3+iii. Vampire the Requiem: Any with Blood Tenebrous 5iv. Other: Changing Breeds with Shadow Bond

d. Outsideri. Mage the Awakening: Any with Spirit Arcana 3+ii. Vampire the Requiem: Crone with Spirit Cruac, Kindred Voodoo practitioners, Khaibitiii. Other: Beast Kin/Wolfblooded, Thaumaturges that can project into Shadow, TFV in Project FORT

with a Gatekeeper Device6. The Underworld

a. Description: The Underworld and its Dread Dominions are one of the most horrific realms most denizens of the World of Darkness will ever travel to. A place of nightmares, a crushing depression in the realization of a possible outcome after death, the Depths are not a realm to be trifled with. Natural attunement to this realm is extremely rare, as is insider information. An insider might know of several of the rarer Dominions (Athenaeum, Ocean of Lost Fragments, Mictlan), most of the Rivers, Cthonians, and rumors of the Deathlords. Outsiders only know of some of the more common rivers, the basics of the Old Laws, and the existence of un-Bound Geists.

33

b. Nativei. Geist the Sin-Eaters: Sin-Eaters

c. Insideri. Changeling the Lost: Lord Sages of the Unknown Reaches (with Shade and Spirit 5)ii. Mage the Awakening: Moros with the ability to enter the Underworldiii. Promethean the Created: Ulgan Argentum (with Gatekeeper merit)iv. Vampire the Requiem: Apollinaire (with Gatekeeper merit), Dragolescu (with Gatekeeper merit),

Khaibit (with Gatekeeper merit)v. Werewolf the Forsaken: Lodge of Death (with Rite of the Shadowed Hunt)vi. Others: Purified

d. Outsideri. Changeling the Lost: Darkling Gravewights (with Shade and Spirit 5), ii. Mummy the Curse: Arisen (with Gatekeeper merit and Sheut 5)iii. Promethean the Created: Argentum (with Gatekeeper merit)iv. Vampire the Requiem: Giovanni Refugees (with Gatekeeper merit), Ordo Dracul (with ghostly

abilities, such as Kindred Medium, and the Gatekeeper merit)v. Werewolf the Forsaken: Bone Shadows (with Rite of Shadowed Hunt), Lodge of the Boundary

(with Rite of Shadowed Hunt), Lodges of Cerberus (with Rite of Shadowed Hunt), Lodge of Reaping (with Rite of Shadowed Hunt)

7. Template Knowledgea. PCs may specialize in a particular template, whether their own or that of other PCs.b. Such a specialization does not give instant knowledge of all matters related to the

template; only basic true knowledge common to a member of the template is available. This is Outsider information.

i. Example: A Forsaken with a specialty in Vampires would know the names of the clans and covenants, but would not know the inner workings of the the Ordo Sworn or individual Theban rituals.

c. A member of a template may take a specialization in their own template to represent scholarly level knowledge of their type. This still does not give them access to secret information. This is Insider information.

i. Example: A Vampire specialized in Vampires may know the names of almost all the bloodlines and some general information about them, but would not know what every level of every bloodline discipline does or secret details of their founding.

d. There is no “Native” level of knowledge for templates.8. Non-Material Denizens

a. Knowledge of the denizens of other realms is more common in some cases than knowledge of the realms, and in other cases much rarer. As they are creature types, there is no Native specialization in these ephemeral entities. Like the possession of familiars, in many ways what constitutes access to an Occult specialty in these creatures is based on interaction and VST discretion. For Insider knowledge, assume only the below groups are valid. For Outsider, work with your ST to determine your suitability. If your suitability is based on a group listed above, the PC still needs the specialty to be purchased with XP to get the information more than the basics.

b. Acamoth/Abyssal Entitiesi. The corrupting entities that dwell in the Abyss occasionally reach out to the material plane. Most

often they corrupt magi into Scelesti or with other promises of power. Always malicious, they are a disruption to the safety and sanity of all. Awakened are taught to avoid them, and some are taught more in order to combat them. Those magi that truck with them consistently are often possessing of eldritch details which would cow the most stalwart of magi. While Insider info provides good detail on their capabilities and weaknesses, Outsider knowledge provides some basic concept of the powers and deals they offer, and some information on how to at least identify and resist them.

ii. Insider: Awakenediii. Outsider: Proximi, Lasombra

34

c. Cthoniansi. These creatures, existing in the Underworld, are rare and powerful. Information regarding

Cthonians is only available for those that qualify for Insider Knowledge of the Underworld. Even then, these characters only have an Outsider level of understanding these enigmatic creatures. Such knowledge details some rumors of their capabilities and origins, without any firm facts due to the rarity and power of these mysterious creatures.

ii. Insiders: Noneiii. Outsiders: Only Sin-Eaters and anyone who qualify for Insider Underworld knowledge

d. Demonsi. The origins of these ‘infernal’ creatures is debatable. Many believe they come from Hell,

but whether this is a distinct realm or an aspect of the Shadow is further debated. Demons themselves certainly claim it as a distinct realm, with its own hierarchies. Insider knowledge of demons is required to fully understand their powers and malpraxis, but Outsider knowledge provides for basics on their driving Vices and weaknesses. Most demonologists fall in the Outsider realm.

ii. Insider: Lucifuge, Possessediii. Outsider: All others (Requires Occult 4+)

e. Geistsi. The fact that geists roam the Underworld un-Bound is not commonly known. Most Underworld

travelers who might encounter an un-Bound Geist assume it is a very powerful ghost or a weak Kerberoi. An Insider knows of their capabilities, weaknesses, and how to find them. An Outsider would know they exist, their basic connection to Sin-Eaters, and a vague understanding of their powers.

ii. Insider: Sin-Eatersiii. Outsider: Those who qualify for Insider Underworld

f. Ghostsi. While ghosts exist in the Underworld, there are many who have not yet lost their Anchors in the

Material Realm and passed into the Depths. Ghosts are certainly the most common ephemeral entity in the World of Accord (and the World of Darkness in general), and knowledge of their capabilities, powers, weaknesses, and metaphysics is particularly common. An Insider knowledge specialist on ghosts is intimately familiar with all of their abilities and weaknesses, as well as how to interact, control, or fight them. An Outsider knowledge specialist has vague understandings of their Twilight state and powers, and some theories on how to recognize ghostly activity and how to defend themselves.

ii. Insider: Anyone with the ability to see or interact with ghosts naturally iii. Outsider: Everyone else (requires Occult 3+ and an Insider teacher)

g. Hobgoblinsi. The strange creatures that dwell in the Hedge defy expectations, even to those who know what

to expect. Most creatures of the Hedge fall under this banner of classification, yet so few are alike. Many subspecies can be readily ‘identified’, though even here there are differences among individuals. Insider knowledge specialists have spent years studying the various species, and due to an innate connection with the Wyrd, can anticipate strengths, weaknesses, and social organizations, as well as the nuances of the Markets. Outsider knowledge specs might know a few common species (briar wolves, for instance), but are more trained on strengths and weaknesses as opposed to distinct abilities, and certainly know that Hobgoblins can only exist in the Hedge.

ii. Insiders: Changelings, Fae-touchediii. Outsiders: Those with a specialty in Hedge (both taught by an Insider)

h. Quashmallimi. The odd, angelic like creatures that serve the Principle are most interested in Prometheans and

other creatures of Pyros, but occasionally show interest in other supernaturals. Not true angels, as far as can be told, or creatures from the Aether, the Quashmallim never reveal their true

35

origins save, “We serve the Principle.” Extremely powerful, supernaturals who are aware of their existence give them a wide berth.

ii. Insiders: Noneiii. Outsiders: Prometheans

i. Spiritsi. Perhaps the second most common ephemeral supernatural entity, spirits, while native to the

Shadow, often cross the Gauntlet to interact with the Material Realm through Twilight. While Insider knowledge of the Shadow is more rare, Insider knowledge of Spirits is more common due to this interaction. Insider knowledge specialists know not only information about spirit powers and weaknesses, but intuitively understand bans, rank, and spirit hierarchies. Outsider specialists know a bit about bans, but not as distinct, and have issues understanding rank or know of rarer spirit powers and abilities.

ii. Insiders: Any listed under Insider and Outsider Shadow Specialization above, Ulgan or Argentum Prometheans with Dragon Athanor, Lucifuge, Beast Kin/Wolfblooded, Anyone with the capability to have a spirit familiar (See Familiars in the Accord Combined Addendum).

iii. Outsiders: Natural Mediums, those taught by an Insider.j. Strix/Bloodjackers

i. The origins of these owl...creatures, is lost to time. No one knows where they came from, or where they went, but what is known is that they have returned. Recently. They seem naturally drawn to vampires yet hunters have also noticed their activities. While vampires in the know refer to them as Strix, Strigoi, or the Nemesis, hunters typically refer to them as bloodjackers. There are no Insiders of strix knowledge, but outsiders may know of some of the abilities (possession) and weaknesses (owl eyes, light, fire). Older vampires might know rumors of their history, but nothing specific.

ii. Insiders: Noneiii. Outsiders: Vampires (specifically those with Age RQ, high Occult, or Khaibit), Hunters

(especially Tier 3)k. Things That Must Not Be (Second Sight)

i. Things That Must Not Be are weird and eldritch entities from those places in creation that none on Earth can wholly understand. Even those who have committed their lives to hunting them and banishing them back to the strange realms only possess a glimpse into their strengths and their weaknesses. Unlike those who study the Abyss, those who study these Things hope to learn no more after their first taste as the knowledge is simply too horrible to possess and such knowledge distorts not only to the mind but the heart as well. Characters select one subcategory of Thing as defined in Second Sight (Alien Gods, Demons of the Outer Darkness, etc) when they purchase this specialization. Outsider knowledge does not provide information about specific Things, only a generalized understanding of the category to which a Thing belongs. As an example, understanding that Alien Gods often possess natural physical forms or that Things of Chaos and Bubbling Creation are best fought with fire or extreme cold.

ii. Insiders: Cultists of Things That Must Not Be (NPC Only)iii. Outsiders: Anyone with sufficient justification. A certain amount if insanity is required for this

(Morality Trait 4 or less) and high Occult knowledge (4+).

12. Building a Hunter, Mortal or Lesser Template

All Lesser Templates in the Accord venue are built as standard “Hunters” as a baseline for a mortal with ties or knowledge of the supernatural. It is important to note that while Lesser Templates use the Hunter template as a “base,” this does not mean you are a literal hunter of monsters. At its core, Hunter is a game about humans who have touched the World of Darkness and survived. They have chosen to accept certains truths about reality (e.g., vampires and werewolves exist, magic is real, etc) and persevere. Some take up the Vigil, protecting humanity by strength of arms, redemption of so-called monsters, mystical power, or scientific innovation. For our purposes, this includes those who embrace this world in other ways.

36

To create a PC using the Hunter template, you will need access to at least the Hunter: the Vigil core book. The standard outline of character creation begins on page 54, and is very much like building a standard mortal save for Profession, Hunter Tiers, and any Hunter merits. Even if you never plan to make use of various Hunter mechanics, I strongly recommend choosing a Profession, as it adds a level of depth to a mortal PC that is appropriate.Professions

Professions are a core aspect of Hunter, a near substitution for the standard X-axis (Clan, Path, Auspice, etc) of the other venues. Professions can be found in three books: Hunter: the Vigil, Spirit Slayers, and Compacts and Conspiracies. The listed professions are below. Tied to the Profession “splat” is the Professional Training merit, found in Hunter: the Vigil pg. 68-69. This merit further enhances the profession, and allows for more benefit with Asset Skills.

Professions in Hunter: the Vigil (pages 74-93): Academic, Artist, Athlete, Cop, Criminal, Detective, Doctor, Engineer, Hacker, Hit Man, Journalist, Laborer, Occultist, Professional, Religious Leader, Scientist, Socialite, Soldier, Technician, Vagrant.

Profession in Spirit Slayers (pages 144-145): OutdoorsmanProfession in Compacts and Conspiracies (page 64-65): ExecutiveProfession in Blood Drive SAS (page 7): Salesman

Risking WillpowerAll Hunters may utilize a mechanic known as “Risking Willpower.” This mechanic is outlined in the Hunter: the Vigil book on pages 65-66. While the benefits to Risking Willpower are apparent immediately, there are risks and drawbacks as well. Specific notes accounting for lesser templates are below:

■ The prohibition on Risking Willpower for powers includes Psychic merits, Thaumaturge merits, Proximi powers, Dampyr abilities, Ghoul disciplines or devotions, and any other Lesser Template power.

■ Ghouls may not Risk Willpower when acting against or resisting their vampire Regnant.

Tier 2 CompactsHunters and all Lesser Templates save Ghouls and Proximi can be members of Compacts--loosely organized

hunter factions of multiple cells that are spread throughout regions or large parts of a nation. Compacts are the start of something greater, the beginnings of true Hunter organization, but are not as well-funded or organized as the much larger Conspiracies. It is important to note that while all Lesser Templates (save Ghouls and Proximi) have access to Compacts, such organizations are immediately suspicious of people with any magical or supernatural abilities (Psychics and Thaumaturges might be mistaken for Witches, for instance). Adequate care, role-play, and story concerns should be taken into account when Lesser Templates are members of Compacts. A list of sanctioned Compacts is as follows, though it’s worth noting that corebook compacts have extra write-ups in all the Hunter books:

Compacts in Hunter: the Vigil/Compacts and Conspiracies: Ashwood Abbey, The Long Night, The Loyalists of Thule, Network Zero, Null Mysteriis, The Union.Compacts in Night Stalkers: Barrett Commission, Maiden’s Blood Sisterhood, Night Watch.Compacts in Spirit Slayers: The Bear Lodge, Illuminated Brotherhood, The Talbot Group.Compacts in Witchfinders: Division Six, Keepers of the Source.Compact in Ancient Bloodlines: Ahl al-Jabal.

Special Note: Each of the corebook compacts also have short write-ups in each of the other hunter books, specifying their philosophies on major supernatural creatures. It is highly recommended, in the process of character research, to read these sections.

Note on Compact Endowments: Compacts and Conspiracies provides non-supernatural endowments for the corebook Compacts. These merits are good additions to any Compact-tiered Hunter. It is also worth noting that while Network Zero is considered a proto-conspiracy and both of its endowments are available, Lesser Templates may still join it.

Tier 3 Conspiracies

37

Hunters with no Lesser Template may join the Conspiracies--groups that either have existed for centuries or are so well-funded that they can field large cells of Hunters with arcane mysteries or advanced technology. Conspiracy Hunters are almost a Lesser Template to themselves, complete with mystical or powerful Endowments and towing the line between humanity and the monsters they face. These groups are highly structured and organized, and significant interaction can be expected from the higher ups in the organization at some point. It is important to note that these groups have a wealth of secrets, many of which are discussed in the Hunter books, but are not known to the average member.

Conspiracies in Hunter: the Vigil/Compacts and Conspiracies: Aegis Kai Doru, Ascending Ones, Cheiron Group, Lucifuge, Malleus Maleficarum, Task Force Valkyrie.Conspiracies in Other Books: Vanguard Serial Crimes Unit [VASCU] (Slashers).

Special Note: The corebook conspiracies have write-ups in all of the Hunter books, specifying their philosophies on the major supernaturals as well as new Endowments, many specific to hunting those monster types. It is highly recommended that these sections be read as character research.

Hunter MeritsGenerally, all Hunter merits are available to any Lesser Template. This includes the Hunter Merits from Spirit

Slayers and Night Stalkers. It is worth noting, however, that the Kin merit is not sanctioned (use the expanded Wolf-blooded merit from Blood of the Wolf), and that Ghouls cannot take the Unbondable merit. The Slasher-specific merits are not sanctioned. The Gifted and Gnosis merits are not sanctioned.

13. Auras

Every being on the planet has an aura, an energy field that emanates outward from the being that reveals various things. Creature type, emotion, possession, and even certain sins are clearly visible in a creature’s aura. Many inhabitants of the World of Darkness are capable of viewing and interpreting auras.

Reading a person’s aura is both subtle and overt. While there is usually no outward manifestation of the power invoked to read an aura (though some powers do have a visible sign), aura reading requires to reader to stare intently at their subject. Sometimes this can be done surreptitiously. Sometimes it is blatant. Regardless of how it is performed, the answers are the same. A vampire using Auspex or a mage using Supernal Vision will see the same information in a person’s aura.

Various shifting hues of color make up a person's aura. Mastering reading these hues can take years, if not a lifetime. Most individuals do have numerous colors in their auras, but usually only one or two are dominant at any given time. The most intense the emotion, the stronger the color is.

One thing all aura readers understand is this skill is an art, not a science.

Creature Type Aura Signifier

Blood Bather Aura “dripping” with red-black streaks

Body Thief Shadow superimposed on aura

Changelings Aura shredded, as if by sharp thorns

Changing Breeds Intensely vibrant aura, with bright green and yellow dappling

Dampyr Normal human aura muted/tinged with pale red

Fetch Baseline human

Ghost Splotchy, flickering aura

38

Ghouls shot through with deep red & bright green & somewhat weak & muted

Hunter Baseline human; no special effects unless other Lesser Template

Mage Myriad sparkles in aura

Mummy/Arisen Pale aura with a thin golden outline

Possessed Aura cast in dark shadow

Promethean Fiery aura

Proximi Aura surrounded by pseudo-nimbus echoing aspects of all Paths

Psychic Muted sparks of random color

Purified Aura surrounded by brilliant golden-rainbow shimmer

Sin-Eater Patchwork of baseline human and ghosts

Slashers Aura sucked into “black hole”

Sleepwalker Faint glimmers of power within aura, Mages perceive aura as weak & muted

Thaumaturge Baseline human but with slight sparkles outlining aura

Vampire Aura colors are pale

Werewolf Intensely vibrant aura, with rippling purple streaks1

Wolfblooded Slightly vibrant aura

Fae-Touched Leaf shaped swirls of green and white light that envelop aura

Emotion/Condition Aura Color/Signifier

Afraid Orange

Aggressive Purple

Angry Bright Red

Bitter Brown

Calm Light Blue

Compassionate Pink

Confused Mottled, shifting colors

Conservative Lavender

Daydreaming Sharp, flickering colors

Depressed Gray

Desirous/Lustful Deep Red

Diablerist Black veins in aura

Distrustful Light Green

Dominated/Controlled Weak, muted aura

Envious Dark Green

39

Excited Violet

Frenzied Rapidly rippling colors

Generous Rose

Happy Vermilion

Hateful Black

Idealistic Yellow

Innocent White

Love-struck Bright Blue

Magic Use Myriad sparkles

Oath-bound Red bands encircling aura

Oath-breaker Shattered red bands encircling aura

Obsessed Bright Green

Psychotic Hypnotic, swirling

Sad Silver

Soul-eater Inky veins in aura; the more souls eaten, the more veins present

Soulless Empty void where aura should be

Spiritual Gold

Supernaturally Weak Controlled, muted aura

Suspicious Dark Blue

Under a Gaes Black bands crisscrossing aura

Signer of a demonic Pact Constrained by flaming chains

1Note: While in Hishu (human) or Urhan (wolf) forms, the true nature of the werewolf is more difficult to detect. Any attempt to determine the aura of a Werewolf in either of these forms suffers a -2 penalty.

40