Territory Consolidation

The Territory Consolidation modifier is represents how under- or over-extended you are in maintaining your stretches of territory. Having multiple, scattered territories that are not interconnected gives you a penalty because you are overextended. Having allies close by who can help you maintain your territory gives you a bonus.

When to apply the Consolidation modifier:

* Every roll that interacts with territory except for hunting rolls.
* The modifier is always fixed for an individual character and doesn’t change no matter what territory they’re in.
* This roll applies to Clout only because Claim is not rolled.
* Ghouls, thralls and unreleased childer have their own modifier even if they hold their territory under their Regnant’s name.
* Territories in dispute do not provide a bonus. However if you are one of the characters involved in the dispute, you still take a penalty as if you own that territory.

### Bonuses:

+1 for each member of the same **bloc** owning a territory adjacent to yours. Up to a maximum of +5. Each member provides the bonus only once. Ghouls, thralls and unreleased childer count as their own person.

### Penalties:

-2 for each additional territory, not counting the first.

-2 for each territory that do not share a border, not counting the first.

-2 for each territory not in the same borough, not counting the first.

The consolidation modifier considers ‘all’ the territories that an individual character owns as a whole. Therefore, it does not change from territory to territory, but from character to character. The number changes as you get involved with more or less territories.

The penalties are cumulative and stackable. The same penalty is also applied to territories in the process of being claimed. If a Kindred has a territory of her own and is helping you claim a territory, your helpful ally will suffer a -2 penalty across the board for all territory actions (excluding hunting rolls) as long as the job is not resolved.

If you are unsure of how to calculate your consolidation modifier, ask a member of staff. Read on below if you want to know more about this mechanic.

## Blocs

When you’ve been in town long enough, you hear things like;

“The south west of the city is an Ordo Dracul stronghold. The whole area is weird and quiet. Even the buildings are constructed to align with so-called ley lines.”

“The downtown area belongs to the Invictus. The Masquerade is tight here. Gentrification is a surety; the whole area just teems with the decadence of Western capitalism.”

“The old historical district is the domain of the Nosferatu. I don’t understand their obsession with haunted houses and abandoned fortresses. You hardly ever see anyone walking down the street at night. Makes me feel isolated and lonely.”

Not just territories, but entire regions take on the characteristics of those who claim them. The blood flows both ways. Consciously, a vampire may try to manipulate a territory to suit their own needs. When several territories in a region are manipulated to serve the same purpose, the effects are amplified. Whole regions take on distinct personalities. These regions are called “blocs”, held by a group of similar-minded characters who are in an “alliance”.

There is no limit to the total number of characters in a bloc, but the total number of territories in a bloc cannot exceed 24 (half the total number of territories in the Praxis rounded up).

Blocs usually form along the lines of clan or covenant, though they may not be. Members of the same bloc should gear their territories towards the same purpose. A Kindred can only belong to one bloc. Ghouls, thralls and unreleased childer must always belong to the same bloc as their Regnant. They are considered separate entities and have their own bonus and penalties - as characters they considered capable of managing a territory all on their own without the overextension of their Regnant.

Ghouls, thralls, unreleased childer, and all other Support characters are limited to one territory.

To form your own bloc, just submit a +request. Include in your request the name of your bloc, the members, and the purpose of your bloc.

## Territory Disputes

Territories in dispute do not generate a bonus, because you can’t enjoy the benefits of a territory while fighting over it with some guy. Territories in dispute do generate a penalty, because you can still overextend while trying to exert a claim over an additional territory. For the purposes of the penalty, territories that you are trying to claim count the same as territories that you “own”.

In a territory dispute, the system is designed to favour the Kindred who doesn’t already have a territory. The Kindred who has no existing territories takes zero penalty, while the Kindred who has one territory to maintain takes a -2 penalty. This -2 penalty applies to all her actions, in both claiming her new territory and maintaining her existing one. This leaves her existing territory open to attack, and so a Kindred must be very judicious in deciding when and where to claim the additional territory.

The penalty also applies when you roll dice in teamwork to help someone else. This is why the Kindred do not lend a hand lightly;

## Examples:

Vlad has the territory of Kreuzberg, Grunewald and Nikolassee. He has no allies, and so gains no bonus. He tallies up his penalties as follows:

-2 for each additional territory: Vlad owns three territories, so two of his provide -2 each, giving him a penalty of -4.

-2 for each territory not sharing a border: Kreuzberg does not share a border with Grunewald and Nikolassee. It provides a penalty of -2.

-2 for each territory not in the same borough. Grunewald and Nikolassee are not in the same borough as Kreuzberg. They provide a penalty of -2 each, giving him a penalty of -4.

The total number is -10. Vlad is very overextended, owning three non-interconnected territories that stretch out over different boroughs. All of his actions made to interact with any territory (except hunting rolls) takes a -10 penalty. He is very likely to lose his territories to someone not as invested. He can rectify this by finding allies, by buying up his stats to exceptional levels, or by getting rid of one of his territories (getting rid of Kreuzberg brings his penalty down to just -4)

### Example two:

Vlad decides to form a bloc with Mina and Lucy. Their stated purpose is “To promote an environment suited to occult research and the pursuit of Transcendency.” He gains a ghoul, Reinhardt, and gives him the control of Kreuzberg in his name (this is termed Clout. See the page on Territory Claims). Mina controls Wannsee, which is adjacent to Nikolassee, and Lucy controls Tiergarten, which shares a border with Kreuzberg.

His bonuses and penalties are tallied up as follows:

+1 for each Ally: Mina gives Vlad a bonus of +1. Lucy gives a bonus to Reinhardt, as her territory is adjacent to his. (Lucy gains a bonus to her own modifier from Reinhardt, as Reinhardt is considered an “Ally”.)

-2 for each additional territory: Vlad owns two territories, Grunewald and Nikolassee, which gives him a penalty of -2. He does not take a penalty for Kreuzberg because it is controlled by his ghoul.

-2 for each territory not sharing a border: Kreuzberg does not provide a penalty because it is controlled by his ghoul.

-2 for each territory not in the same borough: Grunewald and Nikolassee are not in the same borough, so Vlad applies a penalty of -2. Kreuzberg does not provide a penalty.

Now Vlad’s consolidation modifier is -3. It is barely a dent in Vlad’s dice pool, as Vlad is an elder with maxed out stats and deep coffers. He still has control over Grunewald, Nikolassee, and Kreuzberg, and gains the benefits of such. Now Vlad can enjoy his swaths of territory and rest easy knowing that his position won’t be easily usurped by some aspiring neonate.