Lore

Knowledge is power. We’ve all heard that saying. When you’re a decades or centuries old immortal undead creature, that goes double-tripley so. Lores are what keep a character alive, knowing the capabilities of friends and foes alike, and the wealth and riches of history and the supernatural that’s to be found out there.

Whether your character is a lore-seeker, gathering up every bit of knowledge like a rabid beast, or she is a low-down street punk who simply wants to deal and sell the information like any other commodity, holding lore is rarely anything but an extreme benefit to your character. People will pay top dollar for it. Some will offer boon after boon to be let in on a particularly rare or juicy bit of lore. Many would kill for knowledge.

Not everything can fall into the “Lore” category. Keep in mind, lore in this game is strictly limited to Supernatural topics. Lore Rituals; Lore Kindred; Lore Vitae; these are things you can see. Lore Blacksmithing; Lore Physics; Lore Haberdashery; these are not lores. These would be crafts, or science, or academics. Some topics may overlap into the two. After all, Academics (Mayans) will give you information on the history of the Mayans. Lore Mayans would give you information on the Magic, Sacrificial rites, and Supernatural beings who existed in the Mayan empire.

Mechanically, lore is not easy to come by. After all, not many people are looking to spread information to the masses, at least without making them pay through the nose for it. If you were a cool kid who knew everything there was to know about the Ventrue, every bit of history, every secret, every feeding restriction of the Ventrue, would you want that getting out so that everyone can know and exploit it?

There are many ways to find lore in game, if you’re looking for it. We’re willing to work with people to make a cool story out of how you find the lore, if you can. Many times, it may take some months to find and learn lore, if not more for the ultra-rare lores. Many of them you will have to detail how you’re finding it, if you don’t have an immediate and willing teacher.

Some lores you’ll need to experiment for.

Some lores you’ll need a test subject for.

Some lores you’ll need to creep through darkk and spoopy crypts for.

No matter how you do it, it’s always worth it, and always valuable.

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Unlike the way the Lore works in the BNS core book, each Lore in Parliament of Savages must be purchased starting at 1 Dot, and advancing up to 5 or more Dots. Here are some examples and generalizations of what the dots may mean.

1 Dot - The very, very basics. That something exists; generally, just a clarification or synopsis of something. “Vampires exist. Vampires drink blood; they don’t hop or count rice; they don’t come out in the daytime. They have supernatural powers and gifts, and can be supernaturally fast, strong, and resilient.”

2 Dots - Slightly more; the Functional Knowledge of a thing. Basics, with no real history. “Vampires seem to be resistant to club and bludgeoning. They are very hurt by fire, and sunlight, and can be stopped by a wooden stake in the heart. They are separated into these 2 sects only, and you know a half to a third of the clans.”

3 Dots - The information that a member of the Sphere, or group would have. No special secrets, or hidden truths, just what “Average Joe BloodDrinker,” would know. “The vampires have these 13 clans, and these sects. Diablerie is bad. The Camarilla has these Traditions, and accords with the other sects. The Sabbat believes in Caine. This all started back in a place called Carthage… You know about the common disciplines in detail, but -not- the rare disciplines or Clans.”

4 Dots - You are fully educated as a member of the group, or on the topic of the Lore. You can be a teacher, or considered an expert. You even know quite a few secrets or ‘hidden’ bits that the common man wouldn’t have known. “You can name the three members of the Second generation: Zillah the beautiful, Irad the Strong and Enoch. You know the commandments of Caine. You have heard of the effects of a few of the Elder powers available in the common Disciplines. You have heard rumors of the Inconnu. You know that Diablerie involves devouring the soul of the other kindred, that it makes the Diablerist more powerful and that sometimes... it goes wrong...You have heard rumors about some of the rare clan-specific Disciplines (Chimestry, Necromancy, Obtenebration, Quietus, Serpentis, and Vicissitude).”

5 Dots - You are a master of your topic. Everything than anyone knows what to ask about is what you know. Now, keep in mind… There’s always more to know, even when you seem to know everything. “A working familiarity with several versions of the Book of Nod as well as some other apocryphal writings. “ You know the legends surrounding the Diablerie of the Antediluvians (Saulot, Brujah, Cappadocius). You can name all the Bloodlines, including those that are extinct. You have heard rumors about inter-clan divisions such as Assamite Castes, City/Country Gangrel and the difference between Dementation and Dominate Malkavians. You know basic rumors about all the Bloodline-specific Disciplines. You can name all of the Antideluvians and many Methuselah as well. You know about all the Revanent families and know their histories.”

These are the lores restricted or banned outright from purchase at character creation.

Restricted at Creation:

Werewolf/Garou (General) Lore: 1 Dot

(Gangrel may start with 2)

Mage Lore (General): 1 Dot

(Tremere may start with 2)

Out Of Clan Lore: 2 Dots

Sabbat Lore: 2 Dots

Rare Clan Lore: 1 Dot

Other Planar Lore (Umbra’s, Shadowlands, etc.): 1 Dots

Hunter Lore: 1 Dot

Wraith Lore: 1 Dot

Necromancy: 0 (2 Dots with the Necromancy Merit)

Banned at Creation:

Wyrm Lore

Werewolf Tribes

Mage Traditions

Clan Lore for Sabbat Clans

Book of Nod Lore

Changeling (General) and all related Changeling Lores

Inquisition Lore

Mummy Lore

Lore Related to Any Other Supernaturals (Mummy; Bygones; Immortals; etc.)