Background House Rules

# **Backgrounds**

((https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BuX5-LyFiMRp9-sbF4p19nlDcBVko0pfs3VAf2xfAzo/edit?usp=sharing ))

### **Ancestors:**

Rather than what the book says, Ancestors just adds its rating in dice to an ability for a scene once a day.

### **Rituals:**

Rituals: The background is removed for garou and fera, and only sabbat Kindred can take it.

*Shifters*: 1xp per level

*Kindred (Thaumaturgy, Necromancy, etc) And sorcerers*: 2xp per level

### **Retainers and Kinfolk Retainers:**

Both groups will run mostly the same, each one you posses has 3 abilities they are good at, one influence and one 'magic power' (for ghouls it's a discipline, for kinfolk it's a kinfolk gift of rank one or a level 1 or 2 kinfolk fetish or talen)

### **Occult Library:**

Some people have accumulated vast stores of mystical knowledge over their many years. Such resources may have been inherited from a character’s sire, treasures gleaned from ancient journeys, gifts from a mentor or even stolen from rivals. In fact, a library need not even be printed – books contained on a USB drive, or even a Contact who knows Occult lore may be considered a library for the purposes of this Background.

Whatever form it takes, an Occult Library aids the character in certain conundrums requiring knowledge of the mystical or magical. Whenever the player needs to make a roll involving the Occult Knowledge, and her character has the opportunity

to consult the books, she may call upon this Background to help. While this won’t be of much aid if the character is held prisoner by another Kindred, or visiting a foreign city, if the character is in her own library the information may prove invaluable. This Background may be taken in addition to the Occult Library merit.

● A few books: +1 die to Occult dice pools

●● A modest collection: +1 die to Occult dice pools, -1 to Occult difficulties

●●● Many noteworthy titles: +2 dice to Occult dice pools, -1 to Occult difficulties

●●●● A wide variety of lore: +2 dice to Occult dice pools, -2 to Occult difficulties

●●●●● A veritable magical encyclopedia: +3 dice to Occult dice pools, -2 to Occult difficulties

### **Equipment**:

This background grants an unique item to the PC, this item must be made and checked over by the STs. It cannot be a fetish.

### **Totem (For Shifters):**

The Point-Buy Totem System allows players to create unique Totems for their Packs. Each Totem must have a solid theme, be part of a Brood, and have a type (War, Respect, Wisdom, or Cunning). The Spirit picked is completely up to you, just make sure the Traits and Bans are appropriate to the Spirit.

All Totems give Pack-link for free. Also, all Traits given by the totem are given to all of the pack members. The cost of Totem dots, Totem Powers, and charms have not changed from the book.

#### **Traits:**

These are the bonuses that the Totem gives to the Pack. Totems can only have 1 Epic Trait.

#### **Unique Traits:**

These cover the unusual Totem Traits in the books. They will count as either Moderate or Major Traits, to be determined by the ST’s

#### **Stacking Traits:**

A dice pool can never have bonuses from two Totem Traits. (Attributes, and Abilities) If this does happen, the highest is used.

#### **Bans:**

These are the conditions that the Totem has put on the Pack. If these are broken, the Totem will often punish the pack, or leave them. Totems can have up to 3 Bans. 2 Major, and 1 Epic.

#### **Pack size:**

A Totem can normally support 2-6 members. Personal Totems are the exception.

#### **Personal Totems:**

You are the only member of your Pack. Personal Totems have a Ban that you do not get any points for, and does not count as one of your 3 Bans. For most it is the Ban Dishonorable: -1 honor per honor reward. Silent Striders, and members of Camps known for having Personal Totems instead get a unique Ban based on their group. Fera with personal Totems get no extra Ban.

#### **Totem level and Cost:**

Add up all of the costs for the totems Traits, and then subtract the total value of the Bans. This is the Base cost and level of the Totem. The Totems level can never be higher than 10.

#### **Trait Lists**

##### **Minor Traits (cost 2)**

•    +1 Dice to rolls with one Ability. (Brawl, Performance, Occult, etc.)

•    Pack has use of 1 extra Rage, Gnosis, or Willpower per game session.

•    Totem gives use of a Rank 1 Breed or Auspice Gift.

##### **Moderate Traits (cost 3)**

•    +2 Dice to rolls with one Ability. (Brawl, Performance, Occult, etc.)

•    Pack has use of 2 extra Rage, Gnosis, or Willpower per game session.

•    Totem gives use of a Rank 2 Breed or Auspice Gift.

•    +1 Dice to rolls with one Attribute. (Stamina, Charisma, Wits, etc.)

•    Lesser Unique Totem Traits.

##### **Major Traits (cost 4)**

•    +3 Dice to rolls with one Ability. (Brawl, Performance, Occult, etc.)

•    Pack has use of 3 extra Rage, Gnosis, or Willpower per game session.

•    Totem gives use of a Rank 3 Breed or Auspice Gift.

•    +2 Dice to rolls with one Attribute, or +1 to two different Attributes. (Stamina, Charisma, Wits, etc.).

•    Greater Unique Totem Traits.

##### **Epic Traits (cost 5)**

•    +4 Dice to rolls with one Ability. (Brawl, Performance, Occult, etc.)

•    Pack has use of 4 extra Rage, Gnosis, or Willpower per game session.

•    +1 to a Rage, Gnosis, or Willpower. This acts as if the score was actually 1 higher.

•    Totem gives use of a Rank 4 Breed or Auspice Gift.

•     +2 to one Attribute, or +1 to two different Attributes. (Stamina, Charisma, Wits, etc.) This acts as if the Attribute was actually higher, not just a dice bonus.

#### **Ban Lists**

##### **Major Bans (3 points)**

•    Pack is deemed Cowardly. -1 glory per glory reward.

•    Pack is deemed Dishonorable. -1 honor per honor reward.

•    Pack is deemed Foolish. -1 wisdom per wisdom reward.

•    +3 diff to one Ability’s use(Brawl, Performance, Occult, etc.). Please roll-play this, it should affect how you act.

•    -2 Dice to rolls with one Attribute, or -1 to two different Attributes. (Stamina, Charisma, Wits, etc.).

•     Rules. Either a “Must always . . .“, or “May never. . .“ Examples: Protect the innocent, Accept challenges to combat, “Harm” a specific group, Help specific group, tell the truth to a large group, accept hospitality.

•     Monthly Sacrifice. Must be significant. Examples: a human(appropriate), a hand, an eye, hearing, $100,000, a fetish(level 2 or higher).

##### **Epic Bans (4 points)**

•    Pack is deemed very Cowardly. -2 glory per glory reward.

•    Pack is deemed very Dishonorable. -2 honor per honor reward.

•    Pack is deemed very Foolish. -2 wisdom per wisdom reward.

•     Can not use one Ability. (Brawl, Performance, Occult, etc.) You will always fail on these rolls. Please roll-play this, it should affect how you act greatly.

•    -2 to one Attribute, or -1 to two different Attributes. (Stamina, Charisma, Wits, etc.) This acts as if the Attribute was actually lower, not just a dice penalty.

•    Epic Rules. Either a “Must always . . .“, or “May never. . .“ Examples: Accept all challenges, always tell the truth, never/always kill a certain group (lawyers, BSDs, Silver fangs, etc.), “Help” a group (women, humans, Shifters, etc.), “Harm” a group (men, Spirits, Wyrm tainted).

•    Weekly/Permanent Sacrifice: Must be significant. Examples of Weekly: a human(appropriate), $100,000, a fetish(level 2 or higher). Examples of Permanent: Hand, eye, Your Family, all wealth.

**Clarifications**
•    You can only buy one Trait that boosts Attributes.
•    Bans lower than Major can be taken, but will be cleared by STs.

•     The terms “Help”, and “Harm” are placeholders for more specific descriptors of how that group should be “Helped, or Harmed”. Be creative.

•    All Traits and Bans must be appropriate to the Totem.

•    All Totems must be approved by an ST before use.

•    Paperwork, and the Pack must have an updated copy of Totems Sheet.

•    If a pack mate leaves or dies, you have 4 weeks to replace their totem dots, before those points are removed from the Totem.

•    If you leave a Totem, your Totem dots are lost.
•    If you are kicked out of a Pack, your Totem dots are lost.