Modern Backgrounds

## Overview

Backgrounds are very open and easy to customise. There exist four mayor types of backgrounds, each allowing the player to create their own backgrounds and fully flesh out their character. Every background should the discussed with the Storyteller. Below are a list of references for the individual types of backgrounds that provide inspiration and scaling. For additional points any of these examples may be expanded upon. The mayor types are:

* **Relations-** *The character has established relations with a group or an individual. This can take many shapes; it might be simply prestige, a trade deal or eternal servitude. Who the chosen group is and how their relations to the character are can be worked out freely by the player. The Storyteller must approve it and determine a point cost. Below several examples are given to provide the player with inspiration.*
* **Personal-** *The character has gained specific abilties, insights or features from their backstory. This might be hate for a group of enemies driving them forward, being born with particualarly good looks or a high resistance to certain substances.*
* **Occult-** *Due to their Afflictions culture, their necromantic experiments or brushes with death the character has gained abilities, relations and insights unique to the undead.*
* **Resources-** *Encompasses the characters physical possessions; mostly money and property. They will have different ways of earning money aswell as owning facilties that provide them with value.*

## Relations References

* **Police Contact [5 points]-** The character has bribed an officer into their service. They can provide the character information about ungoing investigations or cover up criminal activies; for the right price of course.
* **Favour [5 points]-** An influencial person (like the mayor) or a powerful group (like a gang) owes the character a one-time favour.
* **Cobbler [5 points]-** The character has contacts to someone that can counterfeit and fake IDs, passports and govements records. The quality of these depends on the pay their contact recieves.
* **Informants [6 points]-** The character has employed a group of informants that have an open ear in the cities darker places, being able to provide the character with rumors or intel about movments in the criminal or undead world.
* **Smuggler [7 points]-** The character has contact with an underground smuggler that can sell them any substance or equippment necessairy, albeit these purchases won´t be cheap.
* **Community Attachment [8 points]-** The character has a strong influence in a local community. There are informants, supporters and benefactors within; making sure the character holds controll over the community and is informed about anything that happens within.
* **News Outlet [10 points]-** Through investments, personal interns and good connection the character has tremendous influence over a local news outlet. They can print or supress any information they want through it.
* **Gang [10 points]-** The character has a local gang under their influence, which will be reliable as long as it seems lucrative. Their leader is well equipped and has combat training, 6 higher members are also armed although they are lacking in experience, and the remaining 3 are simple dealers and petty criminals that can gather information or run errands.

* **Entourage**- *The character has a follower or named character that is loyal to them and may be taken into missions. While they will do most things the character demands of them, they still have their own will and convictions and are able to betray their masters.*
	+ **Pet Animal** [**2-5 points]-** Alive or as a Gravespawn; cost depending on animal
	+ **Gravespawn [5 points]-** With an imprisoned spirit [Lesser mortal with any proffession]
	+ **Spirit [5 points]-** that is bound to the material world and lingers around the character
	+ **Mortal [8 points]-** Lesser mortal with any proffession
	+ **Stryga [10 points]-** Lesser mortal with Stryga benefits
	+ **Wight [20 points]-** Normal character creation without XP and only 10 points to spend on powers
	+ **Afflicted [25 points]-** Normal character creation without XP and only 20 points to spend on powers
		- Every point of additional XP spend on this can be spend as 2 XP for the chosen character

### Undead Relations

* **Bloodcult [8 points]-** The Strigoi has amassed a fanatic following of cultists that believe them to be divine, and will do anything to be turned themselves. The Cult consists of ten members from various backgrounds; and while they are mostly unable to fight they can run errands and infiltrate smaller organisations; while providing the Strigoi with a safe way to feed. *Players are encouraged to work out a structure and set of tenets for their cult, which all members will incorporate in their believes/daily life to some extend.*
* **Mystery Cult [10 points]-** The character has roped several wealthy mortals in a secret soceity that deals in the occult. It consists of five members each decently influencial and wealthy, that have learned simple necromantic powers and follow the character as an oracle for forces greater than their own understanding. The cultists can provide the character with favours or resources but are not mindlessly loyal and will demand necromantic secrets in return. *Players are encouraged to work out a structure and set of tenets for their cult, which all members will incorporate in their believes/daily life to some extend.*

## Resource References

* **Income-** The character has a secure source of income. For every point of Income they gain an additional point of Resources when trying to *Make Money* (3 AP Action). For every point of Income the XP costs double (1->2->4->8) (which must be payed each time they are increased). *For every second point of income the character needs to select a source.*
* **Savings-** For every point in this background the character starts the game with a point of Resources (that can not be regenerated).

### Property

* **Warehouse [3 points]-** The character owns a large warehouse at a port or distant area, that can be used to deposit goods safe and unseen.
* **Slaughter House [5 points]-** The character owns a large slaughter house at the outskirts of town; providing them with a cover for their bloodier operations aswell as providing low-quality sustenance in large quantities.
* **Appartment Complex [5 points]-** The character owns a large building housing up to 20 apartments of low to middle class income people. This may provide a source for information or food. *This can also be chosen as a source of income.*
* **Cementery [5 points]-** The character owns a small cementery at the outskirts of town, hosting up to 100 graves.
* **Crematory [7 points]-** The character gains an unsuspicious access to corpses.
* **Nightclub [10 points]-** The character owns a small nightclub that attracts visitors from 10 pm to 4 am every night; providing a great place for prey, information and trade aswell as an easy stage for socialising. *This can also be chosen as a source of income.*
* **Hospital [12 points]-** The character has taken controll over a large medical facility with several doctors, nurses, sickbeds and a lab. This provides them with countless opportunities for easy prey, experiment grounds and access to medicine of virtually any kind.

## Personal References

* **Hatred [3 points]-** *The character has developed a deep seated hatred against an individual or a group. Should they encounter them, their spiteful passion fuels any of their actions, allowing them to invest much greater mental resources against them.* When directly acting against a chosen person or group the character despises, they may reroll any roll targeting them (once).
* **False Identiy [5 points]-** *The character has carefully crafted a false identity, entailing legal documents and records aswell as friends and false relatives that can testify for them.* Once per session the character may back up a false identity with legal documents and a mortal friend that can publicly vauch for its validity.
* **Bewitching Beauty [5 points]-** The characters appereance is extremly attractive to a specific group of people (e.g. Traditionalists, Wealthy or poor People, a subculture like goth); and may add +3 points/dice on their *Impression* and *Seduction Rolls* when talking with them.
* **Shadow on the Wall [10 points]-** *The character is a master infiltrator, being able to bypass any defense and seemingly move through locked doors to find their target*; *while being unnoticed by anyone in their path.* Once per session the character may bypass any outside protection and enter a chosen building unseen.

## Occult References

### Gifts of Flesh

* **Shadowsight [5 points]-** *The Afflicted is able to switch their sensory imput; connecting themselves to the surrounding darkness; being able to use them as an extension of their own self.* The Afflicted may turn themselves blind and make a Perception + Alertness Roll. Every success increases the range with which they can use the surrounding darkness to feel movements, solid objects and lightsources within them.
* **Inhuman Sprint [8 points]-** *The Afflicted is able to move through their material surroundings with extreme speed and grace.* When sprinting the Afflicted may tripple their speed.
* **Weightless Flesh [10 points]-** *The Afflicted is able to become partially incorporeal for a split second while retaining their physical strength; allowing them to gain a sudden burst of speed.* The Afflicted can jump up to 8 meters horizontally and 10 meters vertically.

### Lineage Structures

* **Midnight Communion [5 points]-** *All members of the local* *House will gather every month on a local cementery or chapel during midnight, making connections and exchanging macabre secrets.* [1 AP]- Once per time unit the character may attend the *Midnight Communion*. They may ask a member of their faction a single question or unlock a *single power, ritual* or *knowledge*. In return they must truthfully answer a question or must act as a trainer for another power, ritual or knowledge.
* **Shadow and Secrecy [5 points]**- *The characters Clan practices strict secrecy about their acitivities and agency, working together to ensure none of their secrety spill to the outside.* Once per session they character may gain free cover up for something that would expose their Subfactions acitivites (within reason). Should they however fail to keep secrets from the outsiders, they will be severly punished.
* **Ossuary Access [5 points]-** *The Clan organises itself in a shared refuge across each city, in which all their members live together and from which they coordinate their actions.* The character will be provided with an improved Refuge, however all members of their subfaction will have access to it.
* **Ancestral Communion [8 points]-** *While Afflicted toss aside their mortal life and relatives without hesitation or afterthougt, they have a strong connection to their unliving relatives. Many of them trace back powerful Necromancers and Afflicted that shaped their own Subfaction and Lineage to commune with their spirit.* Through a ritual similar to the Beckoning and the use of their own Essence and the right name, the character can summon a deceased member of their Lineage.
* **Rule of Two [10 points]-** *The characters Bloodline has developed a paticularly strong bond between masters and students of their arts; meaning freshly turned Afflicted will assign a master from which they learn until the Bloodline considers them fully learned.* The character may either choose a knowledgable master that will teach them necromancy and knowledges, but will demand loyalty in return; or have a younger apprentice they must train but in turn recieve their loyalty.
* **Undead Coven [10 points]-** *The character Bloodline organises themselves in small covens that emcompass all local members of the Subfaction. By the Bloodlines laws they owe each other loyalty and hospitality, and must coordinate their efforts in unity to best serve the Bloodline.* The character will be part of a Coven with three other Afflicted of their own faction. They are well connected and must aid each other with certain endevours.

### Lich Worship

Benefitting from the worship of a Lich is much less reliable than other backgrounds. The characters prayers will not always be heared; although the chances rise if they have earned their dieties attention or favour. *(The Storyteller may roll to see if the prayer is heared and add a point for every time the player did something to earn their liches favour)*

* **Boons of the Undying [3 points]-** *The Cultist provides their Lich Master with a great sacrifice, tossing it into a fiery pit fed with bone and rotting flesh. Should the sacrifice be accepted they may ask or directly gain a supernatural boon.* [1 AP]- The Cultist may sacrifice a human, artifact or Afflicted. Depending on the importance of the sacrifice they may be rewarded with a supernatural effect or directly ask for one.
* **Cleansing Touch [5 points]-** *The Cultist invokes their Lich Master atop the altar of worship, begging the Lich to relieve them of the Marks of Corruption their foul arts have placed on them; and offering great compensation for the divine alleviation.* [1 AP]- The Cultist prays to their chosen Lich to remove them of any amount of Aberration. If their Master will hear them the Cultist is presented with a task they must fufill; afterwards the chosen amount of Aberration will be removed.
* **Malign Presence [5 points]-** *The Cultist burns offerings and symbols of worship to their chosen Lich in an attempt to manifest their presence in an area.* [2 AP]- Should the Cultists prayer be heared they may choose any area and in- or decrease the Veil by an amount chosen (or rolled) by the Storyteller.
* **Lich-Curse [5 points]-** *The Cultist offers their Master a bait, pointing to an enemy of their machinations and calling upon their wraith to come down upon the Cultists unsuspecting foe.* [2 AP]- The Cultist must provide a Sympathetic Link pointing to a target while performing this ritual. Depending on the quality of the Link and the favour of the Lich the chosen target gains any amount of Aberration.
* **The Summoning [10 points]-** *The Cultist may perform a terrible and forbidden ritual; placing the required offerings and resources around a ritual circle in order to open a gateway into the Underworld and bring fourth a servant of their Lich Master.* [1 AP]- The Cultist may attempt to summon a Wraith. This requires specific ritual resources they will be informed about beforehand.

### Seasononal Aspects

* **Season Bound [8 points]-** A common (although not exclusive) manifestation of the Revenant curse is a strong bound to the seasons. While their power and mindset shifts with them, some have unlocked great abilities which they can call upon during the befitting season. While aquiring all effects requires [8 points], the players may also choose to only gain individual ones.
	+ **Azure Serpent of the East [3 points]-** During the spring the character may shed their Essence to grow plantlife on the soil in supernatural speed. When making a Composure + Empathy Roll they may controll the vegetation around them, animating it with their will and causing it to move, grow or thresh out.
	+ **Red Bird of the South [3 points]-** During the summer the character gains controll over fire, allowing them cease or fuel it with a Perception + Confidence Roll.
	+ **White Cat of the West [3 points]-** During the fall the character gains controll over earth and stone, allowing them to very slowly shift, loosen or strengthen it with a Charisma + Willpower Roll.
	+ **Black Toad of the North [3 points]-** During the winter the character gains controll over ice and snow; allowing them to reshape or melt it, freeze bodies of water and give mortals intense feelings of cold or warmth through an Intellect + Inner Eye Roll.
* **Shifting Locus [5 points]-** *The character undergoes a strong transformation during each season; completly altering their powers and sometimes even their appereance.* The character may choose a separate set of Necromantic Powers and Corruptions that replaces their current depending on the season.

### Other

* **Undying Vow [5 points]-** The character may take on a sacred Vow to complete a challence of choice. When finally fufilling the Vow they may rid themselves of a Corruption feature; and may choose to take on another.
* **Cruel Curiosity [5 points]-** *The Bloodsorcerer is invested in their unnatural research, recieving cold pleasure from causing the most efficient or horrific mutations.* Whenever causing a Mutation (to anyone) the character regains a point of Binding. In addition they may spend two points of Binding when causing damage through Accursed Vitae, which will always cause a Mutation.
* **Defy Bane [5 points]-** The character must choose a condition they must fufill, which will grant them a temporary immunity against their *Bane, Weakness* or *Vunerability.*
* **Skin-Dancers Insight [8 points]-** When assuming an different physical shape with any power the character may replace up to three powers known to them with new ones of equal or lower value. This will revert when taking back their old shape. They may only build a single selection of alternate powers.
* **Minds Blade [5 points]-** *The characters mirages are much more than just simple mind tricks; but burn themselves deep in the victims psyche.* Once per session the character may burn an illusion they cast on a chosen target into their mind; causing them to be haunted by the sensory imput they just recieved as it will appear again and again before their inner eye in the following days.