Merits & Flaws

## Buying

I'm using the BNS rules for gaining/losing Merits and Flaws after entering play.

* Gaining or losing a merit or flaw requires genuine plot and character development. You cannot just spend the XP.
* Spending one downtime per Merit/Flaw point on self-improvement might be sufficient, with narrator approval. Merits gained in this manner may not take you over the 7 point cap.
* You may be required to buy off a flaw if you don't play it out or if it becomes irrelevant.
* XP
	+ Gaining a merit or losing a flaw costs double the point value in XP.
	+ You do not get an XP refund if you lose a merit or gain a flaw.
	+ If you gain a flaw or lose a merit and gain a merit or lose a flaw from the same source at the same time, the ST may allow the points to cancel each other out.

## Specific Merits & Flaws

* Additional Discipline: Requires backstory for rare disciplines.
* Amnesia: Please give me a few months to get to know your character before researching your backstory, especially if you didn't submit any clues.
* Boon: Only applies to NPCs. Boons between PCs do not require a merit and must be worked out between yourselves.
* Common Sense: New or uncertain players may take this merit for free.
* Computer Aptitude is now Clockwork Aptitude.
* Cursed: Requires approval.
* Dark Secret: Being a member of the Anarch Movement is not an appropriate secret.
* Nightmares: Make the Willpower checks at difficulty 5, not 7. Roll before games and downtime scenes.
* Nine Lives: Only available to players who have established their willingness and ability to track things honestly.
* Repelled by Crosses applies to all symbols of faith.
* Stigmata: If you do not feed, you enter game with 1/4 blood instead of 1/2.
* Tic/Twitch: If you take this flaw, you must have an audible tic that will be noticeable in VR.
* True Faith
	+ If you botch, you affect yourself, and you add the number of ones to the difficulty of your next check.
	+ You may not start with more than one dot of True Faith. Additional dots require significant plot investment and cost a flat 7 points per dot.
	+ Swap the 2nd and 3rd dots of True Faith
* Vengeful: You must choose a fictional group as your target. The same applies to Phobia, if you choose to have people as your target.

### Merits & Flaws that require character ties

The following merits & flaws require character ties. You should arrange these ties with a PC, and he player must agree to act accordingly. If your relationship changes, you may be forced to buy off the flaw. Using NPCs is considered a soft ban.

* Bound & Broken Bond: You are not required to tell the player of your regnant whether you took the merit or the flaw.
* Catspaw
* Escaped Target
* Loathsome Regnant: Remember that some people may be uncomfortable watching this kind of abuse, and be prepared to shift from RP to narration.
* Old Flame
* Rival Sires
* Sire's Resentment

### Merits & Flaws that require PC buy-in

The following merits and flaws allow you to come in with an appropriate reputation, but PCs are not required to act accordingly. If you take a flaw that winds up not having an effect, you may be required to buy it off. You are strongly encouraged to discuss it with other players and must have at least one player commit to behaving appropriately IC.

* Bullyboy
* Clan Enmity
* Clan Friendship
* Disgrace to the Blood
* Expendable
* Failure
* Friend of the Underground
* Harmless
* Laughingstock: This flaw is allowed, although obviously without the Harpies involved.
* Lawman’s Friend
* Masquerade Breaker
* Narc
* New Arrival
* New Kid
* Overextended
* Primogen/Bishop Friendship
* Probationary Sect Member
* Rep
* Rising Star
* Sanctity
* Special Responsibility
* Uppity

### Merits & Flaws for recent Embraces

The following merits and flaws are only available to Kindred who were Embraced less than ten years ago.

* Former Ghoul
* Protege

#### Flaws that require consideration

The following flaws require some thought to make sure you don’t play them in a way that makes your character a threat to the setting:

* Incomplete Understanding: Make sure that you either understand enough to function or are willing to go through the motions even if you don’t understand why.
* Unconvinced: You should either pick a relatively minor tenet to argue against or exhibit unenthusiastic agreement to a major tenet.
* Victim of the Masquerade: Make sure that you have a reason that you are willing to play along, at least enough that you are not a threat to the Masquerade.

#### Flaws that require narrator approval

The following flaws require a discussion with the narrator about how to work with the plot instead of hijacking it. You may be denied or asked to change your narrative.

* Enemy
* Hunted
* Hunted Like a Dog
* Red List

## Disallowed Merits & Flaws

* Deaf (does not translate well to VR)
* Infertile Vitae (unlikely to come up)
* Language (moved to Knowledges)
* Mute (does not translate well to VR)
* Thirst for Innocence (a lot of people are uncomfortable with harm to children)