Merits

The latest style in shoes, a newly released video game, a shiny, tricked-out bike — things all kids would love to have. Not all kids get them, but you do. Your parents or guardians may be so stinking rich that they don’t notice the money spent on your kid stuff, or they may have some other combination of monetary resources and parenting permissiveness. However the “financial managers” work it out, your character always has the stylish duds and required toys to keep up appearances in the neighborhood.

In addition, once per chapter, your character may make an outlandish request of the parent or guardian who holds the purse strings. To get them to accede, make a Manipulation + Subterfuge or Socialize roll (when purchasing this Merit, you must choose to use Subterfuge or Socialize, depending on your character’s relationship with her parents or guardians, and then stick with it). Success means your character gets the desired item. The expense of the item, or its nature, may impose a penalty on the roll. A video game, a metal detector, a set of two-way radios, even a $100 gift card to a nearby store are reasonable, or at least expected, requests and incur no penalty. An expensive bike, a new computer (for schoolwork, of course), or a pellet gun might raise eyebrows a bit (for a -1 to -3 penalty). Truly outlandish or dangerous requests — say, for an all-terrain vehicle, a swimming pool, or a real gun — might garner a penalty up to -5. Your character can gain a bonus on a roll by planting the seed of a desire with the parent (wistful mentions of the desired item, or pictures cut from magazines stuck to the fridge), but forgoing any Deep Pockets roll for a while. For each chapter in which the player sacrifices his use of the Deep Pockets Merit, he gains a +1 modifier, up to a maximum +5.

Drawback: What is given can be taken away. If your character does not take proper care of her toys (the ATV is wrecked, or the pellet gun is used to shoot the neighbor’s dog), she may find that she no longer gets what she wants — she loses access to this Merit temporarily, or permanently.

Kids thrive on well-deserved praise — not the forced kind that tells them that every child is a special snowflake, but praise that shows someone has really noticed what they do well. When your character receives an honest compliment on his talent in a Skill in which he has at least two dots, he receives a one-time +1 modifier on his next roll of that Skill in the same scene. This Merit can be used only once per Skill per scene.

Your character towers over other children. She is, for all intents and purposes, the same size as an adult. She wears adult clothing, can ride all the rides at amusement parks, and can survive a deploying airbag. She gains +1 Size (to the adult size of 5). This also grants her +1 Health. This also adds one die to any attempt to pass as an adult (see Disguise, p. 74).

Drawbacks: People have a tendency to treat your character like an adult, when she’s not. This can lead to awkward social situations. Also, she no longer fits on or in a whole lot of fun kid stuff. Finally, when Dodging, you don’t get as much of a bonus as most kids (see p. 142).

Someone is personally responsible for your character’s physical safety on a day-to-day basis. This custodian accompanies your character everywhere — to and from school, on shopping trips and picnic outings, even to check out the mummies in the museum; everywhere but around the house. A one-dot Guardian may be a nanny, au pair or tutor. A three-dot Guardian is a bodyguard, someone trained in close personal protection, who may even carry a gun and wear body armor. Obviously, a typical nanny or tutor isn’t trained to physically protect a child, but without a doubt, an accompanied child is much safer than one wandering around alone. Note: parents and other relatives may qualify for this Merit. The difference between a stay-at-home mom who is a Guardian and one who isn’t is that the former expects her child to not be safe, and/or to cause trouble. Most parents, rightly or wrongly, expect that their children not be in danger every day.

Drawback: Your character’s actions are limited by what the Guardian will allow. It is possible to ditch the Guardian to have a little fun, but it won’t be easy, especially if the Guardian has tactical training (or your character has a reputation for escapes and escapades). But at least if your character disappears, somebody knows he’s missing.

A strange presence watches over your character, keeping her safe from harm — or so it seems. She gets into and out of serious scrapes without any real harm.
When a bad situation could go either way, it always tips just right. Your character may just be lucky.
You have two options for the Guardian Angel Merit.

You might decide to specify what exactly the presence is that protects your character, give it traits and fully defined capabilities, and have the Storyteller control it during the game. The creature might be ghost or spirit (see p. 199), or a supernatural creature of some kind — perhaps even a vampire, werewolf or mage. The Appendix to this book gives some basic information on such creatures. Making the Guardian Angel into a character this way means that what it can and can’t do is very well defined, but it also means that the Angel can die. The Angel should still be invisible much of the time, only appearing and helping the character indirectly.

The second option is that the character just seems to get all the breaks. The “Guardian Angel” here is metaphorical, rather than being an actual, sentient creature. Before every chapter, the player rolls Resolve + Composure. Multiply the successes by two. The result is the number of bonus dice that can be used on any roll during that chapter. The dice can, instead, be applied to characters acting in direct opposition to the protected character as penalties. Each die can be used only once.

Example: Alice has the Guardian Angel Merit. Before the session starts, her player rolls Resolve + Composure and gets three successes. She therefore has six bonus dice for this chapter. During the session, Alice winds up running away from one of her teachers, a man who turns out to be something other than he appears. She hides from the teacher, and her player applies three of the bonus dice. The Storyteller picks up some dice to roll Wits + Composure for the stalker, and Alice’s player, not liking the size of the dice pool she’s seeing, applies the other three dice from her Guardian Angel as a penalty to the Storyteller’s roll. The roll fails, so Alice is still hidden — but she’s used up her Angel’s influence for the chapter.

Your character can take a big hit and still keep her focus. She receives a +2 modifier to all Resolve rolls to avoid being stunned. If she would normally not be allowed a roll (because the attack inflicted more points of damage than her Stamina), the player may still make a Resolve roll to avoid the stun. In this case, though, the +2 modifier does not apply. See p. 153 for more on stuns.

Your character can rally other children to action. Even if her speech is loaded with references to comic book characters and popular movies, it nonetheless raises the spirits of her intended audience and bolsters their courage, no matter what lies ahead.

Once per chapter, you may make a Presence + Socialize roll for your character. If the roll succeeds, all children listening — and who intend to help out or go along with a proposed course of action — regain one spent Willpower point (not to exceed their Willpower dots). Your character cannot use this Merit on herself.

Many kids take karate classes at small dojos in strip malls and tiny urban studios. Parents enroll them hoping their children will learn discipline, maybe a little self-defense, and at least spend a little time off the sofa and away from the TV. A good karate teacher will, in addition, make sure her pupils learn to avoid confrontations when possible, and to run away when the opportunity arises. When all that fails, her students may have a punch or kick to throw into the mix.

Dots purchased in this Merit allow access to special combat maneuvers. Each maneuver is a prerequisite for the next. Your character can’t have “Cautious Engagement” until he has “Evade.” The maneuvers and their effects are described below.

Evade (•): The first rule is to not get hit. When your character is facing a single opponent, he can dodge and weave pretty well. Add a +2 modifier to his Defense when he uses a Dodge action (after doubling his Defense for the Dodge). For example, a character with a Defense of 3 would have a total Defense of 8 against a single attacker when Dodging. See p. 142 for more on the Dodge system. If another opponent joins the attack, this bonus is lost.

Cautious Engagement (••): You attack, but keep a very healthy respect for your single opponent’s blows. Use the higher of your character’s Dexterity or Wits to determine his Defense against Brawl-based attacks only (not against Weaponry attacks). If another opponent joins the attack, this bonus is lost.

Vulnerable Target Strike (•••): While there isn’t a whole lot of chance to practice this at full speed in class, your character knows sensitive spots to attack — eyes, nose, ears, throat, groin, knee. If your character’s attack succeeds, one of the points of damage he inflicts is lethal instead of bashing.

Your character is a natural prodigy, an unlikely master of a Skill or an area of study at a remarkably young age. Select one Skill from the Mental category. Your character has access to the levels of that Skill beyond the cap imposed on child characters (see p. 47). You must still pay for all points in the Skill during character creation, or with experience points at a later date. The Skill should be related to the exceptional Mental Attribute.

For example, Study would most likely be linked to Intelligence (your character is naturally gifted), but it could also be attributable to Resolve (your character studies with remarkable focus). The Storyteller has the final word on the chosen Prodigy and its prerequisite.

Your character grew up in a culture that teaches several different tongues, or maybe she has a prodigy-like gift for languages. In addition to the character’s native language, the player may choose two languages for every dot in this Merit. The character speaks these languages conversationally.

Note that the character cannot speak effortlessly in these languages. Communicating quickly or over the telephone requires an Intelligence + Wits roll, and talking about anything more complicated than simple pleasantries or asking straightforward questions imposes a penalty of -1 to -3 dice. Reading the language requires an Intelligence + Study or Wits roll (depending on how the character learned the language; study or immersion, respectively), and writing something coherent in the language requires a roll of Wits + Study or Intelligence (again, study or immersion). Even if these rolls succeed, the character’s utterances or writings obviously come from a non-native, unless the player rolls an exceptional success, in which case the character manages to sound like a native-born speaker of the language for a few moments.

The player can spend one experience point for the character to become fluent in one of the languages covered by this Merit, as described in the Language Merit, above.

Mowing lawns, raking leaves, babysitting — these are time-honored jobs for kids looking for a little bit of pocket money. In some areas, other jobs exist, like shoveling snow or digging up bait worms. There are even jobs of dubious legality, like being a bookie’s runner or a gang’s lookout. Whatever your character’s choice of jobs, he reaps the benefits. He’s always got $10 to $20 in his pocket to spend. This money is his to spend however he likes, without asking anyone for permission. Of course, if your character doesn’t take the time to do his job, he won’t have any money.

Your character keeps a pet of some kind: a dog, a cat, a horse, a hamster, a snake, or practically any kind of animal that can be given a cute name. A pet can be a very important part of a child’s life. No matter what grades are on the report card, or how shabby the family’s clothes are, a pet given just the basics of food and care will always provide companionship and love. A kid can tell things to a pet that she would never dare tell a person, even a trusted parent or friend — hopes, fears and dreams and troubles all go safely into a pet’s ear.

This judgment-free friendship is the sole contribution of a one-dot Pet. Spending 15 minutes playing with or caring for a pet gives your character a +1 modifier on her next degeneration roll; she knows there is always someone who will love her and listen to her, no matter what has happened. This bonus lasts until a degeneration roll is made, or until the character sleeps, whichever comes first. When your character has made a degeneration roll, she may go back to her pet for solace (and refresh her +1 modifier) without having to sleep first.

A three-dot Pet provides the same love and affection as a one-dot Pet, and therefore the same bonus on degeneration rolls. There is, however, a different bond between a character and a pet at this level of investment. The pet is fiercely loyal, even in the face of terrible danger or a terrifying creature. Your character’s pet will remain with her through thick and thin. If rescue is possible, the pet will run for help. If there is nowhere left to run, the pet will gladly die protecting your character.

The type or size of pet does not matter when determining how many points this Merit will cost. A dog can be a one- or three-dot Pet — a one-dot dog will turn tail and run when danger appears, whereas a three-dot dog will interpose itself between danger and child. Admittedly, guinea pigs, fish and their ilk are lousy protectors and should be relegated to the lower rank.

Your character can teach her pet tricks with Animal Ken, using the normal method. All Animal Ken rolls for training the pet, understanding its body language or communicating a need to it are made with a +2 modifier. A three-dot Pet learns the “guard” and “heel” commands for free — your character must still train the pet, but these two commands do not count against the animal’s known tricks.

Drawbacks: Here begins the parental lecture: having a pet is a big responsibility. A pet must be fed, taken on walks (or have its litter box or cage or tank cleaned), groomed, and shown attention and love. An abused or mistreated pet provides no benefits — an animal pushed far enough may even attack its owner.

It is a sad fact of life that pets die. They grow old, they get lost, or they may die tragic deaths before their time.

The loss of a one-dot Pet may grieve a child, but such pets are, blessedly, somewhat interchangeable. A fish dies, is replaced, and a few weeks later its owner loves it as much as its predecessor. After a month of story time, the benefits of the lost one-dot Pet can be provided by its replacement. The loss of a three-dot Pet is another matter. This bond between child and pet is unique, and if such a pet dies, the player must make a trigger roll for the character (see p. 82). The child may, in time, replace her lost friend with another animal companion that will provide the benefits of a one-dot Pet. At the Storyteller’s discretion, this pet (if it is of an appropriate species), can eventually rise to the three-dot level.

Your character is a natural prodigy, an unlikely master of a Skill or technique at a remarkably young age. Select one Skill from the Physical category. Your character has access to the levels of that Skill beyond the cap imposed on child characters (p. 47). You must still pay for all points in the Skill during character creation, or with experience points at a later date. The Skill should be related to the exceptional Physical Attribute. For example, Larceny would most likely be linked to Dexterity (your character has fast, sticky fingers), but it could also be attributable to Strength (your character has mastered the “breaking” part of breaking and entering). The Storyteller has the final word on the chosen Prodigy and its prerequisite.

This isn’t really fighting. It’s just kids being kids. Kids being kids while they try to pound each other’s faces into the asphalt, pull hair, scratch and even bite in a rolling pile of aggression. Adults may wax nostalgic about their own playground dustups, but kids can and do hurt each other, especially when they gang up.

Dots purchased in this Merit allow access to special combat maneuvers. Each maneuver is a prerequisite for the next. Your character can’t have “Take Down” until he has “Cheap Shot.” The maneuvers and their effects are described below.

Cheap Shot (•): Your character isn’t afraid to hit below the belt, or jab an eye, or pull an ear. Strength + Brawl rolls made to damage an opponent your character has immobilized have a +1 modifier.

Take Down (••): A successful grapple attack immediately renders both your character and his opponent prone. The fight continues as normal, from the ground. See Grappling, p. 144.

Pile On (•••): Your character throws his body into the middle of a fight already in progress, squashing the unfortunate combatant at the bottom of the pile. If an opponent is immobilized in a grapple, your character may join the grapple with a Strength + Brawl roll (the opponent’s Defense does not apply). Extra successes beyond the first to establish a hold are immediately applied as bashing damage.

Your character owns a useful item that he has practiced with for many a long hour. As such, the item provides an equipment bonus (see p. 132) beyond what such an item would usually provide, simply due to the familiarity. The item provides a +2 bonus to applicable rolls within its intended function (a harmonica provides the bonus to Expression rolls to play it, while a laptop computer provides the bonus to Computer rolls) and a +1 bonus to rolls a bit outside or related to the usual purview (using the harmonica to wedge open a door or using the laptop for a Study roll to get homework done on time).

Combat rolls can benefit from this Merit, but the Storyteller and the player should consider why the child has spent that much time fighting.

Drawback: If the item is broken or lost, this Merit is forfeited.

Your character is a natural prodigy, an unlikely master of a social grace or an area of art at a remarkably young age. Select one Skill from the Social category. Your character has access to the levels of that Skill beyond the cap imposed on child characters (see p. 47). You must still pay for all points in the Skill during character creation, or with experience points at a later date. The Skill should be related to the exceptional Social Attribute.

For example, Animal Ken could be linked to Presence (animals like your character a lot), to Manipulation (your character can make animals do what he wants), or to Composure (your character’s unflappable calm reassures animals). The Storyteller has the final word on the chosen Prodigy and its prerequisite.

Your character knows how to work in a group with other children — when to delegate, when to lead, when to pitch in and get the work done. She also knows how to encourage others to cooperate, keeping even a motley group of kids organized and effective for at least a short while.

Once per chapter, you may make a Presence + Empathy roll for your character. If the roll succeeds, every child character gains a +1 modifier on all teamwork rolls made for the scene. This applies to both primary and secondary actors. If more than one character in the group successfully uses this Merit in the same scene, the bonuses are cumulative (+2 for two characters, +3 for three, etc.). More information on teamwork can be found on p. 127.

Your character is very small for his age. He may look (or actually be) underfed or in poor health, or he might just be waiting longingly for a growth spurt to kick in. On the plus side, he can fit in some very small spaces, and he has an easier time hiding when the need arises (see the Stealth Skill in Chapter Three). Also, there are times when being treated like a younger kid comes in handy — when it’s time to take out the trash or wheedle treats, for instance. The character receives a +1 modifier to any attempt to hide (see p. 65), and to most other Stealth rolls. The Storyteller is encouraged to apply a positive modifier to any other situation where being a little smaller than average might pay off, such as Socialize rolls to convince an adult of the character’s innocence. The character can also walk across thin branches and other surfaces that won’t support much weight. Finally, when Dodging (see p. 142), this character gets more of a bonus than bigger kids.

Drawbacks: Your character is at -1 Size (Size 3); this also means -1 Health. Also, there are times when being treated like a younger kid is a pain — when getting permission to stay up late or go somewhere “dangerous,” for instance. Finally, your character receives a -3 modifier to any attempt to pass as an adult.