Merits are special capabilities or knacks that add individuality to your character. They’re purchased during character creation or with experience points over the course of your chronicle.
The Merits in this chapter are organized alphabetically into three broad categories: Physical, Mental and Social. Some apply to your character’s basic traits to enhance them in particular situations. Some have prerequisites that must be met before they can be purchased. For example, a character with the Gunslinger Merit must have a Dexterity of 3 and Firearms of 3 or higher to be able to accurately fire two weapons at the same time. By the same token, some Merits apply drawbacks that balance out their inherent advantages. A character with the Fame Merit, for example, is treated like a star wherever he goes — but has a hard time blending into the crowd when he wants to.
Each Merit has a number of dots (•) associated with it. These dots represent the number of points that must be spent to purchase the Merit. Some Merits allow for a range of dots (say, • to •••). These allow you to purchase a low rating if it’s appropriate to your character concept, or you can start with a low level and increase it over time with experience points.
A character is born with some Merits or develops them early in life, while others can be acquired through trail and error, training and effort later in life.
The first kind can be acquired at character creation only and are labeled as such. The second kind can be acquired during play with experience points.
Merit dots must be purchased sequentially with experience points. You have to buy • and then •• before your character can have ••• or more.
Your character used to be a ghoul in service to another regnant, and was passed down to her current master (probably when the last one went into torpor or suffered the Final Death). The intimate relationship she shared with her previous regnant left her with information that could be valuable to others. During situations in which information pertaining to your character’s last employer is a factor, you should apply a +2 modifier on an Intelligence + Composure roll to see if she can recall anything useful.
While many ghouls are little more than unquestioning slaves, your character enjoys the benefit of a special relationship with her regnant, which goes be-yond the simple master-servant boundary. Your character can rely on her regnant to provide information, extra Vitae, equipment or even to personally intervene on her behalf. Conversations with your character’s regnant might be genuine interpersonal dialogue rather than the simple dispensation of orders, and you might even find him turning to your character for true companionship. This doesn’t suggest that the ghoul is anything remotely like an equal to her regnant, just that she isn’t necessarily made to feel like a lowly, servile nonentity.
There are a variety of beneficial relationships with regnants. One ghoul might enjoy service to a generous master who isn’t significantly influential, while another is sheltered by her regnant’s status without receiving any special attention from him. The advantages of this Merit are split into three factors — power, favor and trust. Players who choose this Merit must also choose how to allocate these three factors when spending points. For instance, the first dot might go toward Regnant Power with two more going toward Regnant Favor. Each one of these characteristics has a limit of five dots, and the fifth dot costs two dots to purchase.
A ghoul with a powerful regnant finds that her dealings with local Kindred and their ghouls are, while not simple, at least a bit easier. Her compatriots (and regnant’s compatriots) know who she serves, and probably won’t be eager to impede her, especially if the news of such interference reaches her regnant’s ears. A regnant represented by several dots in Power might hold a significant position in the city (such as a respected Primogen, Priscus or Prince), while one represented by just a couple could be an acknowledged member of a powerful covenant. Each dot of Regnant Power confers a +1 die bonus on Persuasion, Intimidation and Socialize rolls when in conflict with a local ghoul or Kindred. Regnants whose ghouls have no dots allocated thus are local bottom-feeders.
Note that Regnant Power need not be a simple reflection of title or position. A Priscus regnant might actually earn very little respect from the local Kindred, while an unaligned vampire without ties to the local vampire community might be so old and dangerous as to be feared by all.
Regnant Favor reflects the master’s willingness to provide her ghoul access to Vitae, resources and equipment. It doesn’t necessarily reflect an emotional bond between the regnant and ghoul as much as it does a measure of generosity. Each dot of Regnant Favor could reflect an additional hit of Vitae (one at a time) that a ghoul may request from her regnant per month without risking his wrath. Alternatively, Regnant Favor could be used in place of Resources to determine whether a ghoul can afford to secure equipment. A ghoul with three dots in Regnant Favor could requisition a heavy pistol from his regnant, while one with five dots could take one of his regnant’s sports cars from the vast warehouse-like garage. Regnants without any dots allocated to this category are typically tight-fisted with their resources (and Vitae) and not likely to give any gifts without some real convincing.
Regnant Trust is a measure of the extraordinary quality of the relationship your character enjoys with her regnant. Some ghouls are simply well liked by their regnants and are more likely to be afforded some breathing room with respect to their performance. The Kindred knows that his trusted ghoul will perform whatever job has been set before her, so he’s willing to let some minor early setback slide. An especially trusting regnant might even gift his ghoul with tidbits of forbidden information, which might prove infinitely more valuable than a gun or a car. Each dot of Regnant Trust confers a +1 die bonus on Persuasion rolls in dealings between your character and her regnant. Regnants who are represented by having no dots allocated to this category don’t necessarily dislike their ghouls, they just fail to see any reason to be friendly with them.
Note that ghoul characters may not share the Regnant Merit. If several players wish to have their ghoul characters serve the same Regnant, they should all spend the same amount on Regnant Power. The favor and trust aspects of the Merit reflect personal relationships, however, so they can be different for several characters in service to the same master. They can also change in time as the various characters demonstrate their worth.
A good servant responds unerringly to her master’s emotional state. With this Merit, a ghoul enjoys an emotional connection with their regnant similar to the blood sympathy felt by vampires (Vampire: The Requiem, p. 163). Some ghouls develop this ability over decades of service, while a few rare ones seem to do so almost immediately.
Ghoul characters with this Merit sometimes experience vague moments of recognition of intense emotions just as their regnants are feeling them (even if the two of them are in separate rooms or divided by trackless miles). If a long-dormant Kindred is just arising from a period of torpor, his surviving legacy ghouls might start to key in on his hunger and confusion and be drawn to where their once-master has reemerged. Just as with the blood sympathy of Kindred, the Storyteller may ask the player of the ghoul to roll the character’s Wits + Occult. The number of successes reflects the amount of useful information the character learns.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Players cannot dramatically fail a roll for Sense Sympathy.
Failure: Nothing happens.
Success: The ghoul has a strong general impression of his regnant’s experience and has a general notion of the direction and distance to her.
Exceptional Success: The ghoul knows exactly what his regnant is feeling, and the awareness remains for a scene, fading slowly. He also knows exactly where she is. Note that unlike the Kindred’s blood sympathy, the ghoul does not literally share the experience with his regnant. He only understands the effect it has upon her. If the regnant is ambushed in her haven while the ghoul is out running a daytime errand, the ghoul might suddenly realize that the master is not only awake but afraid and angry. He does not, however, feel the selfsame mortal terror or outrage that the master is concurrently experiencing.
This effect goes only one way. The regnant feels no such connection to the ghoul. Sense Sympathy doesn’t confer any Discipline bonuses when targeting your character’s regnant.
Maybe it’s something brought on by the Vitae, or perhaps it’s the perverse function she serves for her regnant. Regardless, the ghoul now has an intangible undercurrent of sexual power and experience that those exposed to her cannot help but notice. This carnal aura can be a potent tool in taking advantage of weak-willed or lustful individuals. What’s more, it bears no relation whatsoever to the character’s physical appearance. Having this Merit grants a +1 modifier on all Presence or Manipulation rolls when the character is attempting to intimidate, seduce or distract others.
Drawback: Some mortals might find themselves disturbed by the feelings your character’s presence stirs in them, especially if those feelings seem inappropriate. (For instance, if your character is very young, very old or contrary to the subject’s gender preference, a heady mien of sexuality can have a profoundly troublesome impact.) This drawback doesn’t change the bonus your character can apply to dealings with them, but it could change the way those characters react when considering their actions later.