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Merits & Flaws

 

Trait-Stacking For Fun and profit:

 

Some players will naturally look at this extensive list and see right past the sea of roleplaying opportunities before them, focusing instead on the fact that it’s often possible to load up on related Merits and develop a character who gets an absurd amount of bonus Traits or difficulty breaks in some fairly common and/or potentially unbalancing circumstance. (“I have Acute Sense: Vision, Ability Aptitude: Fiream, Good Night Vision, Lucky and Daredevil - that basically means I’mup 10 Traits on all shots I take at night and have at least one free retest

for each one, right?”) For sake of retaining some semblance of fairness, then, assume that bonus Traits or difficulty reductions from multiple Merits do not stack unless noted in their description, or if the Storyteller specifically allows such combinations to occur. As a rule, only the largest benefit applies, and in the case of a tie the hunter may decide which benefit he receives. This should restrain the urge some players have to build invincible super-hunters, while still permitting players to take related Merits if they desire.

Naturally, this limitation does not apply to the penalties earned from

having multiple Flaws that come into play simultaneously; the poor bastard must just suffer through his abominable luck somehow, and pray that his weaknesses don’t line up like that ever again.

 

Physical Merits

 

Deaf (4 Traits)

 

You are completely deaf, and must use sign language or some other form of

communication. On the plus side, this renders you immune to certain supernatural

powers that rely on hearing to function, but you also suffer a three-Trait penalty on

tests of perception and alertness. In addition, you are automatically Surprised by

anyone who approaches you fromoutside your line of sight. Needless to say, you cannot

possess any Merits or other Traits related to good hearing.

 

Mute (4 Traits)

 

You cannot speak at all. You should use sign language or write down your

communications. You can explain your actions to a Storyteller or Narrator, but that

is the limit of your speaking. Without Linguistics, you may not even be able to sign. You

also cannot use any edges which rely on the spoken word to function, such as Bluster

or Insinuate, unless your Storyteller allows you to come up with an equally compelling

alternative for your condition. This can be a difficult Flaw to roleplay, so choose

carefully.

 

Blind (6 Traits)

 

The world of sight is lost to you. You cannot see at all, so you automatically lose

all ties where sight would be a factor (tests of manual dexterity, for instance). What’s

more, you automatically fail any challenge that rely solely on sight, and the hunter

code is obviously of no use to you at all. The Discern edge allows you to see again

normally, if only for a time; at the Storyteller’s discretion, you may still be able to use

your Conviction perceptions or even vision-related edges like Witness or Illuminate by

developing your other senses to a higher degree instead. If you have this Flaw, you

should wear a special tag or glasses to indicate its nature.

 

Acute Sense (1 Trait)

 

You have a particularly sharp sense (specify which one). In all tests with that

sense, you are two Traits up on challenge resolution. Note that this never applies to

combat, unless the Narrator specifically says otherwise. You may have multiple Acute

Senses, but you may only take this Merit once for each sense.

 

Ambidextrous (1 Trait)

 

You have a high degree of coordination, and you can use both of your hands

equally well. Normally, you suffer a two-Trait penalty for performing tasks with your

“off hand. With this Merit, you have no penalty for using either hand. Of course, if

you use both hands, you still suffer the coordination penalty for both 

 

 
Good Right/Left Hook (1 Trait)

 

Whether due to esoteric martial arts training or just a lot time spent pounding on

people, your unarmed attacks are particularly vicious. Upon making a successful Brawl

test to injure a target, you may immediately make a Simple Test -on a win, you inflict

an additional level of damage. 

 

Hollow Leg (1 Trait)

 

You can put away an impressive amount of alcohol for someone your size, and

suffer little or no consequences for doing so unless you really attempt to poison yourself

with the stuff. All penalties for alcohol consumption are halved, and you suffer no

further side effects after drinking.

 

Light Sleeper (1 Trait)

 

While you still require the normal eight hours of sleep to be considered fully

rested, you awaken at the slightest signs of a disturbance, whether due to ghostly

whispers or merely those pesky neighbor kids cutting across your lawn again. You suffer

no penalty upon awakening and can act normally (as opposed to those without this

Merit, who are considered Surprised the turn after being roused). This does not replace

the Endurance Ability or the Vigilance edge, though they can certainly be combined

for maximum watchfulness.

 

Natural Runner (1 Trait)

 

You love to run, and have done so gleefully since you were a child. Accustomed

to the rigors of running under all conditions, you subtract one Trait from all movement

penalties in a combat turn. Additionally, when doing nothing but running (including

dodging) in a turn, you can channel your energy to put on a superb burst of speed -

by spending a Physical Trait, you may move an additional step that turn. Only one

Physical Trait can be spent in this fashion per turn.

 

Perfect Balance (1 Trait)

 

You almost never slip, stumble, fall or even get dizzy. Your sense of balance is so

well-developed that even on a narrow ledge or wire you can walk with ease. You are

two Traits up on resolution of challenges where your balance is a deciding factor.

 

Robust Health (1 Trait)

 

You shrug off most illnesses with ease, and even serious afflictions or mild

poisoning doesn’t slow you down much. Any time you must make a test to resist the

effects of poison or illness, you are two Traits up. You must have at least five Physical

Traits to purchase this Merit.

 

Sea Legs (1 Trait)

 

Accustomed to life on ocean vessels of all kinds, you are immune to seasickness

even in the roughest weather, and ignore all movement or action penalties due to

rough seas or unexpected ship movements.

 

Bundle of Energy (2 Traits)

 

A naturally vibrant and energetic person, you need only five to six hours of sleep

per night to count as fully rested, and thus can work long hours without much

difficulty. Needless to say, requiring less rest can be areal boon in maintaining adouble

life or stalking monsters for extended periods of time. You cannot purchase this Merit

if you have the Endurance Ability or Vigilance edge, and if you develop either of these

Traits later this Merit must be cashed in for two Free Traits.

 

Cat Napper (2 Traits)

 

Although you might still require the standard eight hours of sleep per night to

remain rested, you need not get them all at once - so long as the numbers of hours

you sleep in one 24-hour period totals what you normally require to be rested, you’re

fine. Additionally, you have little trouble falling asleep just about anywhere if you

want to, though once asleep you’re just as difficult to rouse as anyone else unless you

purchase additional Traits that dictate otherwise.

 

Forgettable (2 Traits)

 

When you were growing up, you thought your name was actually Hey You. It’s

not that you’re necessarily unattractive, it’s just that your face is, well, easily forgotten

by those you meet. While this means that you have to work twice as hard as most people

to be remembered, it can be a real blessing when you would prefer to remain

anonymous. All difficulties involving recalling your appearance are increased by two

Traits. This Merit is distinct from the Everyman Background in that it only applies to

your physical appearance; you may have a paper trail a mile long, but luckily for you

it’s unlikely you’ll ever be picked out of a lineup or off a wanted poster. (Of course, you

can combine this Merit with that Background for a truly anonymous character, if you

like.) You cannot have more than one Social Traits related to positive or negative

physical appearance (Gorgeous, Repugnant, etc.), nor can you have more than two

Social Traits related to personal charisma; if your totals ever rise above this level, this

Merit must be cashed in for two Free Traits.

 

Good Night Vision (2 Traits)

 

From an early age you’ve had little trouble getting around at night, although

chances are you never knew just how handy this knack would be later on in life. You

have excellent night vision, and suffer no penalties at all for low-light conditions, and

your natural self-assuredness allows to cut the normal penalty for operating in total

darkness in half (though this does not apply if you have been physically blinded

somehow). Additionally, you are two Traits up on all Mental Challenges involving

perception at night.

 

Sexy (2 Traits)

 

Maybe your town’s ground water contained chemicals which sent your pheromones

into overdrive,or perhaps you’re just blessed with a fabulous body, but no

matter what the case might be you’re pretty damn irresistible when you set your sights

on a target. You are up two Traits on all non-confrontational Social Challenges with

the opposite sex or members of your own sex who find you attractive, and should you

choose to focus the full power of your charms at a target, you are considered three Traits

up on all relevant Social Challenges. However, this magnetism can irritate others of

your own sexual persuasion - you are considered one Trait down on Social Challenges

with such individuals in any situation where you might be perceived as a rival.

 

Daredevil (3 Traits)

 

Not only do you take outrageous risks, you survive them. Whenever you take a

risky (some would say foolhardy) course of action - one with a difficulty of at least

eight Traits or a potentially harmful outcome - you get one Bonus Trait on the

attempt. This only applies to combats if you are outnumbered or sorely outclassed

(Narrator’s discretion).

 

Huge Size (3 Traits)

 

Nearly seven feet tall and hundreds of pounds in weight, you tower over most

adversaries (and allies). You have one extra Bruised health level. You should represent

your incredible mass appropriately - wearing bulky clothing and carrying large props

is a start, though an additional description tag of some kind is probably a good idea as

well.

Physical Flaws

Allergies (1 Trait)

 

A common substance that’s harmless to most people - dog fur, pollen etc., -

presents a particular problem for you, causing sneezing, watery eyes and other irritating

symptoms. You are at a one-Trait penalty on all actions when exposed to this

substance, and the symptoms take another scene to go away, even after you’ve left its

presence.

 

Arthritic (1 Trait)

 

You suffer chronic pain in your joints, especially your hands, which makes it

difficult to perform actions that require delicacy or fine motor control. Any time you

must attempt such a feat - typing, sewing, working with small parts - you are one

Trait down due to added difficulty presented by your condition.

 

Color Blind (1-2 Traits)

 

Colors tend to blend together into an indistinguishable blur to your eyes, making

it hard to give accurate descriptions or identify items by sight. You are one Trait down

on all Perception-related Mental Challenges involving distinguishing or identifying

objects. For two Traits, this Flaw indicates a complete inability to perceive any color

at all, though color density is still visible as degrees of shading. While this monochromatic

condition makes you a natural noir film director, it also puts you at a one-Trait

penalty on the sort of tests described above, as you lack even the proper frame of

reference to describe colors at all.

 

Distinguishing Characteristic (1-2 Traits)

 

You have a permanent physical mark that’s easy to remember - a prominent

tattoo, scars or a birthmark. Not only does this make it easy to identify you, but all

attempts to track you down based on witness interviews are up a number ofTraits equal

to the value of this Flaw. This Flaw is worth one Trait if your characteristic is easily

covered by clothing, two Traits if it is not, and should be represented by appropriate

makeup or description cards.

 

Heavy Sleeper (1 Trait)

 

On the plus side, when you want to sleep in, all the lawnmowers in the world

won’t disturb a lazy Saturday morning in progress. On the negative side, however,

chances are that a horde of rots beating down your door won’t stir you, either. Only

striking or shaking you forcefully has any chance of waking you up, and even then you

must win or tie a Simple Test to act the same turn as you awaken - on a loss, you

cannot act at all that turn and count as Surprised on the one after that, reflecting how

long it takes to shake the sleep from your eyes.

 

Lazy (1 Trait)

 

Why put off until tomorrow what can safely wait until next week? You despise

physical labor of any kind, and even faced with arather pressing need you would rather

debate what needs to be done for hours than actually get up off your posterior to get

it going. Any time you are faced with doing work not directly relating to the hunt or

to keeping your job (if you have one), you must make a Willpower test against four

Traits-failure means that youcannot be bothered toperformsuch routine tasksuntil

some time later.

 

Low Alcohol Tolerance (1 Trait)

 

If someone opens a beer in the next room, you head starts getting fuzzy, and in

general you tend to feel the effects ofalcohol long before others would. You suffer twice

the normal penalties related for intoxication, as well as suffer a one-Trait penalty on

all actions the next day due to the nasty hangovers you’re prone to getting.

 

Motion Sickness (1 Trait)

 

Try as you might, you’ve never developed a stomach for things like sea voyages

or carnival rides, and even a long trip by car soon becomes an adventure in nausea for

you. Any time you spend more than 15 minutes on a boat or plane, or more than 30

minutes in a car, you are at a one-Trait penalty on all actions for the rest of the trip

as well as a full half-hour afterward, due to the sickness such journeys cause.

 

No Sense of Smell/Taste (1 Trait)

 

Your sense of smell or taste is completely gone, whether due to a genetic defect

or some sort offreak accident. You are at a one-Trait penalty on all Perception-related

tests involving your deficient sense, but on the other hand you suffer half the normal

penalty (round down) when it comes to dealing with unpleasant odors or tastes, as

appropriate.

 

Nonswimmer (1 Trait)

 

Maybe you were raised somewhere in the Midwest, or perhaps you watched too

many shark movies as a child, but either way you never learned how to swim and have

no natural aptitude for it now. If thrust into an aquatic situation the best you can

manage is a pitiful doggie paddle. You are two Traits down on all Athletics tests

involving swimming, and might even panic if dropped into water.

 

Poor Eyesight (1 or 3 Traits)

 

Your natural eyesight is extremely poor, and you have a two+Trait penalty on all

tests involving vision (including ranged combat tests). Obviously, you cannot have

this Flaw and any Merits related to acute vision. This Flaw is worth one Trait if this

difficulty can be corrected witheyeglasses or contact lenses, or three Traits if it cannot.

 

Poor Hearing ( 1 or 3 Traits)

 

You have substantial difficulty hearing, and suffer a two-Trait penalty on all tests

of hearing. Obviously, you cannot have this Flaw and any Merits related to acute

hearing. This Flaw is worth one Trait if this difficulty can be corrected wirh a hearing

aid, or three Traits if it cannot.

 

Sickly (1 Trait)

 

It seems you’re always coming down with some sickness or another, and no matter

how often you get them, your immune system doesn’t seem to be getting any better at

fighting them off. Indeed, you are two Traits down on all tests to resist diseases and

other infections, and should roleplay your constant low-level sickness when possible.

This is distinct from the Sickly Negative Trait in that it reflects a weakened immune

system, as opposed to simply a frail body, though they can be combined if the player

desires.

 

Vice (1-3 Traits)

 

Somewhere along the line you got trapped in an addiction, and like it or not you

still haven’t kicked the habit. The value of this Flaw depends on how common (and

legal) the substance is, and to a lesser extent how addicted the character is to it. One

Trait would indicate an addiction to a legal and easily obtainable substance, such as

cigarettes or a $10-a-day coffee fixation. Two Traits indicates a legal or mildly illegal

substance that impairs the hunter’s ability to carry on the hunt, such as marijuana or

ecstasy. Three Traits indicates an addiction to a highly illegal and/or extremely

dangerous drug such as heroin or crack. You are considered to always be under the

effect of this substance (Storyteller discretion, but should be far more negative than

positive overall), and should you be denied it you may begin losing Willpower or

suffering Trait penalties temporarily as you go through withdrawal.

 

Youthful Appearance (1 Trait)

 

No matter how old you might be, you appear to be underage for many adult

activities, and can count on being carded, looked down and otherwise harassed by

those who believe you’re nothing more than a minor. You are one Trait down on all

attempts to persuade others that you are in fact of legal age, as well as on all Social

Challenges with those inclined to distrust young people (concert security guards,

cynical police officers, etc.). If you do not already have an appearance that simulates

up this Flaw, a description tag is recommended to alert other players to your apparent

youth.

 

Disfigured (2 Traits)

 

A hideous disfigurement mars your face, and your revolting countenance is hard

to forget (try though others might). You cannot take any Appearance-related Social

Traits, and you suffer a two-Trait penalty on all Social Challenges except intimidation

when your face is visible. Makeup or a mask of some kind is recommended to ensure

this Flaw has maximum effect, though a description tag will also do in a pinch.

 

Insomniac (2 Traits)

 

Sleep is a precious commodity for the imbued, but you have trouble getting even

a few hours of sleep, and your daytime performance frequently suffers because of it. A

Willpower test against a difficulty of five Traits is required before each session begins

- if it fails, you are assumed to have gotten inadequate sleep the night before. Aside

from the hours of frustrated tossing and turning or mindless infomercial watching this

entails, you also suffer a one-Trait penalty on all Alertness-, Awareness- and Intuitionrelated

tests due to your dull senses and groggy thinking. This Flaw cannot be selected

if you have either the Endurance Ability or the Vigilance edge, and if you acquire those

Traits later, the Traits from this Flaw must be reassigned to another as soon as possible.

 

Low Pain Tolerance (2 Traits)

 

While you’re not necessarily any weaker than others, you have a much lower

tolerance for pain than other people your size, and tend to cave in when confronted

by the slightest period of discomfort. You suffer an additional one-Trait penalty

whenever you are reduced below your last Bruised level, and have a similar penalty on

all attempts to resist physical torture or intimidation as well.

 

Old Injury (2 Traits)

 

At one point in the past you sustained a serious injury, and it continues to pain

you to this day - you are at a one-Trait penalty on all Athletics tests due to discomfort,

and should roleplay dealing with this old war wound accordingly.

 

Poor Night Vision (2 Traits)

 

Maybe your parents forbade you to go out at night, or perhaps you lacked the right

vitamins in your diet, but regardless of the cause you have a terrible time getting around

in low-light conditions. You are down two Traits on all tests made in dim light (such

as those attempted by mere starlight or a simple flashlight beam), and suffer an

additional one-Trait penalty on all combat conditions while fighting in low- or nolight

conditions. Needless to say, this can be a devastating handicap when trying to

adapt to your new life. The Discern edge eliminates this Flaw while active, although

other vision-related edges such as Witness or Illuminate offer no such relief.

 

Short (2 Traits)

 

You have trouble seeing over things, interacting with tall people and escaping

notice due to your proportions. You can only take two steps in an action instead of

three, due to your small size. You also have trouble reaching countertops and

manipulating objects designed for normal people (like cars). You should wear a tag to

note your condition if you are not actually that short.

 

Crippled Limb (3 Traits)

 

More severe than simply suffering from a twitchy limb like the Lame Negative

Physical Trait, you have extensive damage to one of your arms or legs. If one of your

arms is injured, you suffer a two-Trait penalty on any actions that normally require two

hands (firing a rifle, climbing a wall, etc.). You should also adopt a posture or prop that

indicates your limb’s useless nature. If one of your legs is crippled, you can only take

one step per action, you cannot run at all and you should probably take the Negative

Trait Lame as well. Additionally, you should roleplay this impairment with a cane or

a set of leg braces.

 

Deformity (3 Traits)

 

A physical deformity of some sort not only mars your appearance, but makes

physical activity difficult for you. You have one penalty Trait on challenge resolution

for Physical Challenges, and two for Social Challenges. You should work with the

Storyteller to define the nature of your Deformity (hunchback, club foot, etc.).

 

Elderly (3 Traits)

 

Most people are closer to the prime of their life when the imbuing strikes, but

you’re the exception to that rule -while this means you can often offer advice on a

wide range of topics, it has put a few limitations on your physical performance. While

you might be just as strong or fast as your younger counterparts, you don’t have the

stamina you once did; after any period of exertion (combat certainly included), you

must make a Physical Challenge against seven Traits. Failure means that you must stop

and catch your breath for at least 10 minutes, and suffer a one-Trait penalty to all

actions until you do so. Likewise, your wound penalties are increased by one. This Flaw

should be indicated by appropriate makeup or description cards.

 

Shaky Hands (3 Traits)

 

When you’re under pressure, your hands have a bad tendency to shake uncontrollably,

making it difficult to perform actions that require any kind of manual dexterity

(such as reloading a revolver or picking a lock). You may be as brave as the next hunter,

but all the same you still suffer from this dangerous quirk, and are at aone-Trait penalty

on all tests involving fine coordination. You must make a Physical Challenge against

a difficulty of five Traits (retest with Firearms) to reload a revolver or shotgun during

combat; failure means your turn is wasted and you must attempt to reload again

another round.

 

 

Missing Eye (3 Traits)

 

Whether by injury or defect, you are missing an eye or one of your eyes does not

function. You are two Traits down on tests of depth perception, including ranged

combat. Depending on the nature of your eye damage, you may choose to wear an

eyepatch, or you may simply have one blind eye. Oddly enough, theDiscern edge allows

you to see as though you still possessed both of your eyes.

 

Child (4 Traits)

 

A true rarity among hunters, you were imbued as a child, between five and 10

years of age. This causes some decided problems: you cannot have more than six

Physical Traits normally and you suffer a two-Trait penalty on tests of authority with

adults. Obviously, given enough time you will eventually grow out of this Flaw, so to

speak, but until then you’re in for a multitude of headaches at least as bad as the

protections and freedoms it provides. You must additionally take the Flaw Short

(though you do get Free Traits for it), and a description tag of some kind is required

to alert players to your tender age.

 

Chronic Illness (4 Traits)

 

Whether acquired since the hunt began or a holdover from your life before, you

suffer under a debilitating illness of some kind, from chronic fatigue syndrome to

cancer, and as a result you tend to tire and injure more easily than most. You are two

Traits down on all Athletics tests, as well as any tests involving absorbing punishment

of any kind. You cannot have more than five Physical Traits if you wish to take this

Merit, and may even lose them slowly as the chronicle - and your illness -progresses.

Deaf (4Traits)

 

You are completely deaf, and must use sign language or some other form of

communication. On the plus side, this renders you immune to certain supernatural

powers that rely on hearing to function, but you also suffer a three-Trait penalty on

tests of perception and alertness. In addition, you are automatically Surprised by

anyone who approaches you fromoutside your line of sight. Needless to say, you cannot

possess any Merits or other Traits related to good hearing.

 

Mute (4 Traits)

 

You cannot speak at all. You should use sign language or write down your

communications. You can explain your actions to a Storyteller or Narrator, but that

is the limit of your speaking. Without Linguistics, you may not even be able to sign. You

also cannot use any edges which rely on the spoken word to function, such as Bluster

or Insinuate, unless your Storyteller allows you to come up with an equally compelling

alternative for your condition. This can be a difficult Flaw to roleplay, so choose

carefully.

 

Blind (6 Traits)

 

The world of sight is lost to you. You cannot see at all, so you automatically lose

all ties where sight would be a factor (tests of manual dexterity, for instance). What’s

more, you automatically fail any challenge that rely solely on sight, and the hunter

code is obviously of no use to you at all. The Discern edge allows you to see again

normally, if only for a time; at the Storyteller’s discretion, you may still be able to use

your Conviction perceptions or even vision-related edges like Witness or Illuminate by

developing your other senses to a higher degree instead. If you have this Flaw, you

should wear a special tag or glasses to indicate its nature.

 

Mental & Legal Merits

 

Common Sense (1 Trait)

 

You still have a lot of gut insight and everyday practicality. Whenever you’re

about to do something that goes against common sense, the Storyteller or Narrator can

make suggestions or warning about the action. Unlike the Intuition Ability, this does

not help you make good guesses, nor does it offer any special insight into a situation.

It just helps you avoid doing something really dumb. Needless to say, this Merit is

excellent for new players who are not familiar with the intricacies of the game.

 

Concentration (1 Trait)

 

You can shut out distractions and annoyances that would hinder others. Whenever

penalty Traits are assigned for some outside phenomenon (harsh lighting, rain,

loud noise, etc.), you suffer none of the penalty.

 

Fast Reader (1 Trait)

 

It takes longer to wash the ink off your hands than to actually read the paper, and

you read War 8 Peace in the time it takes most people to commute to work and back.

OK, those may be slight exaggerations, but you still read amazingly quickly, and retain

what you have read as well. It takes you half the time to perform any actions that

primarily involve reading, making you a valuable researcher and investigator.

 

Good Map Reader (1 Trait)

 

Given a map of some kind and the barest of directions, you can find your way to

just about anywhere you need to be with a minimum of detour or delay. You have an

innate sense of direction, and when traveling to a familiar location or when given time

to prepare a route to an unfamiliar one, you can shave travel time between locations

by a third, reflecting your knack for taking just the right path for maximum efficiency.

 

Good Recognition (1 Trait)

 

Other people might forget a face or a place, but not you - your ability to recall

the names of people you meet only briefly is fantastic, and you can remember your way

around places easily even if you’ve only been there once before. This isn’t total recall

- that’s the Eidetic Memory Merit, above - but rather just a gift for remembering

names and locations, even ifyou’ve only seen a face for a fleeting moment on television

or heard a name in passing. The difficulty to recall a name or face you’ve seen before

is decreased by two Traits, as is the difficulty to navigate in a location you’ve visited

in the past.

 

Healthy Skepticism (1 Trait)

 

It’s hard to pull one over on you, since you naturally tend to view all matters as

pending until proven and all people with caution until they earn your trust. This isn’t

paranoia, however - you just usually need proof of some kind before you’ll buy into

something, even if you sometimes get burned because of it. On the other hand, you are

two Traits up on all tests to detect a lie.

 

Natural Aptitude (1 Trait)

 

Pickasingle Ability -youneednot actually possess it now, though you will most

likely purchase it later - that you have a special knack for. You are two Traits up on

all non-combat uses of this Ability, and it takes half the normal time to train in this

Ability as well. You may take this Merit more than once, but each Natural Aptitude

must be assigned to a different Ability.

 

Religious Devotion (1-3 Traits)

 

Although  many find their faith sorely tested in the face of the evil in the

world, yours has endured and offers you additional resolve when the odds are stacked against

you. Each Trait spent on this Merit translates into an extra Willpower Trait that you can call

upon once per story, if you have time topray for guidance for atum/minutebefore attempting

the task. Youmay only callonthisMerit once per session, unlessthe Storyteller specifically says

otherwise, and naturally it canonly be used when performing deeds in keeping with your

character’s faith-attempting to use it for selfishor impulsive acts not only fails to grant the

extra Willpower, but revokes this Merit entirely until you have properly atoned. Likewise, this

Merit is only available to characters who are appropriately devoted to their faith; while players

need not be melodramatic about it in any way, they must act according tot he tenets of their

character’s faith and otherwise roleplay their a biding faith as best they can.

 

Time Sense ( 1 Trait)

 

You can accurately estimate time to the nearest minute or two without the use ofawatch

or clock. This is obviously very useful inknowing exactly how long you’ve been standing watch,

tailingasubject,orevenhowmuchtimeyouhavebeforesunrise... o rsundown.

 

 

 

Code of Honor (2 Trait)

 

A specific code of behavior and ethics guides your actions. This is a very personal code,

shaped by your own experiences, and you should work with your Storyteller to build and

appropriate code (which should include some hindrances and prohibited activity in addition

to positive beliefs and passions). You gain one free retest whenever facing a test of any kind that

might cause you to violate your code, be it supernatural persuasion, torture or some other form

of duress, and you count as having an additional Willpower Trait for the purposes of resolving

ties insuch instances as well.

 

Determined (2 Traits)

 

While this isn’t always necessarily a good thing,you’re exremely stubborn when it comes

to sticking to your beliefs about something, and you resist mundane and supernatural attempts

to persuade youotherwise withbulldog tenacity. Youare twoTraits up on all tests to resist being

persuaded to do something, including supernatural powers if your Conviction defense isn’t

active.You must have at  least three Willpower Traits to purchase this Merit.

 

Eidetic Memory (2 Trait)

 

Your memory is nearly perfect, and you recall almost everything you experience with

incredible clarity. A single turn of attention is sufficient to commit a page, picture or short

conversation to memory. If you are involved in combat or othenwise distracted, you must make

a static Mental Challenge, difficulty of six Traits, to successfully memorize the contents ofyour

subject of scrutiny. You should keep a“cheatsheet”of your memories to aid you and the

Storyteller in“recollection.”

 

Internet Sawy (2 Traits)

 

A fair number of people have at least a rudimentary knowledge of computers and their

ability to locate information online, but you go beyond such ordinary knowledge with your

natural skills-you navigate online resources instinctively, and need to spend only the absolute

minimum amount of time finding what you’re looking for when hunting for data.You are two

Traits up on all tests involving online investigation,You must have at least six Mental Traits or two levels of the

Computer Ability to purchase this Merit.

 

Natural Linguist (2 Traits)

 

You have a remarkable grasp with any additional languages that you speak or

write (as per your Linguistics Ability). You gain three Bonus Traits on all challenges

related to languages other than your native one, though you are assumed to use that

one nearly flawlessly as well. Obviously, to be useful some levels of the Linguistics

Ability will be required, though they are not actually required to take this Merit

without them, you have the potential to be a great linguist but haven't actually applied

yourself enough yet.

 

Unflappable (3 Traits)

 

It's not that you're without emotions, it's just that you don't let them affect you

as much as other people do. You are two Traits up on all Willpower tests related to

staying calm or not overreacting to mundane circumstances - in effect, anything

within the bounds of your pre-imbuing experience is probably fair game. This therefore

differs from the Steel Nerves Background in that it doesn't cover anything related to

the supernatural or even the truly horrific, just the kind of things you had to deal with

before your imbuing.

 

Direction Sense (4 Traits)

 

A natural compass, you rarely get lost, and seem to have an innate sense of which

way is north or where you are (and how far you traveled to get there). You can estimate

distance and location fairly well, and are two Traits up on all relevant tests to figuring

out where you are or how you got there.

 

Optimistic (4 Traits)

 

Not even the revelation that monsters exist has been able to shake your

fundamentally positive view of the universe as far as you're concerned, even the

present trials and horrors are only the price for something better just around the comer.

You're not necessarily naive, you just naturally believe that things will turn out OK.

Every time a regular hunter would regain a Willpower Trait, you regain two instead,

provided you maintain and portray your optimistic outlook. i aptitude Merits

 

Specialist Drivers License (1 Trait)

 

You are licensed for and experienced with driving vehicles beyond the average

person's experience: tractor trailers, farm vehicles or even military transports. You are

up one Trait on all Drive tests with such vehicles, although you must have at least one

level of Drive before purchasing this Merit. Of course, actually owning such vehicles

is the province of other Traits, but should you come across them you know what to do.

 

Dual Nationality (2 Traits)

 

A rare boon indeed, you were born to parents of different countries and thus have

a dual nationality. This makes it much easier for you to enter and exit the countries

you are acitizen of than foreigners, making them ideal places to visit if you've attracted

too much unwanted attention (human or otherwise).

 

Mental & Economic Flaws

 

 

Medicated (1-5 Traits)

 

You require some form of medication to stay healthy; exactly how often you

require it (not to mention how difficult it is to acquire) determines the value of this

Flaw. One Trait indicates a medication that matters for long term health but which

has little impact on everyday life, such as cholesterol medication; three Traits

indicates something more serious, such as heart or liver pills; five Traits means that

your character requires daily doses of medication to keep her alive, such as insulin for

a diabetic. Missing a day’s worth of medicine inflicts a level of bashing or lethal

damage, depending on the seriousness of the condition. This damage cannot be healed

until the character gets back on his medication, at which time it heals at a rate of one

level every 12 hours.

 

Nightmares (1 Trait)

 

Hideous nightmares about monsters stalk through your mind whenever you

slumber. At a Narrator’s discretion, you may suffer nightmares so bad that you are

unable to sleep restfully, causing you to be two Traits down on the first test you make

against monsters that day. Acrafty Storyteller is usually quick to take advantage of this

Flaw to introduce all sorts of mood and foreshadowing as well. You may possess this

Flaw and the Vigilance edge or Endurance Ability -you may need less sleep, but it’s

still as bad as a full night’s rest when you finally close your eyes.

 

No Sense of Direction (1 Trait)

 

Maps, compasses, heck, even GPS technology and a personal guide - none of

it does you any good, you still get lost all the time anyway. You have trouble keepin

your bearings in all but the most familiar surroundings, and are two Traits down on any

tests to navigate or otherwise try to feel out your way to a location. This doesn’t include

trailing a target, though it might make for an interesting trip home, especially if he

went through some bad parts of town.

 

Poor Sense of Time (1 Trait)

 

It’s very difficult for you to estimate the passage of time without a clock on hand,

and as a result you tend to over or underestimate how much time has passed by five

minutes or more, which can be a critical mistake when you’re attempting to go along

with a tightly planned operation. This Flaw largely relies on the player to roleplay

correctly, though the Narrator may impose a one-Trait penalty on all tests involving

estimating the passage of time correctly, including demolitions work or arriving at the

right time to rescue a fellow hunter.

 

Attention-Deficit Disorder (2 Traits)

 

No one posts you to guard duty unless they have no choice, and chances are you’re

first one to drift off during planning sessions - you can’t help it, but it’s just about

impossible for you to sit still and pay attention for any length of time. If you are ever

required to perform an action that requires more than ten minutes of constant

supervision, such as standing guard outside a stronghold or watching for signs of

activity in a monster lair, you must make a Willpower test against six Traits. Failure

means that you become distracted somehow; you neednot abandon your post outright,

but you have a two-Trait penalty for the rest of that scene to all Perception-related tests

due to your inattentiveness.

 

Dyslexic (2 Traits)

 

While not necessarily stupid or uneducated by any means, you have a tremendous

difficulty reading the printed word, such that even the simplest documents often take

you a great deal of time to work through. You are two Traits down on all tests to

decipher maps or read documents of any kind, and such activities take half again as

long as they would for another character to reflect the additional difficulty you have

working through such sources.

 

Eating Disorder (2 Traits)

 

Whether a victim of cultural expectations or simply possessed of an unhealthy

desire to stay trim, you have developed an eating disorder that is wrecking your body’s

natural balance. You are two Traits down on all Stamina-related Physical Challenges,

reflecting the weakness and malnutrition you’ve forced upon yourself.

 

Language Barrier (2-3 Traits)

 

You cannot speak the language or dialect of the area you operate in, which means

that you must rely on clumsy guidebooks or translators in order to get your point across.

For two Traits, you can read the language but have trouble using it in conversation

(you’re at a two-Trait penalty on all related Social Challenges); for three Traits, you

can neither speak it nor read it. Needless to say, you cannot learn the local language

any further until you buy off this Flaw.

 

Overconfident (2 Traits)

 

Maybe you’re a talented individual who’s just a bit too sure of himself, or perhaps

you’re just a show-off with an thoroughly unfounded opinion of his own merit, but

either way you tend to underestimate your opposition at the same time that you

overestimate your own capabilities. This can be a dangerous Flaw indeed when the

hunt is involved, and once per session the Narrator may secretly add three Traits to

the difficulty of one test to reflect how your inflated opinion of yourself has led you to

draw the wrong conclusion about your situation. You also tend to jump in where others

would hold back for at least a moment or two, which can lead to a short hunting career

indeed.

 

 

Faint of Heart (3 Traits)

 

You have a weak stomach for scenes of gore and carnage; even cheesy horror films

can make you queasy, and when confronted by an actual scene of such depravity you

must make a Willpower test against adifficulty offiveTraits to avoid losing your lunch.

Failure means that you’re overcome with nausea for the next 10 minutes, and while

youstillmay attempt other actions thanretching iftheneedisgreat, allsuchtestssuffer

a one-Trait penalty while the sickness lasts.

 

Incompetent (3 Traits)

 

You are absolutely terrible at one Ability, but unfortunately it seems like you’re

the only one who doesn’t notice it. Perhaps you fancy yourself a master thespian when

all your audience wants to do is crawl under their seats, or maybe you assume that a

lifetime of playing violent roleplaying games has somehow made you a skilled martial

artist. Choose one Ability when this Flaw is chosen - you believe that you have a

proficiency of three levels or more in this Ability, but you cannot take actually any

levels of this Ability during character creation, nor can you learn it during play until

this Flaw is bought off. (It will take you some time to learn to walk the walk as well as

talk the talk.) The plus side of this arrangement is that you do not need to spend a

Willpower Trait to attempt challenges with this Ability, even though you do not have

any levels of it, since you are so completely convinced you’re an expert in the field.

However, your overconfidence paired with your utter lack of any real knowledge also

means that you lose all ties involving this Ability, and with particularly important

failures the Storyteller may require you to win or tie a Simple Test to avoid failing in

some truly spectacular way. Naturally, until this Flaw is bought off you are quick to

deflect any failures or perceived lack of expertise on your part, and will come up with

no end of excuses or rationalizations to maintain your self-deception.

 

Low Self-Esteem (3 Traits)

 

No matter your actual talents or strengths, you have trouble realizing your real

worth, and tend to be down on yourself as a matter of habit. Others may try to cheer

you up temporarily, but that can make it even worse if you realize what they’re doing,

and you don’t even gain much satisfaction from applying yourself according to your

true nature. Any time you would gain Willpower from a great success or acting in

accordance with your Nature, you must make a Willpower test against five Traits -

failure means that you do not earn the bonus after all, as a reflection of how much you

downplay yourselfor your role in events. This penalty does not apply to Willpower you

regain naturally by resting.

 

Slow Learner (3 Trait)

 

Regardless ofhow intelligent you might actually be, you have trouble getting your

mind around new concepts as quickly as others, and can drive even patient instructors

to distraction as you plod along. It costs an extra Experience Trait to learn a new

Ability, and if you spend Experience to raise an Ability it does not actually increase

until the session after next, reflecting how long it takes you to put what you’ve learned

into practice.

Weak-Willed (3 Trait Flaw)

 

”A hero? Who, me?” When others would rise to the occasion and summon the

grit to carry on, more often than not you have trouble getting as far as the gritty part

to begin with. Whether due to guilt over some past failure or just a difficulty in seeing

yourself as worthy to take big chances, you have trouble rising to meet the kinds of

challenges the imbued are faced with daily. Add two Traits the difficulty of all

Willpower tests, and you cannot possess a Willpower rating higher than six so long as

you still have this Flaw.

 

Amnesia (4 Traits)

 

Prior to your imbuing, the past is a blank slate. You know nothing of your history,

your family, your friends or foes. Your Storyteller makes up your character’s history,

including the reasons for your Amnesia. The Storyteller may even keep your character

record partially hidden, only revealing your Abilities, edges, Backgrounds, Conviction,

Merits and Flaws when you try to use them (or when they come back to haunt

you). In general, the only things obvious to you are the things you can see in the mirror.

 

Depression (4 Traits)

 

All hunters are threatened by feelings of depression at one time or another, but

you’ve fallen into the trap to such a degree that at this point you think your feelings

are perfectly natural (if not entirely deserved), and so you refuse to get help of any kind

for your condition. This Flaw should not be confused with the derangement ofManic-

Depression; the latter represents clinical insanity of one kind or another, while the

former is “merely” a behavioral condition. (A character cannot possess both Traits; if

one is acquired, the points for the other must be reassigned to other Flaws.) In any

event, you do not regain Willpower naturally, but can only regain it by performing

deeds in keeping with your nature or successfully completing great personal goals.

 

Illiterate (4 Traits)

 

You cannot read or write your native language, and while you can recognize some

common symbols such as traffic signs or warning labels, you are a great disadvantage

when it comes to doing research of any kind, and will have trouble getting a decent Job

job as well. You automatically fail all tests involving reading or writing. This Flaw does

not affect your ability to understand the hunter code.

aptitude Flaws

 

Immature/Old Before Your Time (2 or 4 Traits)

 

You might be at the prime of your life as far as most people reckon, but for some

reason you’re far short of your true potential, either due to lingering immaturity or

conditions similar to the onset ofold age. For two Traits, you’re considered to be young

for the purposes of determining Attribute and Willpower maximums, regardless of

your actual age, and must grow up some and buy off this Flaw before you can exceed

those limits. For four Traits, you’re considered old for the purposes of determining

Attribute maximums, though not for Willpower maximums, and with time against you

it’s unlikely anything short of a serious miracle will ever correct the problem (i.e., buy

off this Flaw). Only characters in the peak age group may take this Flaw, and the Storyteller may

forbid it outright if she doesn’t feel it will make a substantial difference for a character.

 

Political Extremist (1 Trait)

 

You are a known member of a suspicious or feared organization such as the Klu

Klux Klan. This naturally causes non-members to hold unpleasant views about you,

and you are two Traits down on all Social Challenges with people who dislike the

organization you belong to. In addition, you can expect curt treatment at best from

local law enforcement, and while you might have no criminal record yourself, the local

authorities will have an open file on you, regardless. You might even be targeted by

undercover surveillance at different times if your organization begins attracting

attention to itself, and the Storyteller may decide to restrict certain Backgrounds based

on what people would trust you with.

 

Revoked Driver’s License (1 Trait)

 

Whether you lost it due to a poor record, or never bothered to get it in the first

place, you do not have a driver’s license of any kind, and if caught driving the police

will immediately arrest you and impound your car. Needless to say, this can be a serious

impediment to your hunting plans, not to mention a substantial limit on your mobility

in general.

 

Sunday Driver (1 Trait)

 

As much as they might love your company, your friends never want you to drive

- maybe you’re fussy about obeying the speed limit and every other possible traffic

regulation you come across, or perhaps you’re the exact opposite, and pay dangerously

little attention to things like lane dividersor oncoming traffic. Either way, you’re down

two Traits on all Drive tests involving high speed chases or other complicated

maneuvers.

 

 
Criminal Record (2 Traits)

 

Rightly or wrongly, you have been convicted of several misdemeanors or perhaps

a minor felony, and questions of rehabilitation aside this places certain legal restrictions

on you as well. You cannot buy firearms legally, you can be brought in for

questioning with the slightest of evidence, and depending on your particular crime and

the place you live you might have to report yourself to the local police, newspapers or

both. Needless to say, this can earn a lot of ill will from those who find out about you

past, and you can expect to get nothing but grief from most police officers. You are two

Traits down on all Social Challenges with law enforcement officials who know of your

criminal past.

 

Probation (2 Traits)

 

At least it got you out of larger trouble, but making a deal for probation does have

its bad side as well - you must report to your case officer on a regular basis, and submit

to random searches of your residence or person when the court deems it necessary. Not

only that, but you must demonstrate a commitment to becoming a model citizen as

well: hold down a job, keep up with debt, not being seen any place suspicious, etc.

Needless tosay, thiscanmakealotofhuntingactivitiesquitedifficulttogetaway with,

but as the price for getting caught is most likely being tossed in jail, it’s a balancing act

you’re going to have to become quite good at if you wish to go far.

 

Illegal Immigrant (3 Traits)

 

Simple enough - wherever you live now, you don’t belong there, at least not as

far as the law is concerned. If you’re ever arrested, there’s a serious risk of being

deported to your country of origin, and you cannot hold down a job unless it pays you

under the table. The Storyteller will most likely want to restrict your Backgrounds to

reflect the difficulties you have being a non-citizen as well.

 

Wanted by Law Enforcement (3 Traits)

 

Well, now you’ve done it (or maybe not, but it sure looks like you did) -you‘re

the prime suspect in a felony crime, and the police are actively searching for you. That

means living a fugitive’s life from night to night, as your assets are frozen, your regular

hangouts watched closely and your known associates might be called on to provide

your whereabouts. It is assumed in this Flaw that for one reason or another you cannot

simply walk into the police station and clear up the matter, even if you happen to be

innocent. Indeed, this Flaw cannot be bought off at all unless you either undergo the

long and difficult process of clearing your name, or you somehow deflect official

attention in a big way (flee the country, fake your own death).

 

Audit (1 Trait)

 

Like it or not, you’ve become the subject of an audit by your government tax

authority, and they watch your finances carefully for strange expenses or illegal

maneuvering. Buying exotic or illegal equipment is extremely difficult, and the agency

may bring you in from time to time to explain where your money comes from or how

it is spent. Add two Traits to the difficulty of all Resources-related tests, as well as any

transactions for illegal goods that total over $500.

 

Primary Breadwinner (2 Traits)

 

Your family counts on you to bring home the income it requires make ends meet,

and you simply must have a regular job of some kind to do that, the needs of the hunt

be damned. At least two levels of your Resources rating must be dedicated to supporting

your family, and should that Background fall below that level your family will begin

to suffer for it. If that ever becomes the case, increase the difficulty of all Willpower

tests by one due to the shame and guilt you feel over letting your family down in such

a fashion.

 

Uninsured (2 Traits)

 

You carry no insurance of any kind, either due to a lack of sufficient funds or a

personal decision. Should you require medical attention or be involved in an accident,

all the resulting costs must be paid out of your own pocket. Such tremendous drain is

likely to reduce your Resources rating by at least one or two levels, perhaps even

permanently in the case of serious or long-term expenses.

 

Alimony Payments (3 Traits)

 

Money you make goes right back out to your ex-spouse and your children (if any),

and failure to keep up regular payments will result in having your assets frozen and your

possessions seized by the authorities. You may never have more than three levels of

Resources, no matter what your actual income might be, due to the economic hardship

involved in meeting the payment schedule.

 

Homeless (4 Traits)

 

Just as it sounds, you have no permanent place to dwell, which means it’s a life

on the streets or spent hopping from shelter to shelter for you. You cannot take the

Resources Background at all, and cannot heal lethal damage naturally while living

under these conditions. In addition, you must carry all of your equipment with you

somehow, and if you do not you must hide it and make a Simple Test with the

Storyteller-on a loss, your stash has been found and at least one item has been stolen.

Social Merits

 

Approachable (1 Trait)

 

People from all walks of life find it easy to talk to you, and getting even

traumatized or suspicious folks to open up to you doesn’t take much effort. You are two

Traits up on all such Social Challenges involving normal people or other hunters, and

one Trait up on appropriate tests when dealing with monsters that still fancy

themselves at least somewhat human.

 

Early Adopter (1 Trait)

 

You take pains to keep up with the latest technology, and while it may strain your

finances from time to time, it does give you advantage when trying to figure out the

latest technology (that consumers might be familiar with, anyway). You are two Traits

up on all tests to figure out how to operate unfamiliar devices

 

Funny (1 Trait)

 

Good comedic timing is rare, but you have it in spades; not only does this get you

more than your share ofparty invitations, but your knack forgetting alaughalso means

that you know what type of humor to use in a given situation. You’re invaluable at

keeping up morale, and are two Traits up on any Social Challenge to bolster morale

or lighten someone’s mood in a helpful fashion.

 

Good Listener (1 Trait)

 

Most people just wait for theirturn tospeak, but yougenuinely listen to what other people

are saying, and this willingness to entertain their thoughts without interjecting your own

opinion means that people tend to tell you more than they expect to. In any apparently

friendly situation that involves someone else talking to you more than you talk back, you are

two Traits up on any Social Challenge to get information from them as your receptiveness

encourages them to say more than they might otherwise would about a subject.

 

Good Taste (1 Trait)

 

While your knowledge of pop culture probably leaves something to be desired,

you have a knack for giving the right presents, quoting the right wits and otherwise

impressing other people with how cultured and refined you are. You are two Traits up

on any Social Challenge to impress or make contacts with like-minded individuals,

due to their natural acceptance of your excellent taste.

 

Gossip (1 Trait)

 

Petty rumors and juicy secrets may be the ruin ofpolite society, but you just can’t

help yourself - when presented with a chance to learn such tidbits, you can’t pass it

up. Fortunately, this also means that other gossips recognize a kindred spirit in you,

which means that you seldom have trouble finding people to dish the dirt with. Lower

the difficulty of all non-violent, non-Intimidation Social Challenge related to learning

gossip or other small secrets by two. (Remember, this is gossip, not state secrets,

although you can frequently make a surprisingly accurate tapestry of a target’s life if you

tie together enough such loose ends.)

 

Lovestruck (1 Trait)

 

Ah, l’umour! You’re in love, and the world suddenly seems a much better place,

allowing you to wake up more refreshed than normal each morning. Unlike the

Soulmate Background, this love may be fleeting if you don’t work to maintain the

relationship (causing you to lose the Merit). However, until such a thing occurs, you

regain two Willpower Traits from natural rest anytime other hunters would regain one

(between games, every good night’s sleep, etc.).

 

Media Junkie (1 Trait)

 

From TV talk shows to radio call-ins to online chat groups, you’re an avid

consumer of pop culture, and if anyone’s up on the latest movies or music it’ll be you.

While this can suck up your downtime to an almost unhealthy degree, you are two

Traits up on all tests related to researching anything related to pop culture, or on all

Social Challenges involving fellow devotees of these mediums.

 

Natural Leader (1 Trait)

 

Natural magnetism and leadership capabilities spring from your actions and

words. Others want to follow you, and you easily take charge. You gain two Bonus

Traits on tests of leadership, whether using that Ability or otherwise. You must have

at least six Social Traits to take this Merit.

 

Natural Politician (1 Trait)

 

Machiavelli was pretty bright, but afew more years in thegame and you just might

be able to give the old boy a few tips yourself. You understand how power flows in

organizations, and whether or not you have actual Politics Ability or Influence, the arts

of deal-making and power-brokering come naturally to you. You are two Traits up on

all Social Challenges in situations where politics is a factor, whether it’s an international

summit or a meeting of the neighborhood watch. You must have at least six

Social Traits to take this Merit.

 

Punctual (1 Trait)

 

Punctuality is nearly a lost art in these hectic times, but not for you. If the boss

wants you inameetingat 9,you’re waitingpatientlyoutside hisoffice at 859.Thismay

not seem like that much of a boon, but being on time (and scheduling your activities

accordingly) is so second nature to you that barring some disaster or deliberate outside

interference, you are assumed to make all meetings and other appointments that you

have on a given day, in addition to your hunting activities. Needless to say, this can

be a wonderful aid in maintaining a double life without losing your job, or even just

making sure that you make it home from zombie-slaying in time to cook dinner for the

kids. (Narrators should use common sense if a hunter begins trying to abuse this Merit

and devotes too much time to the hunt to possibly make it to all of their regular

obligations as well.)

 

Trait-Stacking For Fun and profit:

 

Some players will naturally look at this extensive list and see right past the

sea of roleplaying opportunities before them, focusing instead on the fact that it’s

often possible to load up on related Merits and develop a character who gets an

absurd amount of bonus Traits or difficulty breaks in some fairly common and/

or potentially unbalancing circumstance. (“I have Acute Sense: Vision, Ability

Aptitude: Fiream, Good Night Vision, Lucky and Daredevil - that basically

means I’mup 10 Traits on all shots I take at night and have at least one free retest

for each one, right?”) For sake of retaining some semblance of fairness, then,

assume that bonus Traits or difficulty reductions from multiple Merits do not

stack unless noted in their description, or if the Storyteller specifically allows

such combinations to occur. As a rule, only the largest benefit applies, and in the

case of a tie the hunter may decide which benefit he receives. This should

restrain the urge some players have to build invincible super-hunters, while still

permitting players to take related Merits if they desire.

Naturally, this limitation does not apply to the penalties earned from

having multiple Flaws that come into play simultaneously; the poor bastard must

just suffer through his abominable luck somehow, and pray that his weaknesses

don’t line up like that ever again.

 

Smooth (1 Trait)

 

Regardless of your actual upbringing or etiquette skills, you have such a natural

grace and carefree charm that other people tend to forgive your little foibles, even if

they do not actually like you. Provided you’re not completely crass or bent on

antagonizing others, you are twoTraits up on all Social Challenges to get on someone’s

good side in a social situation such as a party or a nightclub

 

Way With Words (1 Trait)

 

You have a natural flair for choosing the right words to express exactly what you

mean, whether communicating your emotions to another person or crafting a work of

art. You are two Traits up on all Expression- or Performance-related Challenges

primarily involving words and wordplay.

 

Best Friend (2 Traits)

 

Many people go their whole lives without a true best friend, but you’ve been

blessed with one - through all the highs and lows of life, you may have fought but

you’ve always stuck by each other, and even after the imbuing the two of you are still

inseparable. She may not know the details of your new life, but she’ll still do anything

she can to help you, and won’t ask too many uncomfortable questions either. In

essence, you have a totally loyal and supportive Ally, but one who also demands more

in return, since she will naturally expect you to do all that you can for her if she needs

it as well. Still, when no one else will help you a Best Friend will still go that extra mile

to save your sorry butt, if only to kick it around a bit for being so foolish in the first place.

 

Enchanting Voice (2 Traits)

 

Your voice is naturally resonant and commanding. All non-edge uses of your

voice grant you two bonus Traits; you can seduce, intimidate and cajole with just a few

well-chosen words.

 

Fashion Sense (2 Traits)

 

Dressing well doesn’t just mean keeping up with the latest trends and designers,

it’s also an innate knack for knowing when to dress up (or down) and how to do so

smartly, especially on a limited budget. You are one Trait up on all Social tests where

your appearance makes any kind of difference, provided of course you have time to

choose your outfit before you go out.

 

Flirt (2 Traits)

 

Not everyone is necessarily very attracted to you on sight, but when you decide

to make someone the object of your affection, most people find it hard to resist. You

simply have a talent for understanding the subtle give-and-take of flirting and teasing;

you’re two Traits up on any Social Challenges involving such activity with members

of the opposite sex (or the same sex who find you attractive).

 

Good Judge of Character (2 Traits)

 

Given just a few moments of conversation or observation, you can make a fairly

accurate appraisal of what someone is like, and such guesses are right more often than

not. You’re two Traits up on all Mental Challenges involving assessing a person or

human-seeming monster, and one Trait up on any Social Challenges where you’re

going on a limited amount of prior contact with a person.

 

Great Liar (2 Traits)

 

Whether from countless exercises or simply a good innate understanding of what

to say and what people want to hear, you’re a fabulous liar. Even the most involved

untruths have a ring of creditability when you speak them, and you have little trouble

convincing others to take your word as truth when you want them to. You are two

Traits up on all attempts to lie or deceive another person. You must have at least six

Social Traits to purchase this Merit.

 

Laid-Back Friends (2 Traits)

 

You’ve got a number of good buddies, not quite as close as ones from the Best

Fnend Merit or as powerful as an Ally, but still loyal to the bitter end and generally

willing to help out as best they can with few questions asked. (Combining this Trait

with the Ally Background gives you the best of both worlds.) Perhaps most important

of all, while your friends have noticed you’ve changed a bit lately, they’re not going

to poke their noses into your business too much, and are fine with going a while

without hanging out, so long as you’re still friends when you do see them.

 

Nurturing Partner (2 Traits)

 

You have one or more children of your own, but fortunately your economic

situation is such that your partner can afford to stay home with the children alone full

time, which eases some of the burden when it comes to balancing your job and the

responsibilities of the hunt against your family. Best of all, you have maintained a

healthy loving relationship with your family, and neither your children nor your

partner resent it if they must go without seeing you for a day or two. (Though this can

change if you start missing too many days without explanation or begin taking your

partner’s role for granted too often.) This Merit need not represent a character’s actual

spouse - parents, grandparents or other people who might help take care of a

character’schildrenare all acceptable aswell. Acharactercancombine thisMerit with the children flaw,

as the latter represents her own feelings of guilt when she feels she let her children down,

regardless of whether they feel betrayed or not.

 

Seasoned Traveler (2 or 4 Trait Merit)

 

Whether from extensive book learning, a lot of time spent elsewhere or a

combination of the two, you are well-versed at finding your way around in distant

places, from cross-country trips to foreign nations. For two Traits, this applies to

anywhere you travel within your home country; for four Traits, the world is yours to

explore. Whenever you’re trying to find food, shelter, transportation or other basic

goods and services in another location, lower the difficulty of any appropriate tests by

two Traits. Note that this confers no automatic benefits in regard to any language

barriers that might exist, althougha hunter with this Merit might be able to more easily

locate a translator in places where she doesn’t speak the language.

 

Socially Aware (2 Traits)

 

Other people are generally blind to the delicate interplay between themselves,

but not you. Reading the dynamics of a group or situation is second nature to you, and

you can quickly puzzle out the true feelings people have for each other by studying their

vocal tones, word choices, body language and so on. You are two Traits up on all

Mental Challenges involving interaction between individuals.

 

Trivia Champ (2 Traits)

 

While most would consider your specialty a storehouse of apparently worthless

tidbits of information, nevertheless the sheer volume of facts at your command means

that you can often remember some relevant (if obscure) fact about the situation at

hand. At the Storyteller’s discretion, once or twice per story your character may just

happen to know a bit of information that the hunters need to complete a task before

them. This Merit confers no special knowledge of the enemy or the occult, besides

what might be known in pop culture (and which therefore might well be dangerously

wrong to act upon).

 

 

Upright Citizen (2 Traits)

 

Before the imbuing you were a model citizen, with nary so much as a hint of

scandal about you, and even now that same squeaky-clean image makes it quite

difficult for other people to believe anything bad about you. You receive a free retest

on all Social Challenges involved with maintaining your good name, although the

Storyteller may well restrict some of your Ability or Background choices (or at least

force them underground) to make sure you actually would fit the image that this Merit

describes. This Merit is particularly appropriate to combine with the Everyman

Background, though it is not necessary to do so.

 

Vibrant Neighborhood (2 Traits)

 

Every city has at least one neighborhood where “anything goes” and people are

always coming and going on various legal (and not so legal) errands, regardless of the

hour. You happen to live in just such a locale, and thus are able to get away with many

activities that would be viewed as strange in other parts of town, as the locals consider

them to be just more of the daily routine.

 

Corporate Savvy (3 Traits)

 

Business is war, so they say, and if that’s true then you’ve got a few tours of duty

under your belt already. You understand the corporate dynamic very well, from how

to motivate people to how resources flow in a company to the best way to climb the

ladder, and have little trouble managing businesses efficiently and profitably when you

put your mind to it. Anytime you try manipulating a corporation or a corporate

employee in a business-related matter, you are two Traits up on the related tests. You

must have at least six Social Traits and one level of the Finance Ability to purchase this

Merit.

 

Media Savvy (3 Traits)

 

A natural-born spin doctor, you instinctively understand exactly the right things

to say to journalists to present your subject the way you want, allowing you to create,

suppress or redirect stories with relative ease. Given enough time to prepare or with

a friendly enough contact in the press, you can even set up situations so that the press

will read them the way you desire. You are two Traits up on all Social Challenges made

with journalists or news organizations of any kind.

 

Supportive Family (3 Traits)

 

Your family has always been there for you, and even though you may have

changed since your imbuing, they support you and do their best to look out for you

whenever they can, no questions asked. They don’t know exactly why you’ve made

some of the decisions you have recently, and the can’t necessarily pull some of the

strings that Allies or other “official” sources can, but they can offer much-needed

comfort when the hunt gets too rough, not to mention dispense some family wisdom

as well. Hopefully one day you’ll tell them what’s going on, but until then they’re

content to help you out and leave it at that. You are family, after all.

 

Lucky (4 Traits)

 

While not even close to a supernatural effect, lucky breaks just naturally seem to

head your way, whether it’s as personal as bumping into the lady of your dreams as

you’re reading her favorite book or as simple finding $20 when you were just about out

of gas. Once per session, you may decrease the difficulty of any test by two Traits

(minimum one Trait difficulty), or put yourself up two Traits against an opponent -

if you succeed, it is because some small lucky break occurs that swings things your way.

Alternately, in a non-test situation the Storyteller may describe some minor but

fortunate circumstance that helps your character, though again this Merit can be

called on no more than once per session.

You may not possess this Merit and the Innocence edge of Fool’s Luck; if you

acquire that edge during play, you must spend these four Traits on other Merits or

Traits developed during the chronicle.

Social Flaws

Bad Liar (1 Trait)

 

It’s said that children develop the capacity for deception as early as two years old, but your

talent for fabrication hasn’t progressed much since that tender age. You might have obvious

behavioral tell tales when you try to lie, such as stammering or blushing, or maybe you just tend

to invent situations that are just too fantastic for anyone to give them credence. Regardless you

should roleplay this difficulty whenever possible, and you are two Traits down on all Social

Challenges involving deception in a social situation. 

 

Bully (1 Trait)

 

You like to throw your weight  around and don’t see anything wrong with getting your

way through social pressure or physical force when you feel like it. Inaddition to these charming

traits, youdon’t tend to dealwell whencompelled to follow amore forcefulpemnality, andtend

tobe atroublemaker when you’re not incharge. You’re oneTrait downonall Social Challenges

when you’renot the figure incharge, due toyour irritation.

 

Children (1 Trait)

 

You have children who depend on you for the necessities of life, not to mention

love and support. Fortunately for them, you treasure your role as a provider and take

pride in being there for your kids; unfortunately, the demands of the hunt can quickly

place a strain on your relationship with them, and no matter how they feel about it,

the guilt of neglecting your responsibilities takes a terrible toll on you. This Flaw

requires a lot of downtime attention to be significant enough to count, and should only

be chosen if you and the Storyteller are willing to mind it often enough for it to have

a real presence in the character’s life. (A good idea to start with is to have the player

draw up a weekly schedule of his character’s obligations as well as the kids’ activities,

which not only gives him an idea of the ways they might overlap, but also a framework

for the kinds of actions he can perform in downtime without threatening his

responsibilities.) If you go more than three days without seeing your kids, either due

to the hunt or other obligations, you cannot regain Willpower until you have achance

to be with them again for a like amount of time. At the Storyteller’s discretion, this

penalty may also apply for a time if you miss a particularly important event -

championship game, class play, graduation, etc. - especially if you promised to attend

or it would naturally be expected for a parent to be there.

 

Chronic Pessimist (1 Trait)

 

Determined to make Eeyore look like Shirley Temple, you learned long ago that

everything sucks, and what’s more, you’re happy to share this knowledge with others.

Nothing ever looks like it’ll turn out right, and even if it does you’re sure it’s only

because that success is a prelude to an even greater failure down the road. Even for one

someone who knows that horrifying monsters kill people and poison the planet every

day. Naturally, take delight in roleplaying this doomsaying at every opportunity, but

remember that such fun does have a price: you’re down two Traits on all Social

Challenges involving motivating people (such as Leadership challenges) or cheering

them up in any way (such as Empathy tests) - it’s just not.. . you.

 

Chronically Late (1 Trait)

 

Delays, delays, delays - something always seems to come up whenever you’re

trying toget somewhere on time.This isasmuchareflectionofnaturalprocrastination

or inattentiveness on your part as it is external factors. Anytime you have an

appointment to make, formal or informal, you must make a successful Willpower test

against three Traits to be there on time-failure means you’re at least 10 minutes late.

This can include entering the game later than other characters, if the time of your

arrival is important. Alternately, the Narrator may choose to increase your effective

travel times by as much as a third, to represent your inability to start a trip on time.

 

Chronically Shy (1 Trait)

 

People? Eep! Above and beyond the Negative Trait of the same name (though

you likely possess that as well), you’re incredibly wary of strange people, and even

worse with crowds. You’re one Trait down on all Social Challenges with people you

don’t know, and two Traits down on all Social Chalelnges that address a crowd of any

kind. And yes, these penalties are cumulative for crowds that are composed of more

strangers than familiar faces.

 

Clannish Family (1 Trait)

 

Sure, your family loves and supports you, it’s just that, well, they don’t like

outsiders much. It’s not that they’re necessarily mean, it’s just that they prefer to keep

matters (and favors) within the family. This might not even have been much of a

problem before, but since the imbuing they’ve noticed that you’ve been hanging

around a lot with people they don’t know, or worse still, bringing these strangers home

before the family felt comfortable with them. If your family constitutes or accounts for

your Allies, Contacts, Resources or Roots, they flat-out refuse to do anything that

requires them to directly or indirectly aid others outside the family, and will do their

best to make outsiders feel uncomfortable whenever they interact with them.

 

Collaborator (1 Trait)

 

Whether it was a devil’s deal to remove a larger threat to both sides, or just an

innocent exchange of information, sometime in the recent past you’ve worked with

one or more monsters to achieve your goals. Or maybe you haven’t, but word-of-mouth

in the hunter community says you have, and for one reason or another it’s been

impossible to prove otherwise so far. Either way, this reputation can put a serious strain

on your relations with more conservative imbued, and the Storyteller should take care

to inform other player characters of your supposed collaboration, so that they might

roleplay their reaction accordingly.

 

Crude (1 Trait)

 

You may be a trusted friend in private and valued ally on the hunt, but when it

comes to situations that require a certain amount of manners or refinement, even your

best friends try to pretend they don’t know you. You seem to break all the rules of

etiquette, deliberately or otherwise, and thus are two Traits down on all Social

Challenges in situations where tact or social grace are required. This Flaw can be taken

in addition to Negative Traits such as Tactless or Obnoxious, because it reflects a

general ignorance of social mores as opposed to a more specific difficulty with

particular behaviors.

 

Cultural Snob (1 Trait)

 

Yes, yes, we’ve all heard how much you appreciate fine art, classical music, the

best wines and the sublime ambiance of a good French restaurant - the problem is,

we’ve also heard how much abuse you heap on those who demonstrate the least bit of

knowledge or enjoyment of pop culture. In short, it’s obvious to everyone that you’re

a cultural snob of the worst sort, and you should do your best to roleplay this grating

distaste for all things “popular” as well as possible. What’s more, when it comes to

dealing with people who aren’t equally snobby about such things (read: just about

everyone), you’re two Traits down on all Social Challenges.

 

Defensive (1 Trait)

 

Whether from a lingering amount of immaturity or an endless drive for perfection

(in your mind, at least), you have trouble taking responsibility for your actions. Any

time anything goes wrong, you always find a way to blame someone or something else,

and become downright hostile to anyone who tries to point out this tendency as well.

You are one Trait down on all tests that would involve accepting responsibility for one

of your failures, and one Trait down on all Social Challenges with someone who tries

to point out this lovely habit of yours.

 

 

Eccentric Appearance (1 Trait)

 

Perhaps you run with a particular clique -Goth, punk, raver, etc. - or maybe

you’ve just got a truly unique sense of style, but either way your appearance immediately

makes you stand out in a crowd (at least among more ordinary folks). Aside from

occasionally drawing negative attention from others who disapprove of your clique or

style, you’re also easily remembered by other people. Any attempts to track you down

through witnesses are two Traits up, and you cannot take the Everyman Background

or the Forgettable Merit. Obviously, this Flaw also requires that you wear suitable

costuming and makeup to mark your unique appearance, and repeated failure to do so

will force you to buy off this Flaw.

 

Gambling Addict (1 Trait)

 

You can’t help it - whenever there’s a possible wager on the table, you just have

to take it. This is bad news because while you probably have extensive experience with

gambling, you’re addicted to it as well, which means that you tend to lose a lot more

than you win because you can’t pull yourself away from the table when you’re ahead.

Aside from the obvious impact this might have on your Resources, you must also make

a Willpower test against four Traits to pass up achance to gamble. Once you’ve started,

you must spend a Willpower Trait or make another test to stop gambling for any reason

less than adirect threat, regardless ofwhether you’re winning (“I’m aheadnow, so why

stop?”) or losing (“I have to at least break even!”).

 

Ghoulish Sense of Humor (1 Trait)

 

Youhave anhighlyactive senseofhumor, butnot exactlyahealthyone-in fact,

you tend to find amusing what other people consider disturbing or outright disgusting,

and thus have a bad tendency to crack inappropriate jokes at the worst possible times.

Any time you’re faced with a gory scene or otherwise uncomfortable moment (such as

someone consoling a crying victim), you are two Traits down on all Social Challenges

due to your habit of belittling the situation or those involved in it. Needless to say, you

should roleplay this behavior as well as possible, so long as you remember to keep all

the jokes in character.

 

Icy Demeanor (1 Trait)

 

Whatever that intangible quality is that makes people open up to others, you just

don’t have it. No matter what you’re like on the inside, you habitually project a cool and

hostile demeanor to those around you, and most don’t bother trying to get to know you

any better than that. You are two Traits down on all Social tests with someone during

the first scene that you meet them, due to your innate difficulty with presenting a likable

face to others. This is distinct from the Callow Negative Trait in that it represents an

ineptness at presenting yourself well rather than actual emotional isolation, though the

two may be combined in to create a truly heartless and distant S.O.B.

 

Impractical Dresser (1 Trait)

 

Nothing says your sense of style isn’t that great, but your sense of timing could

definitely use an improvement, at least in regards to what you should - and shouldn’t

-wear when on the hunt. Whether due to job constraints, wardrobe limits or simple

force ofhabit, you always seem to be caught wearing high heels when you need to chase

someone, or tight-fitting clothes that restrict your movements as you try to climb a

chainlink fence. Even some painful past experiences haven’t broken you of the habit.

You are assumed to begin each session somehow attired inappropriately for the needs

of the hunt, and thus are considered oneTrait down on all athletic- or combat-related

Physical Challenges unless you specifically acquire extra clothes in-game and take

time out to change during the session. This Flaw should be simulated as safely as

possible with appropriate costuming, but should you ignore or readily circumvent this

Flaw too often you may be required to buy it off, as it is obvious that you have finally

learned how to dress to kill (so to speak).

 

Insensitive (1 Trait)

 

Relating to people in an emotional context is an awkward and uncomfortable

experience for you, and your typical method of avoiding such unpleasantness (being

very blunt about everything) doesn’t usually do much to smooth things over either.

Most of the time you wind up apologizing without knowing exactly what you did to

offend someone, since you have a difficult time figuring out how other people are

feeling. You are one Trait down on all Social Challenges with someone in the grip of

a strong emotion of any kind, and two Traits down on all uses of the Empathy Ability

(these penalties are cumulative).

 

Intolerant Neighbors (1 Trait)

 

Your neighbors are every hunter’s nightmare: they like their neighborhood nice

and peaceful and quiet, and don’t hesitate to call the authorities at the first sign of

suspicious activity or even a loud party. This is generally up to the Storyteller to bring

into play, but a hunter with this Flaw had best tread carefully in regards to some of her

wilder activities lest the police or other agencies pay her an unwelcome visit. You

cannot possess this Flaw and the Vibrant Neighborhood Merit or the Roots Background

unless you have a truly strange living situation (and Storyteller approval).

 

 

Misinformed (1 Trait)

 

Some time ago you latched onto a theory or idea that’s far from mainstream and/

or flies in the face of accepted science, and for better or worse you’ve incorporated it

into your worldview, so much so that you tend to interpret events through the lens of

this belief. You need not be pushy about it, but you do truly believe in it, and will stand

steadfast by it if it is ever called into question whenever you make an ability test

that involves your skewed worldview (such as Science or Awareness), the difficulty is

increased by two as you try to fit the events or information you’re seeing into your own

perspective instead of vice versa. Note: You cannot take simply “the existence of

monsters” as your skewed belief, though you might be able to persuade your Storyteller

to allow it if your character passionately (read: blindly) believes that all monsters are

actually space aliens from the planet Zorg or some similarly outlandish belief.

 

Mistaken Identity (1 Trait)

 

They say everyone has a twin out there somewhere; problem is, yours is up to no

good, and everyone knows it. You bear a striking resemblance to a notorious figure of

some kind, whether a prominent criminal, infamous celebrity or even a feared monster

or radical imbued. You must wear a description tag indicating this unfortunate

resemblance. It doesn’t usually take much effort for others to figure out that you’re not

your “evil twin,” but some hotheads or glory hounds might not stop to make the

distinction before confronting you, and even then your presence is easily remembered

by those who recognize you.

 

Needy Friends (1 Trait)

 

Perhaps you’re just too soft-hearted to ever say no, or perhaps you have (or are

perceived to have) time and money to bum, but regardless, you’re the one your friends

and other non-imbued acquaintances always seem to come to when they need help.

From posting bail to giving a ride to holding someone’s hand, their need for you never

seems to end, and while you still consider them real friends as opposed to moochers,

that only makes it less likely you’re going to break free any time soon. In game, the

Storyteller may reflect this from time to time by temporarily lowering your Resources,

asking for additional favors from an Ally or Contact, limiting your downtime activity

between sessions or otherwise indicating how your friends need you as the chronicle

progresses.

 

No Internet Access (1 Trait)

 

Whether or not you’re familiar with computers or not, you have no ability to

access email or the Internet of your own, and must rely on friends or local libraries to

access this invaluable resources. Of course, this also makes it difficult for you to keep

up with hunter-net, assuming you are even aware of it in the first place. The Storyteller

may adjust theamountoftime it takes tousecertainBackgroundsor Abilities toreflect

the difficulty it takes to get in touch with you

 

No Phone (1 Trait)

 

You do not have a regular phone number others can use to reach you, nor do you

carry a pager or other electronic messenger. This can make it exceedingly difficult to

track you down on short notice, and you must rely on other means such as e-mail or

face-to-face meetings to keep in touch with your fellow hunters or plan for upcoming

activities. The Storyteller may adjust the amount of time it takes to use certain

Backgrounds or Abilities to reflect the difficulty it takes to get in touch with you.

 

Nonconfrontational (1 Trait)

 

Bringing up subjects you know others would prefer to avoid is acutely uncomfortable

for you, and you often find yourself giving in and accepting compromises you

regret later on down the road. It’s not that you’re weak, it’s just that you hate being

thought of as causing unhappiness to those you care about, so much so that you will

go to great lengths to avoid it if at all possible. Any time you find yourself the bearer

of bad news or in need of telling a friend or love one some unpleasant things, you are

two Traits down on all Social Challenges for the rest of the scene as a result of your

hesitation and unhappiness.

 

 

Poor Online Demeanor (1 Trait)

 

Sure, you’ve discovered hunter-net or a similar online community of the imbued,

but now they almost wish you hadn’t- whether you intend it to be or not, your online

persona is exceedingly grating and obnoxious to others, and they will aid you only

grudgingly because of it. Add two to the difficulty of all attempts togather information

or ask for aid from the online hunter community; what’s more, you are one Trait down

on all face-to-face Social Challenges with other hunters who recognize you from your

online postings.

 

 

Stubborn (1 Trait)

 

There are pit bulls, there’s ngmmmtis, and then there’s you- all three unwilling

to let anything go once they’ve got a hold of it. All of your beliefs enjoy your full,

unwavering support, and anyone who attempts to challenge them finds herself the

recipient of as much grief as you can muster. Any time someone questions one of your

beliefs, you are two Traits down on all Social Challenges with that character for the

rest of the scene as you naturally close yourself off to her (not to mention the

embarrassment if she’s actually right).

 

Superstitious (1 Trait)

 

Whether a cautious trait you acquired since learning that monsters existed, or a

habit you’ve had all your life, you adhere rigidly to a number of superstitions, to the

point where you frequently attribute the success or failure of your plans to how well you

adhered to “the rules.” You need not risk your life or the lives ofothers on these foibles,

however. Not only should this tendency be reflected on a constant level in your

roleplaying, but you are such a stickler for your superstitions that you are two Traits

down on all Social Challenges with anyone who disapproves of them due to your

conflict of belief. (As a rule of thumb, if you could imagine the person in question

reacting incredulously or unfavorably to you performing one of your regular superstitions,

this Flaw applies.)

 

Trusting (1 Trait)

 

You can’t help it - you just naturally take people at face value, whether due to

an optimistic view of people or just a limited amount of contact with people whose

motivations aren’t as noble as yours. Not only do you take them at their word, but you

also do such incautious things as accept rides home from recent acquaintances or walk

through bad areas at night, simply because you truly don’t believe something bad will

happen. You are two Traits down on all attempts to detect a lie or judge the character

of someone you’ve met for the first time that session.

 

Abusive Partner (2 Traits)

 

Monsters don’t just roam abroad - you live with a perfectly human beast at

home, who abuses you physically whenever you’re home. Any time you spend the

night at home, you must make a Simple Test - success means that you take no

damage, while a tie means that you come into play next time with a level of bashing

damage from the abuse. Aside from obvious social and psychological problems, this

Flaw can also significantly impair a character’s healing times, and the Storyteller

should make sure the character feels its weight appropriately.

 

 

Compulsive Liar (2 Traits)

 

Whether or not you’re good at it, you tend to inject your own special blend of the

truth into what you say, ranging from little white lies to untruths that might potentially

hurt others (especially when it comes to fellow hunters). At this point you might even

believe the lies you invent, since you tell them so often. Regardless, you should roleplay

this constant level of fabrication as best you can; additionally, in order to tell the

complete truth for a scene, you must spend a Willpower Trait or win a Willpower

Challenge against four Traits. This is also the case when you must tell a truth that

openly exposes a previous lie.

 

Conspicuous Consumer (2 Traits)

 

Saving money is difficult when there are so many cool things out there to buy, and

you tend to tax your finances buying brand names and a host of products you don’t

really need. Add two Traits to the difficulty of all tests related to using your Resources,

and cut the amount of monthly allowance it usually affords you by a third to reflect the

amount of money you spend.

 

Dogged by Fringe Media (2 Traits)

 

The truth is out there, but the sad fact is that lots of people went over the edge

right along with it, and for one reason or another you’ve got one such “colorful”

individual following you around. Worse still, this person is an amateur journalist for

an paranormal Web site or ‘line of some kind, and thus while you needn’t worry about

his work landing you on the front page of the local paper anytime soon, he can still draw

lots of unwanted attention toward you, especially if monsters happen to monitor the

local fringe media. What’s more, he has the most annoying habit of showing up just

in time to witness something bizarre or difficult to explain, which naturally only fuels

hiscuriosity further. Youshould workwith the Storyteller tocome up withsome details

about him and how the two of you met, although it will be up to the Storyteller to

determine his true abilities and motivation.

 

 

Foreigner (2 Traits)

 

While you might very well be fluent in the language and generally familiar with

the customs, you are still not native to the area where you currently live (and hunt).

You tend to be ignorant of small cultural details, and might have additional legal

restrictions on you as well. Whenever you attempt Streetwise or Etiquette tests, you are

two Traits down dealing with this strange foreign culture, and should adopt a

distinctive accent or other mannerism that clearly marks you as a foreigner (without

resorting to cultural stereotype).

 

Honest to a Fault (2 Traits)

 

Telling lies or even just bending the truth is contrary to your nature, so much so

that you will not do it unless it’s necessary to save human lives. Naturally, this lack of

practice tends to make you a pretty poor deceiver when you do attempt to twist the

truth, and you are two Traits down on any Social Challenge involving deception.

 

Infamy (2 Traits)

 

You’re well known in the area that you live, but for all the wrong reasons. You

might be a well-known criminal associate, or perhaps you were involved in a

prominent local scandal that has never quite lifted from your reputation. While you

won’t necessarily be attacked on the street, people do tend to look down on you or treat

you with some hostility, and so you are two Traits down on all Social Challenges with

those who know about your past. The Storyteller may also require you to wear a tag

denoting your infamous status, to ensure that you get the kind of reactions that you

deserve.

 

Lustful (2 Traits)

 

There are plenty of words for people like you, but regardless of how you want to

look at it, even you admit that you seldom put up much of a fight when it comes to

resisting the sensual charms of the gender you fancy. All attempts to seduce you are

two Traits up, and in general you make very poor decisions when it comes to people

that you find physically attractive, which should be roleplayed accordingly within the

rules of Mind’s Eye Theatre.

 

Monstrous Connections (2 Traits)

 

Most hunters spend nights out monster hunting, but you needn’t look far to find

at least one of the creatures - you have to deal with one in your daily life, whether

it’s your boss, a key family figure or another regular fixture of your existence. The

creature doesn’t necessarily know what you are (yet), but it’s in a prime position to

cause trouble for you should it choose to do so. This Flaw assumes that the monster is

in some position where you cannot easily avoid it, if not actually in a role that your

hunter would have a great deal of trouble justifying taking action against (such as a

parent or child).

 

 

Poor Judge of Character (2 Traits)

 

No matter how hard you try, you always seem to fall in with the wrong crowd.

Aside from (or perhaps including?) your fellow imbued, your “friends” tend to be

moochers, petty criminals and other undesirables, and suffice it to say that your

romantic history is probably long, tragic and highly repetitive. You are two Traits

down on all Awareness-, Empathy- or Intuition-related Challenges in social situations,

due to your difficulty in judging people correctly, and at the Storyteller’s discretion you

may face occasional difficulties with Backgrounds such as Allies or Contacts if they

involve your questionable associates.

 

Technophobe (2 Traits)

 

You hate modem technology, especially computers, and you’re pretty damn sure

it hates you right back. While you’re at home with tried-and-true things like cars and

telephones, making any sense of cell phones, pagers, laptops or other newfangled

gizmos is quite beyond you. You must make a Mental Challenge against five Traits to

perform even simple tasks on a computer, ATM machine or other technological

device you’re not comfortable with (which is most of them), and the Storyteller will

probably restrict some of the Abilities you can take at character creation to reflect this

deficiency as well.

 

Moneygrubbing (3 Traits)

 

Money makes the world go round, and you intend to ride the merry-go-round for

all it’s worth. Everything is secondary to the pursuit of wealth, and you’re capable of

performing some extreme things so long as there’s enough money in it for you. Any

time you’re offered a bribe, even by a monster or other loathsome figure, you must

either spend a Willpower Trait or make a Willpower test against six Traits to avoid

accepting the bribe. This difficulty increases by one if you’re pretty sure the task

required won’t hurt anyone (that you know of). In addition, you must make a similar

test to avoid searching the bodies or dwellings of fallen opponents for valuables.. . or

looting fallen allies for the same.

 

Wavering Faith (3 Traits)

 

There was a time when you thought your faith could get you through just about

anything, but that was before.. . .The horrors you’ve experienced since your imbuing

have shaken your faith to the core, and you have trouble mustering courage of

conviction when everything you once believed is so obviously wrong. After all, how

could a loving deity allow monsters to roam free causing suffering and anguish? And

it only takes one encounter with a ghost or a rot to see that the afterlife is obviously

not how you always thought it was. Aside from the wonderful roleplaying opportunities

this Flaw offers, all difficulties on Willpower tests of any kind are increased by one,

due to your shattered sense of confidence.

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