Willpower is more than just strength of personality. It is a mark of the greater power and determination within each of us. Unlike other types of Traits, Willpower Traits are not adjectives. Instead, your character has a permanent Willpower rating, which defines how many temporary Traits you may use during any given game session.

 

Willpower may be spent in a variety of ways. The more common uses are described below:

 

- Willpower allows your character to ignore the wound penalties up to and including Incapacitated for one turn. When used out of combat, this benefit extends for a full minute.

 

- By expending a Willpower Trait, you may retest any one Social or Mental Challenge, including most forms of magical control. In addition, your opponent may not use that power against you for the remainder of the scene. However, this does not apply to attacks, which inflict damage or target your Physical Traits.

 

- A Willpower Trait may be spent (as an action) to replenish all lost Attribute Traits in one category (Physical, Social or Mental). Some Storytellers extend this benefit, allowing characters to replenish Ability or Humanity Traits as well.

 

Once lost, Willpower is very difficult to recover. Normally, a character's Willpower pool refreshes at the start of each game session. However, Storytellers may wish to allow you to recover a temporary Willpower Trait when you perform exceptionally well relative to your Nature and character concept. This should not be a frequent occurrence, but rather a reward for outstanding roleplaying.

Mortal characters begin with one Willpower Trait.

 

Freebie Traits

Mortals, unlike the supernaturals around them, do not automatically get any special gifts for being mortal. Mortal characters' players, however, receive five freebie Traits, with which they may improve their characters Traits or purchase Numinae. These freebies may be expended any way the Storyteller allows.

 

Attribute or Ability Trait                     1

Background or Influence Trait             1

Humanity Trait                                    2

Willpower Trait                                    3

Basic Sorcery spell                                3

Merit                                                    Merit Trait cost

 

Characters may also gain freebie Traits from Negative Attribute Traits, rather then converting them directly into positive Attribute Traits. This option does not change the normal limit of how many Negative Traits may be taken.