CAMARILLA ADDENDUM: UNIVERSAL (WW50000)
Last Updated: 15 December 2008
This addendum provides the rules for the Camarilla’s live-action chronicle and provides a level playing-field throughout the organization. Storytellers are not permitted to change or ignore approval requirements or take more than reasonable leeway to bend the rules to develop stories. Rules from this supplement and sanctioned White Wolf books must be particularly strictly observed when character death is a likely possibility.
This document is the property of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All trademarked terms within are used with permission. This document may be freely distributed for use by members of White Wolf’s official fan club, the Camarilla. Any other use of this document in whole or in part requires written permission from the Camarilla’s Club Director.
Errata for published materials are treated separately from the materials they reference. If published material is sanctioned in whole or in part or if is not sanctioned has no bearing on the sanctioning of the commensurate errata.
I. OPTIONAL RULES
A. The Optional Rules from Mind's Eye Theatre are not used in the sanctioned chronicle, with following exceptions, which apply to all Venues:
1. Morality Derangements (p103)
2. A Matter of Resolve (p174)
II. APPROVALS
B. Notifications
D. Universal Approval Clarifications
E. Modifier Categories
F. Grandfathering
G. Affiliates Without Global Approval Database Access
1. If a player is from an affiliate that does not use the approvals database they are responsible for confirmation of items requiring special approval or notification when attending a game other than their home game. The confirmation (written or electronic) must be from the highest approval Storyteller for each item. This is in addition to any other Venue Style Sheet requirements at the game being visited
III. GENERAL APPROVAL LIMITATIONS
1. Canon Materials: Antagonist storyteller character types that appear in specific books for the venue.
2. Canon Materials: Antagonist storyteller character types from venue-neutral books (Asylum, Tales from the 13th Precinct, etc)
3. Canon Materials: Antagonist storyteller characters that come from character-types available for player characters in the venue. These NPCs may only use custom mechanics if such mechanics are available at Mid Approval to PCs
4. Character: Sheet rewrite for members who have played the venue for less than 3 months
5. Character: Anything intended for your character type or class from core venue books and subgroup-specific books (e.g. it is Low Approval for a Guardian of the Veil to access mechanics from the Guardians of the Veil book).
6. Character: The following merits from venue-specific book are Low Approval for all venues:
a. Anonymity [Blood of the Wolf]
b. Armory [Banishers]
c. Fence [Banishers]
d. Parkour [Tribes of the Moon]
e. Shield-Bearer [War Against the Pure]
f. Staff [Ghouls]
g. Tunnel Rat [World of Darkness: Chicago]
7. Character: Derangements from any sanctioned material are Low Approval for all venues so long as they are appropriate for the character type.
8. Character: Virtue/Vice change of the player character.
9. Character IC Knowledge: Occult specialization in "Spirits" for characters in the Forsaken and Awakening venues. Occult specialization in “Ghosts” for any venue.
10. Character Activity: Brief cross-venue soft RP that has no significant consequences on PCs (e.g. a mage PC contacts a werewolf PC to ask permission to enter the werewolf’s territory for some transitory reason).
11. Storyteller Authority: Minor magical items, rituals and effects that are part of local storylines do not require special approval. These must be temporary, not directly benefit player characters and be limited to the local venue.
12. Storyteller Authority: Temporary places of power.
13. Spirits: Rank 1-4
14. Storyteller Authority: Minor changes to a scene, e.g. reversing a mistaken rules call within the session. High Notification is required if any participant is unhappy with the results.
1. Character: Sheet rewrites to make a character game legal after an error has been made. (e.g. a rewrite to remove Creation Only merits purchased with MC or game XP).
2. Character Activity: One-time cross-venue participation in a game of a different venue (e.g. a changeling PC attends a local Mage gathering to see if they are somehow associated with the Keepers; a werewolf PC stalks in the darkness outside Elysium in hopes of killing the vampire that enslaved his wolf-blooded cousin, etc.). This includes hard RP.
3. Character Background: Cross-venue background (e.g. a vampire PC with a background tie to a werewolf character)
4. Storyteller Authority: Use cross-venue NPCs that appear at a game or directly interact with player characters.
5. Storyteller Authority: Storylines that include repeated use of cross-venue NPCs.
6. Storyteller Authority: All places of power unless otherwise specified.
1. Canon Materials: Access to non-supernatural items and mechanics from their own venue but a different character type or class (e.g. it is High Approval for an Iron Master to have a social Merit usually only available to Storm Lords).
2. Character IC Knowledge: Specialty in "off-types" in the same venue (e.g. a vampire knowing about a specific bloodline they are not part of).
3. Character IC Knowledge: Occult specialization in "Spirits" for characters not in the Forsaken and Awakening venues (unless specified lower elsewhere).
4. Character: Permanent Venue Change – attaching a PC to a VSS of a different supernatural genre (e.g. a vampire PC attached to a Forsaken VSS). This is High Approval with Top Notification. See the Cross-Venue Interaction Appendix for details and restrictions.
5. Character Sheet: To infiltrate a different character type of class under an alternate identity (e.g. it is High Approval for a member of the Mysterium to create a fake identity and infiltrate the Free Council). It is not possible to infiltrate a different venue.
6. Character Sheet: To regain control of a retired PC and return that PC to play
7. Spirits: Rank 5
8. Spirits: For a spirit to possess Numina that duplicates other supernatural powers rated higher than the spirit's rank. Example spirits (such as those required listed in canon materials) are an exception to this and require no special approval.
9. Storyteller Authority: Waiving the restrictions on build guidelines for Storyteller characters (NPCs)
10. Storyteller Authority: Any other objects that would kill a character despite previously perfect health (or fully paralyze them or deny opportunity to escape), or devices that would lead to immediate or inevitable death
11. Storyteller Authority: for player characters to use mundane weapons and projectiles that cause aggravated damage to supernatural creature types (including fire and silver).
12. Storyteller Authority: Significant alteration or removal of scenes from continuity, particularly involving significant effects (e.g. Torpor, loss of limb).
13. Storyteller Authority: One-time cross-venue game, with permitted venues specified in the application (e.g. a game that permits both werewolves and changelings to attend in order to resolve a plot that involves both venues).
14. Custom mechanics: If learned in-game from other player characters (unless otherwise noted). E.g. a custom vampiric bloodline with custom mechanics would be Global Approval for the first player character, and High Approval for player characters subsequently avused into the bloodline.
15. Custom mechanics: Duplication of items approved at Global unless otherwise noted. E.g. a customized flak jacket would be Global Approval for the first player character and High Approval for player characters who subsequently duplicated it.
1. Canon Material: Access to non-supernatural items and mechanics from another venue (e.g. it is Top Approval for a Daeva to possess the Storm Lord social Merit).
2. Storyteller Tools: Access to Military personnel or hardware - for each instance or use.
3. Storyteller Tools: Access to any kind of Storyteller "hit squad" (e.g. Moroi) called in by a player character to affect another player character
4. Character IC Knowledge: Specialty from different venues (e.g. a werewolf PC understanding the Free Council).
5. Character Sheet: Rewrite for members who have played in the venue in excess of three months
6. Character Sheet background: If you were a major figure in mortal or supernatural affairs in an affiliate nation, tied into published IC timeline/events of that country, or resided there for more than 100 years, you must get that affiliate's Top Approval.
7. Character Sheet: Antagonist character types as player characters (e.g. a Belial's Brood vampire PC). Includes being an Antagonist character type in background.
8. Character Sheet: Conversion of a Secondary Character to a Primary Character.
9. Spirits: Rank 6 through 8.
10. Spirit Interaction: To call, control or otherwise employ spirits or ghosts against other player characters who exist outside the Awakening or Forsaken venues.
11. Storyteller Tools: Mobile places of power.
12. Storyteller Tools: Places of power that grant XP benefits.
1. Canon Affecting: Usage of any unique ("named") characters or antagonists from source material.
2. Canon Affecting: Usage of any unique magic items from source material.
3. Canon Affecting: Significantly reshaping paradigm in one or more venues (e.g. wide scale destruction of the Masquerade). This approval must be obtained *before* the reshaping actions take place.
4. Character: Access to IC e-mail lists for Permanent Venue Changed characters. Each IC e-mail list requires a separate Global Approval.
5. Character Activity: Permanent cross-venue participation between two venues (e.g. a Mage who regularly visits the Lost in addition to dealing with his fellow Mages).
6. Character Background: Interaction with unique (named) Storyteller characters or major historical figures. This approval is waived if the interaction happens as part of storyline or chronicle interaction with officers on the Master Storyteller's staff.
7. Character Background: Anything related to the Vatican: This also requires approval from the Italian affiliate.
8. Custom mechanics: With guidelines for creation in sanctioned material. (Ie: Devotions, Rotes).
a. Custom Oaths, Crúac, Theban Sorcery & Fontal Rituals and Coils of the Dragon are not currently available.
9. Spirits: Rank 9+
10. Spirits, etc: Use of a true Deity or divine entity from any religion.
11. Storyteller Tools: All plots and storylines involving Belial’s Brood. All Belial’s Brood NPCs.
12. VSS: Mixed-venue, permitting supernatural creatures of more than one genre to attach to a single VSS (e.g. a VSS that includes both werewolf and changeling PCs). See the Cross-Venue Interaction Appendix for details and restrictions.
13. Changes to continuity on global lists.
14. Anything impossible or disallowed in this addendum may be allowed with Global Approval. Any applications for such things must demonstrate overwhelming benefit for the chronicle.
1. Unless otherwise specified in this document or appendices, characters may never have access to supernatural mechanics or benefits inherent to another character type or class (e.g. only True Members of the Carthian Movement may learn supernatural powers from the Carthians book).
2. Exceptions are powers, activated by one character, that bestow benefits on another character (e.g. a member of the Invictus being given an item enhanced by Lancea Sanctum powers).
3. These rules are often superseded by venue-specific details in this document's Appendices for items and mechanics that are commonly shared.
1. Cannot prevent another power from working.
2. Cannot replicate a ritual or other power in part or whole (e.g. a Theban Sorcery version of Deflection of Wooden Doom).
3. Cannot cause damage without a challenge.
4. Cannot cause damage in response to an attack.
5. Cannot allow inescapable killboxes.
6. Cannot allow unstoppable fair escapes.
7. Cannot provide more than one effect.
8. Cannot allow other characters to access the user's powers (e.g. allowing another character to turn into mist via Body of Spirit).
9. Cannot alter how a power works (e.g. a normally Instant action that becomes Reflexive).
10. Cannot contradict the Addendum or setting.
11. Cannot create a custom devotion using a custom discipline.
IV. EXPERIENCE POINTS
1. Player characters are either 'Primary' or 'Secondary' characters, created according to sanctioned material.
2. Each player can have one Primary character in each venue, and can have a second Primary character in a single venue.
3. Members with multiple characters must design and play them in such a way as to never interact in any way, even through a secondary source. This is not grandfathered.
4. Primary characters add experience points (xp) based on the Membership Class (MC) of their player.
5. Any number of Secondary characters can be created.
6. Players can voluntarily take fewer than the allocated starting dots.
1. Primary Characters: Add 30 xp plus 20 xp per MC at creation. A bonus of 40 xp is given at MC 3, 6, 9, 12 and 14.
a. Example: At MC 5 a Primary character receives 170 xp – (30 + 5 * 20) + 40 = 170 xp.
2. Secondary characters: Add 50 xp only, as if created at MC 1.
3. These xp are added after normal character creation is complete, before entering play (i.e. they cannot be spent on "creation only" merits).
4. A maximum of 50% of this xp can be spent in a single area; Attributes, Skills, Supernatural Advantage, Merits or supernatural powers (e.g. Disciplines).
5. The 50% rule doesn't apply to characters created at MC 1 or mundane characters in the Mortals venue.
6. Up to ten xp can be left unspent and saved; other unspent xp is lost when the character enters play.
7. When a player gains new MC levels, all their Primary characters add 20 xp per level gained (plus 40 xp gained at the MC milestones mentioned above).
8. If a player loses MC levels, all their Primary characters lose xp equal to the worth of the MC. This may cause characters to go into "xp debt" (they do not lose dots from their sheet), which must be paid off before anything else is bought for that character.
1. After entering play a character can earn a maximum of 10 xp per month (exceptions noted in Over-Cap Experience Awards).
2. A maximum of 5 xp per game may be awarded.
3. Storytellers can use the "After a Chapter" and "After a Story" systems described in MET if this is noted in the game's Venue Style Sheet.
4. A player's direct Storyteller can award up to 5 xp per month for activities not related to a game.
a. Example: bonuses for written downtimes, character journals, end-of-story bonuses, etc.
b. No more than 3 xp per month may be awarded for a single activity.
1. Each of the following awards can be earned in excess of the usual 10 xp monthly maximum.
2. Multiple over-cap awards are cumulative unless noted, but may not exceed 20 over-cap xp per year on any character.
3. Activities which can earn over-cap XP:
a. Each US region and each Affiliate nation can sponsor twelve "Featured Game of the Month", per venue per year. These events can award up to 2 over-cap xp.
b. Official regional conventions can award up to 4 over-cap xp for characters in each venue played.
c. Official national conventions can award up to 6 over-cap xp for characters in each venue played.
d. Official global events such as the International Camarilla Conclave can award as many over-cap xp as the Master Storyteller desires.
e. For a well-played death scene, bonus xp points can be awarded to use on the player's next character in that venue. 5 xp can be awarded at Low Approval, 10 xp at High Approval or 20 xp at Top Approval.
i. These awards are doubled for players who have been Camarilla members for less than six months.
ii. The awards are applied to the player's new character in the first month of play.
iii. "Good death" awards can only be approved for a player once a year.
4. Unless otherwise specified, all such awards must be entered on the approvals database (where available) at Low Approval.
5. If players have portrayed multiple characters in the same game session they can split the over-cap xp between the characters (the full bonus is not applied to both characters) as they see fit.
V. PLAYER CHARACTERS
1. The player's direct Storyteller must approve all their characters for that particular venue.
2. Any time there is a discrepancy between the player's copy and the copy on record, the Storyteller's copy is considered accurate.
3. A complete character record includes:
a. Character sheet
b. Verification of any special approvals
c. Experience point log.
4. The experience point log must include:
a. How starting dots were spent at creation
b. How xp was spent afterwards.
c. A list of games attended and xp awards.
d. All xp awards must be dated.
1. A player can choose to retire a character.
2. Once retired, the character becomes an NPC under the control of the player's direct Storyteller (or the temporary supervision of the supervising Storyteller of a particular game or convention).
3. The character's activities are then limited to resolving unfinished business with other player characters or story elements, unless both the player and the Storyteller have agreed the character can become a recurring NPC.
4. Dead characters may not be resurrected.
1. Players should create well-researched background with tie-ins with other player characters.
2. Player characters cannot genuinely have been major historical figures or fictional characters.
3. No character can be made to engage in activities that would immediately set off real-world alarm bells (avoid IRA bombers, Nazi torturers, etc).
a. Storytellers are strongly encouraged to deny any backgrounds that may lead to conflict with real world authorities or civic organizations.
b. Any references to real world terrorist organizations in emails or other communications must include a clear disclaimer that the communication is a prop for entertainment.
4. Do not use names from current or prior White Wolf works or other copyrighted fiction
1. Characters have access to in-character (IC) information applicable to their venue and type. E.g. a Forsaken character would usually have access to casual knowledge from Werewolf: The Forsaken and from books or portions of books specific to her character type and class.
2. Characters who have had contact with or studied another type of creature or supernatural society, and can produce specialized knowledge on the topic, require special approval. They must have a minimum of 1 dot of the Occult skill, with a specialty in their area of expertise.
3. Common sense should be applied. Information stated in published material to be commonly known does not require a specialty. Information stated in published material to be particularly secret or rare may be unavailable even with a specialty.
a. This rule is not intended to affect knowledge acquired "in game". See the document "Thoughts on Character Knowledge" on the Master Storyteller website.
VI. STORYTELLER CHARACTERS (ANTAGONISTS)
1. Each NPC must be approved by a principal Storyteller.
2. NPCs are created like player characters; they are subject to the same approval limitations as PCs unless specifically noted otherwise. E.g., “High Approval (Low Approval for NPCs)”.
3. Storyteller characters can be built with xp equating to MC 10 (or the Storyteller's own MC if higher).
4. Additional xp can be added, up to 20 xp per month since January 2005.
1. Spirits and ghosts can spend a maximum of 50% of their normal Essence pool per turn. Spending Essence to increase pools is an exception to Modifier Categories.
2. The bonus derived from Essence does not count as part of the +/- 15 limit.
3. Numina:
a. Grant Influence Numina [Astral Realms]: This numina is not approved for play at this time
VII. SYSTEMS
1. Testing for all venues is performed using systems presented in Mind's Eye Theatre. Dice pools equate to draw bonuses (with the exception of "multi-draws" detailed below). If a tabletop source book calls for a system permutation, use the live-action version (MET p181-184).
2. All Morality draws (including creature type versions such as Humanity, Harmony and Wisdom) use the "multi-draw" system of pulling multiple cards (MET p101-102). Bonuses or penalties add or remove draws.
3. There is conflicting text regarding the maximum number of characters that can attack a target at the same time. MET p26 is correct – four attackers maximum.
4. There is conflicting text regarding Willpower being spent to bolster a draw. A Willpower point adds +2 to a Resistance Attribute during a resisted test or to Defense (when the Willpower user is not making a draw). When used to bolster the spender's draw, including a contested resistance draw, it adds +3.
5. Exceptional Successes and Dramatic Failures are not used in MET or the Global Chronicle (please see section II.D.1. for a partial exception to this rule).
6. Social Tests: It is important to note that mundane Social tests are valid mechanics in the Global Chronicle and should be treated as such. Please refer to the section on Social Skills in MET p84 for more details. It is recommended that STs and Narrators prohibit the use of a mundane Social test without sufficient effort at roleplaying to back it up.
1. Any powers or mechanics that would incapacitate or completely paralyze a character are modified for sanctioned play.
2. Any single test that would deny a target their Defense for subsequent attacks now allows them to retain their Defense.
3. It takes High Approval to bypass this restriction, with the exception of vampiric staking which requires no special approval.
4. The grappling maneuver "immobilize" does not place a character in a killing blow situation.
1. No poison or toxin inflicts its damage all at once. A minimum of one turn passes before a toxin begins to take effect.
2. Damage is inflicted at the rate of no faster than one per turn, minute or hour, depending on substance.
3. A resistance draw is made each time damage would be imposed until a number of tests equal to the poison's toxicity have been made.
4. Multiple applications of a toxin add virulence to the total number of draws made; they do not mean multiple draws at a time.
1. New weapons and armor are allowed if their mechanics are identical to existing standard weapons, or if the mechanics make those statistics worse.
2. The range of a derringer is 10 yards.
3. Armor Ratings do not stack; while multiple armors may be worn, only the best rating among them counts toward the overall Armor Rating. Penalties from multiple armors worn do stack, however.
a. Mundane armor does continue to stack with supernatural armor bonuses; e.g., a Kevlar vest will stack with the armor bonuses provided by the Rhino’s Hide devotion [Carthians].
b. The hide armor created by the Mortal Balm power of the Phagia discipline [Bloodlines the Chosen] is considered mundane once created; it may not stack with other mundane armor (or itself).
4. Bulletproof armor does not downgrade crossbow bolt/arrow damage to bashing.
5. Attacks from non-firearms projectile weapons (e.g. crossbows) are made using the attacker's choice of Firearms or Athletics, and do not deny the target their Defense.
6. Storytellers may allow player characters to occasionally use improvised weaponry to inflict aggravated damage, but these will not be common or part of a planned attack.
a. This does not apply to other means of inflicting aggravated damage as per sanctioned material.
b. Storyline effects that inflict aggravated damage to supernaturals require no special approvals but should be carefully monitored.
1. "Proxy" refers to sending your character sheet to a Storyteller other than your own, to portray a character without your physical presence.
2. 48 hours must be given to the Storyteller supervising the scene, unless they give an exception. A Low Storyteller email approving a proxy to commence is sufficient.
3. To proxy a character the player must provide a character sheet, a brief description of intentions, motivations, personality and reactions to possible situations.
4. When proxying, a player grants the Storyteller all rights to the character for the duration of the proxy.
5. Storytellers may modify proxy rules further in their Venue Style Sheets.
6. Storytellers must keep players informed of proxy progress, providing updates at least on a weekly basis, and must portray proxied characters to the best of their ability and in keeping with the player's proxy instructions.
1. Storytellers can set up their own guidelines for monitoring commodities that fuel supernatural creatures, e.g. Vitae, Essence etc.
2. These must be recorded in the Venue Style Sheet.
1. No effect allows a character to exceed normal expenditure limits of vitae, essence, mana, pyros, glamour or willpower unless otherwise stated in this addendum or a White Wolf book.
1. Activation of pre-game powers that take significant time to implement (e.g. Coil of Beast 3, specific rituals) should be worked out with the ST, who can use their judgment regarding timings and other practicalities.
1. When a multiplier is given, e.g. for Speed, animal forms or Celerity, or something gives "double" or "best of two" abilities, these add and do not multiply.
a. Example: The Gunslinger Merit and Time 2 "Glimpse of the Future" both provide the better of two draws, and if used together would provide the best of three draws, not the best of four
VIII. MERITS
1. All venues use the simple or graduated Merit cost described in MET p32.
2. Simple cost merits have a single rating or an "or" separating listed ratings.
a. Example: Fast Reflexes is a simple cost Merit as it is rated "1 or 2" rather than "1 to 2".
1. If a player character acquires ownership or access to something in-game that would normally be represented by Merit dots, they must pay the requisite xp after a one month period and the new Merit dots be added to their character sheet. This can result in xp debt.
a. This cannot be avoided by passing ownership of items back and forth or leaving them in convenient locations where they are not "owned" but access is easy.
2. Merit dots are lost permanently when the things they represent are lost or destroyed (e.g. a fetish is broken, a retainer is killed). A player's direct Storyteller decides if attempts to destroy Merit dots are permanent or temporarily successful. Note such changes in a character's experience log.
a. Storytellers may temporarily remove or reduce Merits as part of a story if those Merits are later recoverable without xp expenditure.
3. If a character loses dots in a shared Merit such as Haven or Totem the Storyteller should give the remaining invested characters the chance to cover the loss themselves with xp expenditure.
1. Characters can possess multiple versions of Merits that represent specific items, people or places.
2. Allies, Haven, Herd, Retainers, Sanctum, Hollow, Status are not cumulative when determining the maximum rating for a Merit.
a. Example: A character can have a dozen 3-dot Retainers without exceeding the Merit rating (1 to 5).
1. Merits for magic items are simple-cost Merits.
2. These items are not considered custom items if built strictly according to existing creation rules.
3. All such items must be entered on the database (where available) for tracking purposes.
4. 5 dot items and above are High Approval unless different levels are defined elsewhere.
1. The Large Scale Game mechanics option is used to create Retainers (MET p146). Allies, Mentors, Retainers and similar Merit-based NPCs are created and portrayed by the Storyteller.
2. Such NPCs that represent or interact with government agencies require the special approval of the Storyteller with jurisdiction over that level of agency or body.
a. Example: Having contacts in the FBI requires Top Approval from the US National Storyteller, to influence the Red Cross would require Global Approval).
3. Retainers can have lesser templates specific to the character's venue (e.g. ghouls in Requiem, sleepwalker in Awakening, etc) at Low Approval and supernatural templates native to the character's venue at High Approval.
4. Retainers cannot be any type of supernatural creature from another venue unless specifically allowed in this supplement.
5. Vampire regnants must pay the monthly Willpower costs to upkeep their ghoul Retainers.
1. Unarmed Fighting Styles
a. Boxing, Kung-Fu and Two-Weapon Fighting may not be used with any form of shapeshifting power. This includes natural claws and teeth, Feeding the Crone, supernatural claws or any effects that transform the user into inhuman shapes.
i. The Werewolf Dalu form is an exception to this.
2. Archery [Armory]
a. This Merit can be used only with bows (not crossbows).
3. Chain Weapons [Armory]: The system for this Merit is replaced with the following.
a. ●: Functions per the description in Armory (WW55102).
b. ●● to ●●●●: Each dot allows the character to negate one point of penalty for a targeted attack with a chain.
4. Combat Marksmanship [Armory]: The system for this Merit is replaced with the following.
a. Each dot grants a +1 bonus to Initiative with a firearm (to a maximum of the character’s dots in the Firearms Skill).
b. This Merit can be used only with firearms (not bows or crossbows).
5. Fencing [Armory]: The system for this Merit is replaced with the following.
a. The character may sacrifice a number of points of Defense up to the number of dots in this Merit. Each point sacrificed may be used to add one to the attack pool that turn. If the character does not have defense to sacrifice, they may not add to their attack. This benefit does not count as part of the ‘base pool’ but is a beneficial modifier.
b. This Merit is intended to be used only with specific swords: curved sword, fencing sword, rapier, sword cane, katana or wakizashi. Using any other sword incurs a -1 penalty on the bonus that may be applied.
6. Filipino Martial Arts [Armory]: The system for this Merit is replaced with the following.
a. Each dot grants a +1 bonus to the character’s Defense when fighting an unarmed opponent, when using the appropriate weapons.
7. Improvised Weapon [Midnight Roads]:
a. The first two dots of this Merit are sanctioned at Low Approval. The third dot is not in play.
8. Sniping [Armory]: The system for this Merit is replaced with the following.
a. The character may sacrifice all Defense for the turn. In return, penalties to hit a target via a Firearms attack are reduced by a number of points up to the number of dots in this Merit.
b. This Merit can be used only with rifles (not bows, crossbows or other firearms).
9. Spetzatz Knife Fighting [Armory]: The system for this Merit is replaced with the following.
a. The character may make an attack which penalizes the victim's defense up to the number of dots in this Merit. This attack must follow another knife attack on the same target from the character which did not use this bonus. (E.g.: The character attacks without penalizing the victim’s defense in the first turn. Then the character may penalize the victim’s defense in the following turn. The character would then have to attack without imposing a penalty on the victim’s defense again before it could claim the bonus again.)
10. Staff Fighting [Armory]: The system for this Merit is replaced with the following.
a. The character may add a dot to its Defense for every dot in this Merit, in addition to the +1 bonus to Defense for using a pole-arm.
1. The following Merits have been reserved by the Master Storyteller for the purpose of integration into the chronicle via plotlines. These Merits can only be learned through the workings of said plotlines: Dream, Dreams of Lust and Terror, Dream Travel, Evocation (spirits only), Psychic Illusions, Psychic Vampirism, Spirit Channeling, Soul Jar.
2. Abominable Merits (Cult of Things That Must Not Be, Reality Blasphemy):
a. Global Approval (High Approval for NPCs).
3. Anti-Psi:
a. Top Approval (Mid Approval for NPCs). This Merit is lost by application of any supernatural template.
4. Other Psychic/Thaumaturgic Merits (Alchemy, Animal Empathy, Animal Possession, Animal Rapport, Astral Projection, Aura Reading, Automatic Writing, Believers, Biokinesis, Channeling, Clairvoyance, Communion, Countermagic, Curse of Ill-Fortune, Death Sight, Divination, Doubting Thomas, Dowsing, Enchantment, Familiar, Favorable Fortune, Geomancy, Ghost Ally, Ghost Calling, Healing, Hypnotic Voice, Invocation, Library, Longevity, Lucid Dreamer, Luck Magic, Magical Nexus, Mental Blast, Mind Breaker, Mind Control, Mind Reading, Plant Empathy, Postcognition, Precognition, Psychic Empathy, Psychic Healing, Psychic Invisibility, Psychic Projection, Psychic Resistance, Psychometry, Pyrokinesis, Pyrokinetic Immunity, Pyrokinetic Shaping, Sacrifice, Scrying, Second Sight, See Auras, See Spirits, Telekinesis, Telepathic Communication, Telepathic Rapport, Thermokinesis, Thought Projection, Visionary Trances, Warding, Weather Control):
a. Top Approval (Mid Approval for NPCs). These Merits are lost by application of any supernatural template other than the Psychic or Thaumaturgic templates.
1. Some source material books equate status to organizational positions. Unless otherwise noted in this document, Status levels are not requirements for in-character organizational positions described in source material as city-wide in scope. This refers to specific character type organizations (e.g. Covenant, Order) and not Storyteller run NPC groups such as City Hall, local Police etc.
2. The Status Merit in the Mind's Eye Theatre book is not available for supernatural organizations. Any status in a supernatural group not specifically detailed in the relevant venue book is not sanctioned for play.
3. Player attempts to develop large scale in-character supernatural groups/organizations which might warrant a formal status system are advised to contact their relevant venue AMST.
4. Any supernatural bonus to Status – regardless of source – is subject to the standard approval levels for the increased level of Status.
1. Spirit’s Tongue
a. Top Approval for characters without supernatural templates. Not available to characters with supernatural templates.
2. Other Spirit Merits (Cursed Item, Difficult to Ride, Easy Ride, Hollow Soul, Locus-Drinker, Pleasing Aura, Residual Spirit Energy, Saintly, Shadow Contacts, Shadowless Chambers, Spirit Ear, Unseen Sense (Spirits)):
a. Low Approval for mortal characters or lesser supernatural templates. Not available to characters with greater supernatural templates.
1. Fame
a. The Merit Fame is renown and recognition within the Mortal world.
b. Fame in a supernatural community is not sanctioned for play.
2. Parkour [Tribes of the Moon]
a. This Merit cannot be used in the same turn the user attempts or succeeds in harming another character, nor does it combine with supernatural powers with the exception of changes in physical form (e.g., werewolf shapeshifting, Protean Shape of the Beast, Cloak of the Bear's Massive Form, etc).
3. Relic [Reliquary]
a. Global Approval (High Approval for NPCs).
b. This includes Relics created with the Relic Creator Merit.
c. Relics are simple cost merits rated between one and five dots
4. Relic Analyst [Reliquary]
a. Global Approval (High Approval for NPCs).
5. Relic Creator [Reliquary]
a. Global Approval (High Approval for NPCs).
6. Tunnel Rat [World of Darkness: Chicago]
a. The Merit is city Specific. When purchased it must be specified what city it belongs to
b. This Merit may be purchased multiple times for different cities.
IX. ADDITIONAL BOOKS
1. This book is sanctioned without changes.
1. Equipment from this book is available at Low Approval, unless a greater approval is noted elsewhere (such as military weapons), subject to the additions below.
2. In all cases of duplication, the equipment in Mind's Eye Theatre (WW50000) supersedes those in Armory.
a. Example: Rapiers follow the MET rules instead of the Armory rules.
3. Weapons with the 9-again rule have that ability removed. Weapons with the 8-again rule have that reduced to a 9-again.
4. Weapons with damage modifiers of more than 4 have the modifier reduced to 4.
5. Firearms with the Burst Fire rule have that ability removed.
6. Defense penalties noted for armor instead penalize Initiative.
7. To represent their rarity and the possible legal repercussions, any automatic firearms are High Approval unless a higher approval is noted elsewhere.
8. The following weapon clarifications are considered military grade weapons and require Top Approval. Please refer to the relevant National Addendum for further limitations in place for the respective Nation.
a. Anti-Material Rifles (generic or otherwise)
b. Machine Guns
c. Military Tactical Trucks
d. APCs
e. IFVs
f. Main Battle Tanks
g. Combat Airplanes
h. Attack & Gunship Helicopters
9. Items from Chapter 3: Not sanctioned at this time.
10. Ammunition
a. The additional rules for ammunition types in Chapter 2: Not sanctioned at this time.
b. Broadhead hunting arrows and flint/obsidian tipped arrows do not gain a damage bonus when used in an attempt to stake a vampire.
c. Bodkin arrows are Mid Approval.
11. The Errata and Bonus Material for this book is sanctioned; however, the “But… but... Jesse Ventura did it!” sidebar in this material is not sanctioned.
1. Though sanctioned for play, the history and settings in the book are not necessarily those of the Camarilla chronicle.
2. The Master Storyteller reserves the right to make use of the included Storyteller characters.
1. Most locations, characters, and items are used as examples and are not necessarily used in the Camarilla Global Chronicle, although the spirits and spirit-ridden in the last chapter are usable, in the same vein as the spirits in Predators.
2. Cursed Items: High Approval, whether from the book or custom in origin.
3. The sidebar "Mythic Resonance of Fruit" is used in the Camarilla's chronicle.
4. All spirit creation rules follow current approval levels (limited by Rank).
1. This book is sanctioned without changes.
1. This book is sanctioned at Low Approval except where noted below.
2. Bad Memory or Worse Cars: Top Approval in the Forsaken, Awakening, Created, and Mortals venues. Not available in other venues.
3. Shadowcross Cars: Reserved for the Master Storyteller's Office.
4. The Free Energy Car: Reserved for the Master Storyteller's Office.
1. This book is sanctioned as follows:
a. Hunters (including all Merits, Tactics, Endowments, Organizations and other Hunter-specific Advantages):
i. Tier One: Not available as player characters (Low Approval for NPCs).
ii. Tier Two: Not available as player characters (Mid Approval for NPCs).
(a) Custom Compacts: not available at this time.
iii. Tier Three: Not available as player characters (Top Approval for NPCs).
(a) Custom Conspiracies: not available at this time.
(b) Endowment items (Advanced Armory, Thaumatechnology, Relics, etc.) can only be used by characters with the appropriate Endowments; said items will not function for other characters.
b. Equipment (pp 229-246): Low Approval. This includes the sidebar “Haute Couture”.
i. Improvised Equipment (p 250): Not approved; refer to systems in Armory instead.
c. Weapons (pp 246-250): Not approved; refer to weapons in MET and Armory instead.
d. Vehicles (p 250): Low Approval.
e. Monster-Hunting Tools (pp 252-253): Mid-Approval for PC use if acquired in-game from an NPC Hunter (Low Approval for Hunter NPCs).
1. This book is sanctioned without changes.
1. This book is sanctioned at Low Approval except where noted elsewhere.
2. Relics from Chapter Two (A Million Little Things) with Powers listed as "unique" or rated with more Powers than five dots are Global Approval.
3. Relics created using Chapter Three (Powers and Prices) may not possess more than five dots in Powers
1. If a character with a lesser template is exposed to the transforming power of another, the original template wins out. (The Camarilla uses the first bulleted option out of the three presented on pages 21 and 22.) Any time a character loses Merits because of a template change, no experience points are refunded or redistributed.
2. It is Top Approval for any player character to have access to the systems from Chapter Four: Reality-Bending Horrors. (Low Approval for NPCs)
1. Mechanics and items from Chapter One: Top Approval (Mid Approval for NPCs).
2. Mechanics and items from Chapter Two: not available for PCs (Mid Approval for NPCs).
3. Mechanics and items from Chapter Three: Global Approval.
1. The Merits from this source are not sanctioned for the Camarilla's chronicle.
1. The mechanics for Rush have been reserved by the MST's office for future use.
2. Plot lines involving Bloody Mary require Global Approval.
3. Dopplegangers are unavailable to player characters.
1. Though sanctioned for play, the history and settings in the book are not necessarily those of the Camarilla chronicle.
2. The Master Storyteller reserves the right to make use of the included Storyteller characters.
1. This book is intended to create major settings variations for games from their inception and is thus not used to affect the Camarilla's sanctioned chronicle.
1. Though sanctioned for play, the history and settings in the book are not necessarily those of the Camarilla chronicle.
2. The Master Storyteller reserves the right to make use of the included Storyteller characters.
1. Though sanctioned for play, the history and settings in the book are not necessarily those of the Camarilla chronicle.
2. The Master Storyteller reserves the right to make use of the included Storyteller characters.