Though I believe the rule-set is fundamentally sound there are a few things which don't suit our particular campaign so here is a list of 'House Rules' that have been implemented. Also a list of none V5 books that I'm using until appropriate rules turn up to cover those areas will appear at some point.
A Note on my Timeline What's 'Canon'...
Therefore the significant events in the LA by Night sourcebook (Specifically events those outside LA would be aware of) will be considered canon up to about 1994 or so. Any changes to Baronies in Bloodlines (Therese running Santa Monica, Isaac Brahms running Hollywood, etc.) will have occurred at some point in the decade afterwards (the game being set in 2004). This doesn't necessarily mean their predecessors are completely out of the picture of course or that every side mission in the game happened.
After that the few LA related stories in Becketts Jyhad Diary will also be considered to be actual events...obviously ignoring the 'it's the end of the world' bits because..well...it didn't...
TL:DR version - Becketts trumps Bloodlines, Bloodlines trumps LA by Night, LA by Night fills whatever gaps are left...
Generation
My reason for this is that it's entirely possible for a high generation PC to max out a combat stat, attribute and complimentary discipline and effectively become the equal of kindred they should fear. I'm therefore keeping the aspect of the rules that means there is always the possibility of meeting a vampire who outclasses you.
Blood Potency rules I'm keeping as is, as the disadvantages outweigh the advantages somewhat.
Blood Potency
Discipline Power Bonus
If a characters Blood Potency is high enough to grant them a die or dice bonus as per 'Discipline Power Bonus' then this applies to any dice pool involving a discipline. This isn't so much a house-rule as a clarification of the meaning of the wording. If it turns out I'm wrong then it doesn't matter as this is the way we'll be doing it from now on.
Discipline Power Bonus
If a characters Blood Potency is high enough to grant them a die or dice bonus as per 'Discipline Power Bonus' then this applies to any dice pool involving a discipline. This isn't so much a house-rule as a clarification of the meaning of the wording. If it turns out I'm wrong then it doesn't matter as this is the way we'll be doing it from now on.
Advantages
Loresheets
I'm allowing multiple loresheets to be selected despite the rules saying 'a loresheet'. I seen no reason why a 'Descendent of Xavier' couldn't also be a 'Sect War Veteran', etc. I effectively use them as a replacement for the somewhat lacking background options in the core V5 book.
Disciplines
Protean
Feral Claws - Despite them not being an edged weapon for the purposes of decapitation I'm allowing them to be used for that purpose. Mainly because lopping a kindred's head off with your claws is petty cool. All other rules still apply.
Loresheets
I'm allowing multiple loresheets to be selected despite the rules saying 'a loresheet'. I seen no reason why a 'Descendent of Xavier' couldn't also be a 'Sect War Veteran', etc. I effectively use them as a replacement for the somewhat lacking background options in the core V5 book.
Disciplines
Protean
Feral Claws - Despite them not being an edged weapon for the purposes of decapitation I'm allowing them to be used for that purpose. Mainly because lopping a kindred's head off with your claws is petty cool. All other rules still apply.
Potence - Prowess
When activated, Potence allows you to add the rating of the user to their unarmed damage value as well as to feats of Strength, and add half their Potence rating (round up) to their Melee damage. This created a minor issue where a Nosferatu player with low strength but high Potence wasn't great in combat despite potentially having the strength of a champion weightlifter. I therefore allow players, while using Prowess, to add their Potence rating to either their dice pool to hit OR their damage.
Humanity
I'm using a slightly different way of tracking stains and their threat to the players humanity rating. Effectively I'm using the same line and cross system (Superficial or Aggravated) used by Health and Willpower which gradually fill the difference between the players humanity and ten. All other aspects of the rules are used the same after a few other tweaks didn't work well.
Effectively being able to give out 'half stains' gives me a bit more leeway with how I dish them out to the high humanity characters.
'New' Backgrounds
'New' Backgrounds
Boons
1 Dot - You are owed several trivial boons from kindred who you've helped in minor ways
2 Dots - You are owed a single minor boon.
3 Dots - You are owed a single major boon.
Flaws
This background can be taken as a flaw with you owing the boon rather than being owed it.
'New' Haven Merits
Armoury: You have access to a personal armoury of weaponry, either legally registered or not, that you nonetheless have easy access to. For 1 dot you have a single wall or floor mounted weapon cabinet or rack, 2 dots grants you a large cabinet the size of a wardrobe or traditional gun safe. Each subsequent dot grants you an additional storage area as per dot 2. For 5 dots you can instead have a fully equipped gun-room that would be the envy of any gun collector or obsessive survivalist prepper. The exact contents need to be agreed with your storyteller.
1 Dot - You are owed several trivial boons from kindred who you've helped in minor ways
2 Dots - You are owed a single minor boon.
3 Dots - You are owed a single major boon.
Flaws
This background can be taken as a flaw with you owing the boon rather than being owed it.
'New' Haven Merits
Armoury: You have access to a personal armoury of weaponry, either legally registered or not, that you nonetheless have easy access to. For 1 dot you have a single wall or floor mounted weapon cabinet or rack, 2 dots grants you a large cabinet the size of a wardrobe or traditional gun safe. Each subsequent dot grants you an additional storage area as per dot 2. For 5 dots you can instead have a fully equipped gun-room that would be the envy of any gun collector or obsessive survivalist prepper. The exact contents need to be agreed with your storyteller.
Staff: You have either servants, staff or other personnel working in or around your haven. Each dot of this Merit supplies four Average humans and one Gifted leader such as a butler, personal assistant or other managerial level employee (see Mortal Templates, p. 185). These need not necessarily be aware of their master or masters undead status but if they do not then consider this Merit cautiously.
Traps: Your haven is protected by various physical traps ranging from trip wires and pits filled with spikes to more exotic and elaborate devices. For each dot of this Merit, add one die to your dice pool to resist (or alert you to) unauthorised entry into your haven.
'New' Merits
Pack Hunter
For each dot in this merit a user of the Animalism Discipline may take one extra Famulus. Each extra Famulus gains any abilities that would be granted to the original.
'New' Rituals
1 Dot - Mark the Flesh
Ingredients: Tattoo needles and one Rouse Check worth of blood.
Process: Soak the tattoo needles in a rouse test worth of the casters own blood for one night, if the ritual is successful the blood will have absorbed into them, then any tattoo created with them on the subsequent night becomes permanent.
System: A win on the ritual roll allows any user of the tattoo needles to permanently tattoo an area up to 10cm squared.
1 Dot - Renew the Flesh
Ingredients: Ritual dagger and one Rouse Check worth of blood.
Process: Soak the ritual blade in a rouse test worth of the casters own blood for one night, if the ritual is successful the blood will have absorbed into it. An area of skin up to 10cm squared can then be removed with the blade before sleeping and will heal during the day being fully healed and clear of all blemishes upon rising.
System: A win on the ritual roll allows you to effect an area up to 10cm squared without penalty. Each further area of that size removed in a single sitting inflicts a single point of superficial damage.
3 Dot - Preserved Blood
Ingredients: Enough blood to fit the appropriate sized container plus various small herbs and easy to obtain ingredients. Most practitioners have their own preferred combinations of ingredients which some kindred claim effects the flavour.
Process: The performer of the ritual mixes the blood, chosen liquid medium (usually wine) and ingredients in a silver bowl over which they cast the ritual. The blood is then poured into the chosen container over which a second ritual is then cast before that container is sealed with wax.
System: A win on the ritual roll preservers the bloods nourishing effect but not the inherent resonance of the blood. Any residual effects of narcotics in the blood are also preserved though any diseases are destroyed. (Difficulty 1). On a critical success the resonance will also be maintained. Should Vitae be used instead of mortal blood the process is identical except that the ability to create blood bonds is never maintained though the blood may be used to feed a ghoul their monthly needs. Once opened the liquid keeps it's potency for a day and a night.
Traps: Your haven is protected by various physical traps ranging from trip wires and pits filled with spikes to more exotic and elaborate devices. For each dot of this Merit, add one die to your dice pool to resist (or alert you to) unauthorised entry into your haven.
'New' Merits
Pack Hunter
For each dot in this merit a user of the Animalism Discipline may take one extra Famulus. Each extra Famulus gains any abilities that would be granted to the original.
'New' Rituals
Ingredients: Tattoo needles and one Rouse Check worth of blood.
Process: Soak the tattoo needles in a rouse test worth of the casters own blood for one night, if the ritual is successful the blood will have absorbed into them, then any tattoo created with them on the subsequent night becomes permanent.
System: A win on the ritual roll allows any user of the tattoo needles to permanently tattoo an area up to 10cm squared.
1 Dot - Renew the Flesh
Ingredients: Ritual dagger and one Rouse Check worth of blood.
Process: Soak the ritual blade in a rouse test worth of the casters own blood for one night, if the ritual is successful the blood will have absorbed into it. An area of skin up to 10cm squared can then be removed with the blade before sleeping and will heal during the day being fully healed and clear of all blemishes upon rising.
System: A win on the ritual roll allows you to effect an area up to 10cm squared without penalty. Each further area of that size removed in a single sitting inflicts a single point of superficial damage.
3 Dot - Preserved Blood
Ingredients: Enough blood to fit the appropriate sized container plus various small herbs and easy to obtain ingredients. Most practitioners have their own preferred combinations of ingredients which some kindred claim effects the flavour.
Process: The performer of the ritual mixes the blood, chosen liquid medium (usually wine) and ingredients in a silver bowl over which they cast the ritual. The blood is then poured into the chosen container over which a second ritual is then cast before that container is sealed with wax.
System: A win on the ritual roll preservers the bloods nourishing effect but not the inherent resonance of the blood. Any residual effects of narcotics in the blood are also preserved though any diseases are destroyed. (Difficulty 1). On a critical success the resonance will also be maintained. Should Vitae be used instead of mortal blood the process is identical except that the ability to create blood bonds is never maintained though the blood may be used to feed a ghoul their monthly needs. Once opened the liquid keeps it's potency for a day and a night.
--------------------
More 'New' Rituals
Ingredients:
At least one pint of blood or vitae.
Various alchemical herbs and other ingredients
A bottle or seal-able container.
A small amount of the casters own Vitae.
Process: The materials are mixed as the ritual is performed with a small amount of the casters own vitae as a catalyst. The casters own vitae is consumed and has no effect on any consumer of the mixture.
System: A win on the ritual roll binds the liquids together and allows the drink to slake Hunger equivalent to the amount of blood used, usually equivalent to a single rouse test, when the resulting mixture is drank. No resonance is stored.
2 Dot Ritual - Bind Blood
Ingredients:
At least one pint of blood or vitae.
Wine, beer or other beverage equal in quantity to the blood or vitae used.
Various alchemical herbs and other ingredients (Each Sommelier has their own preferences and opinions about the ingredients and how each effects the taste of the resulting beverage).
A bottle or seal-able container.
A small amount of the casters own Vitae.
Process: The materials are mixed as the ritual is performed with a small amount of the casters own vitae as a catalyst. The casters own vitae is consumed and has no effect on any consumer of the mixture. Each Sommelier has their own subtle variations of materials though which effect the taste and which do not is a matter of fierce debate within the Sommelier community.
System: A win on the ritual roll binds the liquids together and allows the drink to slake Hunger equivalent to the amount of blood used, usually equivalent to a single rouse test, when the resulting mixture is drank. No resonance is stored.
3 Dot Ritual - Bind Essence
The three dot version is mechanically identical to the two dot variant with the following exceptions. Mortal blood will now retain it's resonances and kindred vitae keeps any benefits it would normally bestow including maintaining a ghouls status. It will however not blood bond.
A critical success on the ritual roll will allow the mixture to also restore a single point of Willpower on consumption.
--------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment