Vampire the Masquerade: Merits
Physical
Acute Sense (1-pt. merit)
One of your senses is exceptionally sharp, be it sight, hearing, smell, touch
or taste. The difficulties for all tasks involving the use of this particular
sense are reduced by two. This Merit can be combined with the Discipline Auspex
to produce superhuman sensory acuity.
Ambidextrous (1-pt. merit)
You have a high degree of off-hand dexterity and can perform tasks with the
"wrong" hand at no penalty. You must still use the rules for taking
multiple actions, but will not suffer a difficulty penalty if, say, you use
two weapons or are forced to use your off hand.
Eat Food (1-pt. merit)
You have the capacity to eat food and even savor its taste. While you cannot
derive any nourishment from eating regular foods, this ability will serve
you well in maintaining the Masquerade. Of course, you can't digest what you
eat, and there will be some point during the evening when you must force yourself
to heave it back up.
Catlike Balance (1-pt. merit)
You possess an innately perfect sense of balance. Characters with this Merit
reduce difficulties of all balance-related rolls (e.g., Dexterity + Athletics
to walk along a narrow ledge) by two.
Blush of Health (2-pt. merit)
You look more hale and healthy in appearance than other vampires, allowing
you to blend with human society much more easily. You still retain the color
of a living mortal, and your skin feels only slightly cool to the touch.
Enchanting Voice (2-pt. merit)
There is something about your voice that others cannot ignore. When you command,
they are cowed. When you seduce, they swoon. Whether thunderous, gentle, persuading
or simply talking, your voice commands attention. The difficulties of all
die rolls involving the use of the voice to persuade, charm or command are
reduced by two.
Daredevil (3-pt. merit)
You are good at taking risks, and even better at surviving them. When attempting
exceptionally risky actions (such as leaping from one moving car to another),
characters with this Merit add an additional three dice to their rolls, and
negate a single botch die that may result from such a roll. Generally, such
actions must be at least difficulty 8 and have the potential to inflict at
least three health levels of damage if failed.
Efficient Digestion (3-pt. merit)
You are able to draw more than the usual amount of nourishment from blood.
When feeding, you gain an additional point to your blood pool for every two
points of blood you consume. This does not allow you to exceed your blood
pool maximum.
Huge Size (4-pt. merit)
You are abnormally large in size, at least 6'10" and 300 pounds in weight.
Aside from making you extremely noticeable in public, this extra mass bestows
an additional Bruised health level. Characters with this Merit may also gain
bonuses to push objects, open barred doors, avoid being knocked down, etc.
Mental
Common Sense (1-pt. merit)
You have a significant amount of practical, everyday wisdom. Whenever the
character is about to act in a way contrary to common sense, the Storyteller
can make suggestions or warnings about the implications of said action. This
is a very useful Merit to give to beginning players unfamiliar with the game.
Concentration (1-pt. merit)
You have the ability to focus your mind and shut out any distractions or annoyances.
Characters with this Merit are unaffected by any penalties stemming from distracting
circumstances (e. g., loud noises, strobe lights, hanging upside down).
Time Sense (1-pt. merit)
You have an innate sense of time and are able to estimate the passage of time
accurately without using a watch or other mechanical device.
Code of Honor (2-pt. merit)
You have a personal code of ethics to which you adhere. The specifics of this
code must be worked out with the Storyteller prior to play, and the character
must follow it strictly. Characters with this Merit gain two additional dice
to all Willpower or Virtue rolls when acting in accordance with their code
(e. g., defending the helpless) or when attempting to avoid situations that
might force them to violate their code.
Eidetic Memory (2-pt. merit)
You remember, with perfect detail, things seen and heard. Documents, photographs,
conversations, etc., can be committed to memory with only minor concentration.
Under stressful conditions involving numerous distractions, you must make
a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty 6) to summon enough concentration
to absorb what your senses detect.
Light Sleeper (2-pt. merit)
You can awaken instantly at any sign of trouble or danger, and do so without
any sleepiness or hesitation. You may ignore rules regarding how Humanity/Path
restricts the number of dice available during the day.
Natural Linguist (2-pt. merit)
You have a flair for languages. You may add three dice to any dice pool involving
written or spoken languages.
Calm Heart (3-pt. merit)
You are naturally calm and do not easily fly off the handle. You receive two
extra dice when attempting to resist a frenzy.
Brujah may not take this merit.
Iron Will (3-pt. merit)
When you are determined and your mind is set, nothing can thwart you from
your goals. When you are affected by a Dominate power, you may spend a point
of Willpower to shake off the effects. In addition, you receive three extra
dice to resist the effects of any mind-altering magic, spell or Thaumaturgy
path. This Merit does not affect Presence or other powers dealing with the
emotions.
Supernatural
Medium (2-pt. merit)
You possess the natural affinity to sense and hear spirits, ghosts, and shades.
Though you cannot see them, you can sense them, speak to them and, through
pleading or cajoling, draw them to your presence. You may call upon them for
aid or advice, but there will always be a price.
Magic Resistance (2-pt. merit)
You have an inherent resistance to the rituals of the Tremere and the spells
of the mages of other creeds and orders. The difficulty of all such magic,
both malicious and beneficent, is two higher when directed at you. You may
never learn the Discipline of Thaumaturgy.
Oracular Ability (3-pt. merit)
You can see and interpret signs and omens. You are able to draw advice from
these omens, for they provide hints of the future and warnings of the present.
When the Storyteller feels that you are in position to see an omen, you will
be required to make a Perception + Occult roll, with the difficulty relative
to how well the omen is concealed. If successful, you may then roll Intelligence
+ Occult to interpret what you have seen, the difficulty again relative to
the complexity of the omen.
Spirit Mentor (3-pt. merit)
You have a ghostly companion and guide. The identity and exact powers of this
spirit are up to the Storyteller, but it can be called upon in difficult situations
for help and guidance.
Sire's Resentment (1-pt. flaw)
Your sire dislikes you and wishes you ill. Given the smallest opportunity,
she will actively seek to do you harm. Your sire's allies also work against
you, and many elders may resent you.
Enemy (1-5-pt. flaw) - Can't be taken at
character creation.
You have an enemy, or perhaps a group of enemies, who seek to harm you. The
power of the enemy depends upon how many points the player wishes to spend
(five points indicate the wrath of a Methuselah, archmage or other potent
supernatural foe).
Hunted (4-pt. flaw) - Can't be taken at character
creation.
You are pursued by a fanatical witch-hunter who believes (perhaps correctly)
that you are a danger to humanity. All those with whom you associate, be they
mortal or Kindred, may be hunted as well.
Probationary Sect Member (4-pt. flaw)
You are a defector. You turned traitor to the Camarilla, Sabbat, Followers
of Set or other vampiric order, and you still have much to prove before you
are accepted by the Kindred you have defected to. Elders, ancillae and even
neonates treat you with distrust and even hostility, and your reputation might
even sully those whom you regularly associate with.
Unbondable (3-pt. merit)
You are immune to being blood bound.
Lucky (3-pt. merit)
You were born lucky - or else the Devil looks after his own. Either way, you
may repeat any three failed rolls per story, including botches, but you may
try only once per failed roll.
True Love (4-pt. merit)
You have discovered, perhaps too late, a true love. He or she is mortal, but
is the center of your existence, and inspires you to keep going in a world
of darkness and despair. Whenever you suffer, the thought of your true love
gives you the strength to persevere. This Merit grants you one automatic success
on all Willpower rolls, which can be negated only by a botch die. This can
be a great gift and also a hindrance, for your true love may require protection
and occasionally rescue.
Nine Lives (6-pt. merit)
Fate has granted you the opportunity to come as close to Final Death as anyone
can get and still survive. When a roll occurs that would result in your death,
the roll is made again. If the next roll succeeds, then you live - and one
of your nine lives is used up. If that subsequent roll fails, then another
reroll is made, until either a successful roll occurs or your nine lives are
used up. The Storyteller should keep careful count of how many lives the character
has remaining.
True Faith (7-pt. merit) - Must fit concept.
You have a deep-seated faith in and love for God, or whatever name you choose
to call the Almighty. You begin the game with one point of True Faith (see
p. 272); this Trait adds one die per point to all Willpower and Virtue rolls.
You must have a Humanity of 9 or higher to choose this Merit, and if you lose
even a single point, all your Faith points are lost and may be regained only
when the lost Humanity is recovered. Individuals with True Faith are capable
of performing magical acts akin to miracles, but the exact nature of those
acts is up to the Storyteller.