Edit 1/11/08: changes marked in red; if only the name of the Merit or Flaw is red, the entire entry is new.
Nearly any Merit or Flaw in the OWoD MET books, if it can be made relevant, is available. Below are some re-written or new Merits and Flaws for this setting. Many of the tabletop Changeling Merits and Flaws I converted (or created) for the Novanglia game are relevant here.
No character can take more than two of following Merits: Hero, Fairy Kin, Revenant/Hobgoblin, Sorcery, Thrall, Wizardry. Note that some combinations are impossible (as per Merit descriptions).
Anachronism (4F): Your knowledge of the World is several centuries
out of date at best, if not non-existent, and you are unable or unwilling to
catch up. While this provides quaint roleplaying opportunities, any Earth-born
Abilities cost twice as much to purchase, and you do not automatically
begin play with knowledge of a modern human language (although you may certainly
buy one in character creation at the inflated price). (At Storyteller discretion,
the character might be able to start with a free or normal-priced ancient or
archaic language.) -- This Flaw may also be applicable to Earth-born Undead
of a certain age.
Daywalker (2M): For goblins and other creatures who
suffer penalties in bright light, this Merit removes the restriction. For vampires,
it permits free movement during the day without requiring hourly expenditure
of Mana -- but the vampire will still combust in sunlight. [This Merit cost
for vampires is rather low under the assumption that only a small portion of
a given game session will be affected.]
Dreamcoat (3M; selkies only): The seal coat of a selkie need not resemble a seal or even fur, but it usually has an unchanging appearance, arousing unwelcome suspicion for selkies trying to conceal their fae nature and making the coat of any selkie more vulnerable to theft. Selkies with this Merit have coats that can resemble different garments as they desire. Once a day, the selkie need only concentrate for a moment (one Turn) to change the coat's appearance. Additional changes in a single day are possible with the expenditure of a Mana trait for each change. These changes can even be used to make the coat appear like a particular kind of uniform or professional attire, aiding disguises, but do not allow for special benefits; for example, a selkie coat made to resemble a suit of armor does not actually provide extra protection.
Extra Mana (1M per trait, max. 5M): The character has access
to more Mana than normal, either through the use of some sort of external device
or an unusual ability to store or replenish an internal supply. -- Mortal sorcerors
may buy this Merit, spending 2 Merit traits for their first dot of Mana, to
avoid relying solely on Willpower to fuel their spells (but cannot use Mana
for healing or boosting Physical traits); fairy characters with this Merit gain
an additional Mana trait above the cost of this Merit. Thralls must pay twice
as much for this Merit.
Extra Weakness (5F): The character suffers from an additional
Weakness -- for example a vampire might take Aggravated damage from silver or
holy water as well as sunlight. As fire causes Aggravated damage to everyone
unless otherwise specified (solimonds, for instance), you may not select fire
as your Extra Weakness.
Face in a Jar (1F or variable M/F):
A Face in a Jar is a portable, transferable Seeming, often in the form
of a mask, although it can be anything wearable that is the size of a human
face or larger. (Among liches or certain Unseelie fae, the object might be made
of the skin of a mortal.) This trait is something of a "point break" or augmentation
for the Seeming Background. Note that points must still be spent on the Seeming
Background separately (or acquired for free in the case of Salon vampires).
As a basic Flaw (1F), the character is unable to assume her human
Seeming without wearing the object (or resume her true form without removing
it). Further advantages and disadvantages can be added:
Faction (1-5M): You belong to a
sub-group that bestows certain Advantages and Disadvantages. Perhaps you are
a member of a noble house of the fae, or a vampire bloodline, or a secret society,
or a political faction within a larger group. You gain two free levels of one
or more of the following Backgrounds: Allies, Contacts, Mentor, or Status
(probably in your Faction, but particularly influential Factions might grant
Status in a larger group) and must take a Disadvantage equivalent to
1 or 2 Negative or Flaw traits. At higher costs, this Merit permits further
Advantages: free Attributes that may pass the limit, free Abilities, Specializations,
or Backgrounds, access to rare Disciplines, or a single special power roughly
equivalent to a Basic rote; at the highest levels, Disadvantages should be somewhat
more severe. The Storyteller reserves the right to be the final arbiter of the
cost of this Merit, but as a guideline use the following chart (totals higher
than 5 should be brought down to 5 with Disadvantages):
Players are encouraged to band together and create their own factions, or you
can pull one out of OWoD sources (a sidhe or merfolk House, one of the old vampire
Clans, etc.). Whatever the case, the details of the Faction Merit should
be more or less the same for all members, although there could be minor variations
(e.g., noble fae get Status, but commoners get Allies).
Factions that provide a special power may do so for all members,
but those that teach unusual Disciplines or provide certain Backgrounds cannot
do so for members normally unable to use them -- a mundane mortal in a blood
cult that provides levels of Herd for vampires and allows them to learn Path
of Blood Thaumaturgy in-clan can claim neither benefit (and perhaps his affiliation
could better be represented through Background traits or other Merits and Flaws).
Fairy Kin (4M): (Humans/goblins only) The character
is a mix of mortal (human or goblin) and immortal (fairy) stock. This brings
with it certain advantages: A doubled mortal lifespan, 3 Mana traits which they
can use just as fairies do (except to create thralls), easier access to certain
supernatural Merits (Wizardry and Sorcery cost less, and, among
other things, fairy kin can purchase the supernatural Birthright of their parent
kith as an additional 5-trait Merit), and, for Mages, a +1 bonus on Paradox
tests. On the downside, fairy kin are susceptible to the Lordliness of
the fae, and the character's appearance is a blend of human and fairy traits
to the point that the she can usually pass for neither, possibly encountering
scorn, distaste, or at least disconcerting attention from just about everyone.
-- Note that fairy kin who become Wizards increase their Mana pool to the normal
amount for a Wizard of their Rank; they do not add their "natural"
Mana on top of that. -- Many fairy kin (not that there ARE many) are called
or call themselves "half-elves," "half-ogres," or what have
you, regardless of the actual percentages involved in their heritage. Strangely,
occasionally the child of a fairy and a human or goblin is fully immortal or
unmagically mortal rather than a fairy-kin.
Half-Goblin (1M/1F): (Humans/goblins only.) The character
is a mix of the two mortal races. The starting character type represents the
"favored" ancestry. Half-Goblin can be either a Merit or a
Flaw; a single character can have both versions. If taken as a Merit, "Human"
half-goblins add a free Specialization in Intimidation; "Goblin"
half-goblins may function normally in bright light and do not gain the Witless
Negative trait. If taken as a Flaw, the two ancestries have not mixed well and
the character must take an extra Repugnant or Ghastly trait applicable
to all relevant challenges with any character type (except perhaps other half-goblins).
Additionally, the half-goblin will rarely receive an unconditional welcome in
goblin pits, the fairy courts, or the streets of 1940s America.
Hero (6M, 5M for humans; Prerequisite:
none for mortals; immortals must have "Magically Challenged" Flaw):
The character may perform astounding feats that are not quite magical but certainly
are unusual. The character begins with two Heroic Feats and may purchase more
with Flaw traits and Experience; see Heroic
Feats for more information. Note: Heroes cannot be Mages or Sorcerors; those
who are also Thralls or Revenants/Hobgoblins must pay twice as many Free or
Experience traits to purchase Disciplines beyond their free dot(s). (Those who
are "magically challenged" immortals cannot, of course, buy further
Disciplines at all.) Note: A Revenant does not count as
"human" for purposes of determining the cost of this Merit.
Immortality (7M): Fair Folk and the Undead are Immortals, meaning
they do not age past a certain point and are immune or at least highly resistant
to disease. They can expect to exist until the end of the World unless something
violent happens to them, and many are additionally immune to certain kinds of
violence -- but more vulnerable than humans to others. With this Merit, a human,
demi-human, or other creature not normally immortal is, for whatever
reason (work out details with the Storyteller). The character must choose an
Immunity, a Weakness, a Binding, and two Bans. If the character does not already
have a trait of Rank (probably from the Wizardry Merit), he may purchase a first
dot for 3 Free traits (bringing with it a pool of Mana he may use as fairies
do). -- Humans and goblins with ths Merit may no longer claim the mortal Experience
bonus.
Limited Binding (4M): (Immortal characters only.)
There's a trick to your Binding that makes it harder to use against you. Maybe
you're a vampire whose heart is, in a very real sense, not in the right place.
Details must be worked out with the Storyteller.
Limited Weakness (6M): (Immortal characters only.)
You have an unusual tolerance for your Weakness. In game terms, when you receive
an Aggravated level of damage from your Weakness you may spend a Willpower trait
to"test the damage down" to Lethal by winning or tying a simple test;
you may do this a number of times per session equal to your Rank, individually
or all in a single challenge. Details must be worked out with the Storyteller.
Magically Challenged (7F; does not count against maximum
Flaw / Negative traits): (Immortal characters only.) You never did get
the hang of this whole magic thing. Fairies get their kith Birthrights, and
vampires one dot in a Physical Discipline, but otherwise can never learn Disciplines,
Thaumaturgy, Sphere magic, or the Gremayre Ability. Essentially, the
character gives up Sphere or Discipline slots in character creation for 7 additional
Free traits. These can be spent on supernatural Merits and Backgrounds
-- although any that require an activation challenge . The Magically Challenged
may use Spell Scrolls (q.v.), but their only advantage over unmagical humans
is that they can spend Mana rather than Willpower when doing so.
Mana Renewal (4M; mages and immortals only): You know
another method of regaining Mana beyond those normally available to characters
of your type, subtype, and Rank. Work out the details with the Storyteller.
Revenant / Hobgoblin (5M; mortals only): Lich thaumaturges
and experimentally minded Unseelie fae alike learned long ago that, under the
right circumstances and with the careful application of ritual magic, thralls
could be bred together to create "improved" mortal servants infused
with Mana. On earth, this led to the few so-called "Revenant" families
of born ghouls; in Faerie, to the Hobgoblins. Such creatures are unable to learn
Wizardry, but begin play with Mana traits equal to half their Willpower (round
up), which replenish naturally (although more slowly than one in a single game
session) and an extra Attribute trait (which may go over the limit). Revenants
and Hobgoblins begin with one dot in a Common Discipline (except Thaumaturgy)
and may purchase other Common Disciplines (at out-of-clan costs).
Sorcery [or Theurgy]
(6M / 4M for Fairy Kin): Requires at least one level of the Occult Ability.
Essentially, this Merit lets an unawakened or partially awakened mortal buy
levels of Thaumaturgy or Necromancy.
(We won't be using Sorcery rules from Laws of the Hunt Revised for the
sake of simplicity.) The mortal gains the first Basic dot of a path of Thaumaturgy
(Alchemy, Conjuring, Curses, Elemental Mastery, Fairies' Fortune, Lure of Flame,
Movement of the Mind, Thaumaturgical Countermagic, Transmutation, or Weather
Control) or Necromancy (Ash or Bone) and one free Basic ritual; she may
purchase more dots and rituals with Free traits or Experience (at out-of-clan
costs). -- Characters without access to Mana must spend Willpower traits. --
Note: "Theurgy" is simply Sorcery that stems from [or is believed
to stem from] a divine source. The roleplaying is different, but the game mechanics
are identical.
Spell Scroll (2-6M): The character has learned to use
a rote spell from written or occasionally memorized directions, perhaps without
otherwise possessing any magical ability (which can be dangerous, as failed
spells risk Paradox).
The rote must be cast as a ritual using specific foci and, if the
spell is not normally of a sort available to the caster, the caster must bid
extra traits: 1 additional for Basic spells, 2 for Intermediate, 3 for Advanced.
(This penalty is reduced by one if the character knows a form of ritual magic
-- Wizardry, Thaumaturgy, or Necromancy -- and by one more if the character
possesses at least one dot of the primary Sphere used in the spell.) If the
character does not possess the Occult or Gremayre Abilities, s/he
must spend a Willpower trait to initiate the casting challenge. All trait costs
must be paid by the caster, with Willpower replacing Mana if the character does
not have access to Mana or Tass. Finally, an additional Mana (or Willpower)
trait is required to cast a spell from a Spell Scroll if it is not normally
within the caster's ability. Mortals unschooled in the occult who attempt to
use a powerful spell scroll must therefore spend rather a lot of Willpower and
bid a lot of traits in order to risk unleashing Paradox, but sometimes you've
just got to try to close that gate to Hell.
Naturally, Mages who already know the Spheres necessary to cast the
spell on a Spell Scroll gain little benefit from owning one, except that it
permits them to learn the rote; mages who already know the rote can at least
use the scroll as a Unique Focus. Mages can create Spell Scrolls if they know
the rote in question and are at least an Initiate of Prime; this must be done
in downtime.
Despite its name, this Merit does not necessarily require the character
to have a physical scroll in hand. The cost of this Merit is equal to the level
of the rote plus one. A character may possess more than one Spell Scroll
Merit.
Thrall (4M [2M for goblins; see below] -- Mortals only): (Replaces
"Ghoul" Merit) The mortal character has been enthralled by an immortal
creature through magical oaths or an addiction to the blood of the Undead. The
thrall ceases to age, gains certain innate powers, an increase of 1 in the trait
maximum of their primary Attribute category (although they do not gain a free
additional trait), and a pool of 4 (possibly additional) Mana traits that may
be used as immortal creatures use them but restored only by the servitor's Master.
The downside is that thralls lose a Permanent Willpower trait (which may be
repurchased with Experience) and generally feel a slavish devotion to -- even
an unhealthy obsession for -- his or her Master, who wins all ties in Social
challenges against the thrall; the vampire Inhuman disadvantage and the
fairy Shifty disadvantage do not apply in dealings with one's own thrall.
A character cannot be thrall to more than one immortal at the same
time (although fairy Lords have a way of "sharing" their thralls;
see below). Immortal characters cannot be made thralls, although they can certainly
be bound by oaths or the Blood Bond (but gain no benefits). Revenants and hobgoblins
may be enthralled, but do not gain an extra Discipline dot.
The magical means of enslaving the thrall must usually be renewed
monthly unless s/he is taken to the Otherworlds or remains inside a Sanctum.
If a thrall in the mundane world goes more than about 30 days without receiving
at least one Mana from his Master, the enslavement is ended and all magical
benefits cease (although Willpower is not restored). Over the course of a day,
the character assumes his or her true age, which may be a serious problem.
Thralls gain a free Awareness Specialization related to the
Undead or the Fae, as appropriate. This benefit remains even should the thrall
cease to be "employed" by an Immortal.
Note: Mages who become thralls are unable to cast improvised spells,
and cannot learn any new Spheres or rotes for the duration of their enslavement
(although they may teach them). They may buy Disciplines at the usual out-of-clan
costs, but for every dot of Disciplines above the first free dot they lose one
rote. When they run out of rotes, their knowledge of the Spheres themselves
begins to degrade, starting with the Sphere in which the mage has the lowest
rating.