Boons
The world of vampires has a currency just like any other, but vampires
are not generally that impressed with cold hard cash. They deal in something
a bit more complicated, boons.
A boon is like a debt. You do someone a favor, and if they acknowledge
that you helped them out, they now owe you a boon. Sounds pretty simple,
but nothing in the world of darkness is ever simple when you take everything
into account.
Also understand that
a boon isn’t owed just when you take it upon yourself to declare
it. If someone saves your existence by choice, and others see him do
so, if you don’t acknowledge the boon, the court may destroy you.
If a vampire becomes known as untrustworthy or an oath breaker, the
harpies may allow others to ignore their debt to him later. (And it
becomes very hard to trade in boons in any event.)
One thing to remember is that boons must be paid off because the social
order demands it. If a Prince doesn’t enforce boons, then the
people who owe him boons might not have to pay him off, and he isn’t
going to tolerate that.
However, if the boon isn’t formally acknowledged, the social order
will not force the boon to be paid off, it’s as simple as that.
Of course, some principled vampires will repay their debt just because
they choose to honor the system of protestation, but it’s not
a good idea to rely on principle in this harsh world.
Ok so I owe a boon. Just what is required of me now?
(Depending on where you look, the way these boons are described is different.
This is the way we do it here; at least this way it’s consistent.)
Since boons are so important, boons are carefully described in two ways.
Firstly in what would be done for you to owe the boon, and secondly
in how you can repay the boon.
Trivial
Boon
A
small boon like this doesn’t mean that the person who did
you the favor inconvenienced himself while helping you, just that
he helped you. He might trade information and demand a boon.
A trivial boon is paid off with one action, and never requires
anything of that character again. It requires that the player
use a discipline on the other’s behalf, or that he votes
on his behalf, or perhaps that he supplies a piece of information.
If a person chooses not to repay the boon when he could do so,
he can usually get away with it, but the harpies or Prince might
use this as an excuse to destroy his status in such a case.
Minor Boon
If
another person inconveniences himself on your behalf, giving up
part of a limited resource, then a minor boon is appropriate.
A minor boon is still generally paid off with one action. While
the boon is held, the one who owes should be polite and not insult
the other in public, but that doesn’t mean he has to agree
with him. Where with a trivial boon one can choose not to repay
and only risking status, when someone comes to collect a minor
boon, you’d better pay. A minor boon could be paid by allowing
someone to use your haven for a long period of time, or by guaranteeing
their safety in a domain you already control. A minor boon can
be paid off by instructing another in a discipline which is common,
like Celerity, Potence, or Fortitude.
Major Boon
A
major boon is owed when the person sacrificed greatly of his time
or resources, and subjected himself to a certain amount of risk.
A boon can be repaid by teaching the other hidden lore or how
to perform a clan discipline. (Thaumaturgy, Protean, and Quietus
count as a blood boon, unless the person owing the boon is willing
to repay his debt in that manner.) At this level you must support
any political action the possessor of the boon desires, even against
your own clan, but this negates the debt.
Blood Boon
A
blood boon is only appropriate when the collector of the boon
risked his assets or friends for you, or put himself at some direct
risk at losing his existence.
A blood boon is a truly terrible debt, which might not ever be
repaid. While it is owed, you may never vote against the owner’s
interests, you may never speak directly against him, and you must
teach him when he requests it. (And if he demands your political
support he will get it. If giving such support actually endangers
your life in a real way, the debt is now paid.) If he demands
dark clan secrets, like Thaumaturgy, teaching him such negates
the debt. If you risk your existence to save the owner of the
boon, the debt is canceled.
Life Boon
A life boon may only be claimed if the claimer of the boon truly
laid his very existence on the line. Fighting clearly inferior
opponents does not count.
The possessor may demand anything that he likes, anything. This
debt is only repaid by saving the life of he who owes the boon.
He may demand anything short of that and get it, and you still
owe him.
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Always Read The Fine Print
One of the interesting things about boons is that if you should kill
kindred, and that kindred owed a boon, you now owe that boon in turn.
Twisted isn’t it?
Certain enterprising kindred have even taken out such boons, knowing
that someone hunting them might elect not to kill them, simply because
they don’t want to pick up the boon.
However, this doesn’t matter in the case of a blood hunt, or someone
killed by a member of the court expressly doing his or her job. (Like
Justicars or Archons.) The boon disappears.
Finally, also remember that this is all enforced by the harpies and
the Prince. If both the harpies and the Prince hate you, then you’d
best step very carefully when interpreting your boons. On the other
hand, if enough people like you, they might not consider something to
be worthy of a boon. Popularity is a very good thing.
The other thing to remember is that the worst time to be seen as ignoring
your boons is when someone else already has. The more the rules are
trod upon, the more likely the Prince is to lash out, possibly invoking
the Tradition of Destruction. As his domain is seen to be lawless, his
power weakens. (But even the first time might be the last, should the
Prince be in a bad mood.)
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