PRIME
The Camarilla's Rules Supplement for the Sanctioned Chronicle
CONTENTS
Chapter One: Character Guidelines (Pr.1.0.00)
Concept (Pr.1.0.01)
Types (Pr.1.0.03)
Membership Benefits (Pr.1.0.04)
Experience Trait Restrictions (Pr.1.0.05)
Character Sanctioning and Records (Pr.1.0.06)
Character Retirement (Pr.1.0.07)
Non-Player Character Limitations (Pr.1.0.08)
Chapter Two: Traits (Pr.2.0.00)
Recovering Traits (Pr.2.0.01)
ABILITIES (Pr.2.2.00)
Linguistics (Pr.2.2.01)
Lore (Pr.2.2.02)
BACKGROUNDS (Pr.2.3.00)
Fame (Pr.2.3.01)
Influence (Pr.2.3.02)
Retainers (Pr.2.3.03)
MERITS AND FLAWS (Pr.2.4.00)
Ability Aptitude [1 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.01)
Ambidextrous [1 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.02)
Destiny (Pr.2.4.03)
Iron Will [3 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.04)
Luck/Lucky [3 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.05)
Magic Resistance [2 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.06)
Mistaken Identity [1 Trait Flaw] (Pr.2.4.07)
Natural Linguist [2 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.08)
Nine Lives (Pr.2.4.09)
Quiet Heart [4 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.10)
Supernatural Ally [3 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.11)
True Faith [7 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.12)
Unbondable (Pr.2.4.13)
EQUIPMENT (Pr.2.7.00)
WILLPOWER TRAITS (Pr.2.8.00)
Chapter Four: Systems (Pr.4.0.00)
APPROVAL LEVELS (Pr.4.1.00)
Australia (Pr.4.1.01)
Canada (Pr.4.1.02)
United Kingdom (Pr.4.1.03)
United States (Pr.4.1.04)
VENUE CROSS-OVERS (Pr.4.2.00)
PROXY PLAY (Pr.4.3.00)
TESTING (Pr.4.4.00)
Current Traits (Pr.4.4.01)
Mob Rules (Pr.4.4.02)
METAMORPHOSIS (Pr.4.5.00)
General Guidelines (Pr.4.5.01)
OTHER SYSTEMS (Pr.4.6.00)
Damage Types (Pr.4.6.01)
Blood Loss (Pr.4.6.02)
Movement (Pr.4.6.03)
PRIME
The Camarilla's Rules Supplement for the Sanctioned Chronicle

Reprinted material is © White Wolf Game Publishing, Inc.  Terms and ideas trademarked by White Wolf are used with permission, and any mention of said intellectual properties should not be considered a challenge to their ownership.

CONTENTS

Chapter One: Character Guidelines

Chapter Two: Traits

(Note: There is no Chapter Three in Prime)

Chapter Four: Systems

This supplement details rules for use in all venue games of the Camarilla's Sanctioned Mind’s Eye Theatre chronicle. These rules are intended for use with Dark Epics, published by White Wolf Game Studios. These rules replace all prior rules for the Camarilla's Sanctioned Mind’s Eye Theatre chronicle. 

These rules, when used for Sanctioned play, are to be applied without change, deviation, alteration or addition by any member, save a country’s National Storyteller.  This is to enforce a homogenous set of rules throughout the organization, insuring that wherever a member goes, they may play with a minimum of problems.

Storytellers are allowed and encouraged to use their judgment in the World of Darkness to develop stories and enrich the flavor of the game.  If a Storyteller judges that the flow of the story would be enhanced by minor exceptions to the rules (on an individual basis only), this creative license is allowed.  It is strongly suggested that Storytellers stick to the letter and intent of the rules in situations where one or more characters may die.  Storytellers found to be abusing this occasional liberty are subject to review and possible disciplinary action.  These licenses are not to be for such things as the approval of magic items or the allowing of players to play rare character "Types".

Chapter One: Character Guidelines (Pr.1.0.00)

Concept (Pr.1.0.01)
All of a player's characters must be designed in such a way as to not conflict and/or interact with each other in any way.  Interactions, relationships, or other deliberate connections between two characters played by the same player are prohibited. Concepts that give characters backgrounds specific to another venue (i.e. a Kindred that used to be a mage, Changeling, Garou, etc.) require High Approval.  

Any historical figure or character taken from White Wolf materials or from any work of fiction, without direct, written consent of the author, may not be recognizably used as the basis for a character.

Some Important Changes  (Pr.1.0.02)

The system of free monthly Lore Traits that was previously given is now changed. All Lores on the old seven point scale must be converted to the new five point scale. Lores currently on the five point scale do not change in value. Some level of Lores have changes in Approval required, as listed below:

Level 7 (Top Approval) turns into Level 5 (High Approval)
Level 6 (High Approval) turns into Level 4 (Mid Approval)
Level 5 (High Approval) turns into Level 4 (Mid Approval)
Level 4 (Low Approval) turns into Level 3 (Low Approval)
Level 3 (Low Approval) turns into Level 2 (Low Approval)
Level 2 (Low Approval) turns into Level 1 (Low Approval)
Level 1 (Low Approval) turns into Level 1 (Low Approval)

Characters with Influence no longer get double the normal number of monthly Influence actions for each level.

The Supernatural Ally Merit has been altered to curb rampant abuse.  Previously existing supernatural allies will not be grandfathered.  Any that are to remain in play must satisfy the new approval requirements.

Further guidelines for the Movement in Combat rules have been provided, to reflect what Storytellers have learned in the years since those rules were introduced into the MET mechanics.

Types (Pr.1.0.03)
No player may have more than one Primary character that is considered to be of an unusual “Type” (a clan, Tribe, kith, etc. which requires High or Top Approval).  Because of this limitation, each venue supplement will list the venue’s Types as a separate set of approvals in the Character Creation chapter.  A character approved for permanent cross-venue play counts as a special approval Type for these purposes (see Venue Cross-Overs in Chapter Three).

Membership Benefits (Pr.1.0.04)
Members who have performed certain duties or attained positions in the real world organization (as described in the Camarilla’s membership materials), receive higher levels of Member Class (MC), allowing them to create more experienced characters for use in Sanctioned games.  If your country does not make use of the Camarilla’s International Prestige System, skip this section and consult the membership benefit documentation provided by your National Coordinator.

Each player is limited to one Primary character for each Sanctioned venue.  A player may choose to have a second Primary in one venue, at the cost of selecting a venue to not have a Primary in.  A player may only have one venue "doubled up" in this manner at any given time.  Players should not in such cases play two characters of the same Type (see Concept limitations, above).  A Primary that has approval for permanent cross-venue play (see below) is considered to take up two Primary slots, one for both venues.  Characters that are not Primaries are called Secondary characters, and are made as though the player were MC 1.  The distinction between Primary and Secondary is applied to a character at its creation and may not be changed afterward.

Primary characters may all begin with five extra Experience Traits for each of the player’s MCs.  Secondary characters only begin play with five extra Experience Traits (as though the player were MC 1).  Some venues apply additional character creation guidelines based upon MC.  Specifics can be found in the appropriate Version Six venue supplements.

When a player gains MC, all of his Primaries may apply an additional five Experience Traits per MC gained.  If a player loses one or more MCs, the Experience Traits granted to the character for the player's lost MCs must be re-accounted for.  These Traits are not removed from the character sheet.  Instead an Experience Trait "debt" is applied which must be paid off before the character can spend Experience Traits on anything else.

Experience Trait Restrictions (Pr.1.0.05)
The maximum number of Experience Traits that a player character can earn in a month is four, though some countries make use of a “graduated Experience Trait cap”.  (Check your national addendum to see if this is the case.)  Experience Traits gained for MC are an exception, as are the Experience Traits granted from the Lore of the Stage Ordeal (if the Camarilla’s Ordeals are used by your nation).  High or Top Approval may be given for a character to exceed their cap in a given month by one or two Experience Traits respectively.  This exception is usually reserved as an "exceptional role-playing award" given to a few players at regional or national events.

ET expenditures after character creation take a minimum of one week to implement, though the Storyteller (or certain items noted specifically in the venue supplements) can require a longer “training period”.

Character Sanctioning and Records (Pr.1.0.06)
All characters must be approved by the player’s Low Approval Storyteller. A copy should be kept up to date and on file with that Storyteller.  Low Approval Storytellers register their characters with their Mid Approval Storyteller.  See Chapter Four for approval level information.

A complete character record should include a character sheet, the character's Experience Trait log, and records/verification of any special approvals made on the character.  An Experience Trait log will detail how starting Traits (including Free Traits) were spent at character creation, and how Experience Traits earned after were spent.  It will also list games attended and the Experience Traits gained for each game.  Dates should be noted for each entry in the Experience Trait log.  Games in which the PC crossed into another Venue must also be noted. If there is uncertainty over a discrepancy between what is on the player's character sheet and the copy kept in the Storyteller's records, the copy in the records will be considered accurate. 

Character Retirement (Pr.1.0.07)
Since a player is limited to a specific number of Primary characters, they will sometimes wish to retire a Primary from play to allow them to utilize the slot on a new character.  Retired characters are considered dead for all intents and purposes, and may not later be brought back into play.

Non-Player Character Limitations (Pr.1.0.08)
The creation process of non-player characters is limited in the same manner as it is for player characters, except that Experience Traits may be added to reflect the length of the chronicle.  The Type is still subject to the Storyteller approval levels shown in the venue supplements, but is one level lower than indicated for player-characters.  Venue-specific antagonist such as Fomori for the Garou venue or Autumn People for Changeling venue, are allowed with Low Approval.  Types eligible to be player characters in other venues require Mid Approval, or the same Approval as the type in question, whichever is higher. Please note that only "types" are subject to the "one level lower" clause. Thus, a Samedi NPC in the Cam/Anarch Venue would be Mid Approval (one level lower than the High Approval needed to have a Samedi PC) but a Brujah NPC with True Faith would be High Approval, as True Faith is a Merit, not a "type".

Certain non-player characters should remain the sole province of National Storytellers; specifically unique non-player characters from the source material (Caine, Gaia, the First Ronin, High King David, Charon, Voormas, etc.), and very powerful non-player characters (Methuselah vampires, Justicars, Ferrymen, Malfeans, Celestian Spirits, Changeling Kings and Queens, Garou Legends, Archmasters and Oracles, world leaders and national level politicians, etc.)  Use good judgment, and when in doubt, consult with your National Storyteller to see which non-player characters are appropriate for use.

Because creatures in most venues have no reasonable means of protecting themselves from wraiths, they have additional restrictions outside their own venue.  High Approval is required for NPC wraiths outside the Wraith venue, unless they are made as “common wraiths” (see Merits and Flaws in Chapter Two, below).

Players may only play NPCs that their MC would normally allow them to create (not counting Type restrictions and Experience Trait totals).  Any of these limitations above may be superseded with High Approval.

Chapter Two: Traits (Pr.2.0.00)

The Camarilla’s Sanctioned games make use of the special rules for Abilities and Backgrounds in Dark Epics, pages 48 through 70.

While the Traits referred to in this chapter are universal, some venues have Abilities, Backgrounds, Merits, and Flaws that remain specific to those venues, and as such will be addressed in the appropriate venue supplement (if not their venue MET rulebook).

Any Ability, Background, power, etc. for a player character that requires the creation of new rules mechanics requires Top Approval.  Any Ability, Background, power, etc. for a player character that requires tabletop rules to be translated into Mind's Eye Theater format requires Top Approval.  Any other items not covered in the Sanctioned source material (or supplement) for a character’s venue, automatically defaults to Top Approval. Once this Approval is obtained, it requires Top Approval for another to learn the item in question from your character. Example: A Giovanni creates a new Necromancy Ritual. This Ritual requires Top Approval to enter play, and it requires Top Approval for another Necromancer to learn this Ritual from a Necromancer who possesses it.

Recovering Traits (Pr.2.0.01)
Temporary Attribute and Ability Traits are recovered at the beginning of the day after the end of the session. Venue-specific Traits such as Blood, Rage, Glamour, Pathos, Quintessence, etc, are regained as described in the Sanctioned source material or appropriate Venue supplement. Willpower Traits are recovered naturally at a rate of one per week.

ABILITIES (Pr.2.2.00)
Mid Approval is required to take a (normally Low Approval) Ability Trait from a Sanctioned MET source book that is not part of the venue source material for the character’s home. If a MET sourcebook is not Sanctioned in any of the Supplements, then it requires Top Approval.

These Ability descriptions, and those in Dark Epics, override any found in other venue sourcebooks.
.
Linguistics (Pr.2.2.01)
Linguistics is a single Ability, which allows a character to know languages other then her native tongue.  One Trait gives the character one additional language; two Traits gives two, three Traits gives four, four Traits gives eight, and five Traits gives the character 16 additional languages.  While most PCs are capped at five traits of an Ability, those PCs with six Traits of Linguistics know 24 additional languages, while those with seven Traits know 32 additional languages.

Lore (Pr.2.2.02)
Individual Lore Abilities cannot exceed five Traits.  Level four in a Lore requires Mid Approval.  Level five in a Lore requires High Approval.  Learning a Lore specific to another venue requires High Approval.  Learning a Lore that is specific to a special approval character type, organization, etc. (one that the character does not belong to) requires a minimum level of approval equal to the character type or group that the Lore refers to.

The Storyteller may award free Traits of Lore Abilities to a character at its creation, based upon the character’s history.  The total Traits of Lore given in this manner cannot exceed the player’s Member Class, though characters made by MC 1 and MC 2 players can always have up to three such Traits. Once per month, a Storyteller may award one Trait of Lore to a character without an Experience Trait cost. This award must be noted in the Experience Trait log for the character. Level four and level five Lores may not be awarded in this fashion. In the case of Lores awarded without Experience Trait cost prior to this rules set, Lores of level one, two, or three require no Experience Trait purchase to keep, but Lores of level four or level five do require the expenditure of an Experience Trait for each such level.

BACKGROUNDS (Pr.2.3.00)
High Approval is required to take a (normally Low Approval) Background from Sanctioned source material (or supplement) outside of a character’s home Venue. Any Background or power that would duplicate an item or power that would otherwise require Approval requires the same Approval as the duplicated item. (Example: A Wonder that duplicates the Stormwarden Merit would require High Approval.)

If a character gains a Background during play (keeping it more than a month), Experience Traits must be spent to pay for it.  If a character loses a Background (or levels of) during play, those lost levels are held in reserve in case the character should later reacquire or develop more levels of that Background during play.  Influences do not follow this restriction.

Unless otherwise noted, each Background is limited to five Traits, although those representing items (such as Treasures or Fetishes) or specific people (such as Companion or Retainers) are only limited to five Traits per item / person.  Influences do not follow this restriction.

Fame (Pr.2.3.01)
Level four requires High Approval, while level five requires Top Approval.

Influence (Pr.2.3.02)
Use the rules in Dark Epics (beginning on page 54) for additional Influence endeavors, and the rules in Laws of the Night: Camarilla Guide for standard Influence endeavors at levels six through ten. Military and Espionage Influences are not used in the Sanctioned Chronicle.

Characters may not purchase more than five levels of any given Influence at character creation, although levels may rise as high as level ten through the course of play.  Mid Approval is required for a character to have Influence in any given category above level five.  Each Influence category within a city should not have more than one character with level ten, two characters with level nine, and three characters with level eights. This recommended total is inclusive of all venues within the city. Thus, in a Domain that offers Cam/Anarch, Garou, and Mage, one could find a Ventrue with Political 10, a Glass Walker with Finance 10, and a Hermetic with Occult 10, and it is recommended that no other character in this Domain, in any Venue, possess ten levels of the Political, Finance, or Occult Influences.

For the Camarilla's Sanctioned games, characters may use a number of actions each month (not session) equal to his or her Influence level.  No more than twenty actions can be spent towards a single endeavor in any given month, including all actions spent for modifications.  Players should register actions with their local Storyteller who will moderate their interaction with other Influences if necessary.

The example given in Dark Epics for Attack contradicts the system described. Banked Growth actions are lost if the Attack is successful. Ignore the example that allows the Attacked player to spend Banked actions as the result of a successful Attack.

Retainers (Pr.2.3.03)
If a character sheet is needed for a Retainer, create it with 6-4-3 Attributes, five Ability Traits, three Humanity Traits, and 1 Willpower Trait.  For each additional Background Trait spent on a particular Retainer, add five Experience Traits to its character sheet (to a maximum of four additional Background Traits, or twenty Experience Traits).  Retainers may take Derangements and Negative Traits to gain up to five Free Traits, but may not have Merits, Flaws, or Backgrounds (including Influence).  The Retainer’s character sheet cannot have anything on it that requires Mid, High, or Top Approval.  Retainers do not gain Experience Traits in the course of play.  Retainers may be partially Awakened mortals specific to your venue (ghouls for the Vampire venues, kinfolk for the Garou venue, or kinain for the Changeling venue).  There is no additional cost for this. These venue-specific Retainers do not need to purchase the Merits typically required to be partially Awakened. Example: A Retainer in the Cam/Anarch Venue may be a Ghoul. This Ghoul does not need to purchase the Ghoul Merit.

MERITS AND FLAWS (Pr.2.4.00)
High Approval is required to take a (normally Low Approval) Merit or Flaw from a MET source book that is not part of the venue source material for the character’s home Venue.

A character cannot possess more then seven Traits of Merits nor take Free Traits from more then seven Traits of Flaws. Example: a vampire could take both Disease Carrier and Thin Blood as flaws, but would only gain seven (not eight) Traits for doing so.  If a Merit or Flaw is no longer applicable to the character, the Storyteller should assign an appropriate number of Merit or Flaw Traits as replacements.  This also applies if the Storyteller feels that the Merit or Flaw is being abused or ignored. These limitations may be surpassed with Top Approval.

Players may not choose Flaws that describe qualities already inherent to the character, such as a Lasombra antitribu taking the Dark Secret Flaw: "true clan" while pretending to be a Brujah, or a Silent Strider taking the Haunted Flaw, or an Ahl-I-Batin taking Sphere Inept: Entropy.

Bonus Traits granted by Merits or Flaws do not apply to challenges involving supernatural powers.  Exceptions are noted in the appropriate venue supplement.

Below are listed some clarifications and additions to Merits and Flaws for all venues.  If the description and/or cost of a Merit or Flaw differs between this source and the Mind's Eye Theatre source book appropriate to the character's venue, use what is listed in this supplement.

Some Merits and Flaws like Spirit Mentor and Haunted bring wraith NPCs into play.  ‘Common’ NPC wraiths use the base statistics for a wraith (per the rules in Oblivion) without any Backgrounds, Merits, Flaws, or benefits from Membership Class.  They have no starting Arcanoi, but can buy Innate Abilities or the first Basic level of an Arcanoi with Free Traits.  'Common' may never possess the second Basic, or any higher, Arcanoi. They may not have anything that requires Mid, High, or Top Approval.  The Sharpened Senses power of such wraiths allows them to test against Basic level powers of concealment.  Storytellers must moderate the interactions of wraith NPCs in the Sanctioned Chronicle.  (See Chapter One for further rules on NPCs.)

Ability Aptitude [1 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.01)
You have a natural affinity for a particular (but not combat related) Ability.  You are up 2 Traits on all tests directly related to that Ability only (not with powers that would use the Ability for a retest).  This bonus only applies to a single Ability (for those that require a specific focus such as Performance or Science).

Ambidextrous [1 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.02)
You are equally skilled at using either hand.  You do not suffer the normal two Trait penalty for performing actions with your off hand.  In addition, you do not need to have the prerequisite number of Ability levels appropriate to a weapon in order to get the advantage of using two weapons (or a shield) in combat.

Destiny (Pr.2.4.03)
This Merit is not used in the Sanctioned Chronicle.

Iron Will [3 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.04)
This Merit gives the character a free retest when attempting to resist Dominate and Dementation, or when fending off other mind-influencing powers.  You get three bonus Traits against magic or Thaumaturgy that both influences your mind and requires a Mental Challenge.

Luck/Lucky [3 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.05)
The character gets a free retest once per session on any non-combat challenge.

Magic Resistance [2 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.06)
The Traits granted by this Merit are an exception to the above rule that prohibits Merit-granted Traits from affecting challenges for supernatural powers.

Mistaken Identity [1 Trait Flaw] (Pr.2.4.07)
Resemblance with this Flaw to an actual player character requires permission of the player who portrays it (or the Storyteller responsible in the case of a NPC).

Natural Linguist [2 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.08)
You have a remarkable grasp of any languages that you speak or write (as per your Linguistics Ability).  You gain 3 bonus Traits on all challenges related to language.  You also know twice the number of languages that your level of the Linguistics Ability would normally allow.

Nine Lives (Pr.2.4.09)
This Merit requires High Approval. Each "life" used must be reported to the Approval Storyteller.

Quiet Heart [4 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.10)
This Merit gives the character a free retest when attempting to resist Presence and Fascination, or when fending off other emotion- influencing powers.  You get three bonus Traits against magic or Thaumaturgy that both influences your emotions and requires a Social Challenge. If a Presence user has Superior levels, this Merit only works if the defender is a vampire of eighth generation or better.

Supernatural Ally [3 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.11)
You maintain a secret relationship with another supernatural creature, maybe even a Type from another venue.  Sometimes you must go to some lengths to maintain your friendship with this creature, and to keep your relationship secret.  In return, he will sometimes perform small favors for you.  This ally is not your retainer.  It is created and controlled entirely by the Storyteller.

This Merit requires Approval one degree less than would be needed to play a creature of the same Type if it is from same venue, or High Approval if it is from a different venue.  For example, a Bone Gnawer character could take a Ratkin ally with Mid Approval, since Ratkin normally require High Approval to be played in the Garou venue.  A Nosferatu would need High Approval to have the same Ratkin (or the Bone Gnawer) as an ally, since they are from a different venue.  Top Approval Types require Top Approval as an ally in any venue.

True Faith [7 Trait Merit] (Pr.2.4.12)
This Merit requires High Approval.  Traits of True Faith beyond the first cost three Experience Traits each and must receive High Approval before being purchased. Use the rules for True Faith as found in Laws of the Hunt: Revised, pages 267 through 272.

Unbondable (Pr.2.4.13)
This Merit requires High Approval.

EQUIPMENT (Pr.2.7.00)
‘Non-standard’ magical items that do not adhere to the systems presented in the venue source material (those not covered by Backgrounds like Artifact, Fetish, Treasure, Wonder; or covered by approved item creating powers like Alchemy and Enchantment) require High Approval.

The Camarilla’s Sanctioned chronicle uses the simplified weapon and armor statistics presented in Dark Epics, beginning on page 81.  High Approval is required for any weapon or armor whose statistics do not match those listed.

WILLPOWER TRAITS (Pr.2.8.00)
Most Mind's Eye Theatre source books list different ways to use Willpower Traits.  Rather than list them all out, we will instead list what source book uses are not allowed or are altered for the Camarilla's Sanctioned chronicle.

When spending a Willpower Trait to replenish all lost Traits in a category (Physical, Social, or Mental), each given category may only be replenished once in any game session.

Expending a Willpower Trait allows a retest to defend against a Mental or Social Challenge; it does not automatically negate the challenge.  This may not be used for such challenges as those involving perception, using Mental Traits with Firearms, or Mental versus Physical Challenges.  It may not be used to retest challenges that are the result of a character's own power (such as Auspex), even if he is the challenge's defender (such as with Majesty).

Willpower may not be used to automatically succeed in Static Challenges or Simple Tests.

Chapter Four: Systems (Pr.4.0.00)

The Camarilla’s Sanctioned chronicle makes use of the generic systems presented in Dark Epics, pages 70 through 72.
The Camarilla’s Sanctioned chronicle specifically does not make use of the Experience Trait Standards (page 97) and Changing the Rules (page 98) systems.

APPROVAL LEVELS (Pr.4.1.00)
Throughout the supplements, there are various items that require approval of a specific level of Storyteller.  Any time a supplement uses the term “special approval” it is referring to any level above Low Approval.  Anything that requires a specific level of approval requires the approval of all Storytellers in the chain of command beneath it.  All characters and character changes require Low Approval, regardless of the approval level listed. 

Consult the list below to determine which Storyteller equates to each approval level in your country.  If your country is not listed below, consult your National Storyteller to determine the approval level equivalents used.

Australia (Pr.4.1.01)
Low (CST); Mid (DST); High (Venue ANST); Top (NST)

Canada (Pr.4.1.02)
Low (CST); Mid (DST); High (Venue ANST); Top (NST)

United Kingdom (Pr.4.1.03)
Low (DST); Mid (RST); High (Venue ANST); Top (NST)

United States (Pr.4.1.04)
Low (VST); Mid (DST); High (RST); Top (NST)

VENUE CROSS-OVERS (Pr.4.2.00)
Characters must be made according to the guidelines given in the appropriate supplement, and each character must be created within a "home venue" (even mortals).  Characters may occasionally be played in other venues, provided Mid Approval is given on a case-by-case basis (up to three times in a calendar year). This must be noted on the experience log as noted above.  High Approval is required for all occasional crossovers that exceed three in a calendar year.

High Approval is required to approve a character for permanent cross-venue play.  Special rules regarding Primary characters are applied to permanent cross-venue characters (see Membership Benefits, above).

The power comparison chart on page 94 of Dark Epics should only be used when specifically opposed powers interact.  By far the most common instance is with detection powers attempting to pierce illusions or concealment powers.  The use of Archmaster-rank Spheres compare to Superior level Disciplines on the chart.

PROXY PLAY (Pr.4.3.00)
Proxy play occurs when one or more player characters are given to a Storyteller to portray in the player's absence.  At least 48 hours notice must be given to the Storyteller(s) involved in the proxy scene.  In order to proxy a character, the player must give the Storyteller their character sheet and a brief write-up describing the characters intentions, motivations, personality, and reactions to possible situations.

By giving a character over to a Storyteller for proxy play, the player grants the Storyteller all rights to the character for the duration of the proxy scene.  The requirements above are the minimum.  If a Storyteller wishes to further limit proxy play, she should list any restrictions in the game’s Venue Style Sheet.

TESTING (Pr.4.4.00)
When comparing Traits in the case of a tied challenge, no character may declare more Attribute Traits than twice her normal maximum (counting bonuses gained from forms, powers, weapons, etc) for overbids and the comparison of Ties. Neither the bonus Traits granted from Shifter forms (such as Lupus, Hispo, Crinos, or Glabro for the Garou) nor the bonus Traits granted by a Shifter's pack lending towards the Shifter during a mob challenge count towards this limitation. 

Example: Michael is an 8th Generation Malkavian. Thus, he can not bid more than 28 Traits in a challenge. Natasha is a Shadow Lord Fostern. Thus, she can not bid more than 24 Traits in a challenge. But Natasha can take Crinos form, and the +8 traits that she receives from doing so does not apply to her cap, allowing her to bid a maximum of 32 Traits.

Example: The baby Thunderwyrm attacking the Caern has 35 Traits. Even in Crinos, Natasha can only bid a maximum of 32 Traits. However, Natasha has her pack at her back, and in a mob challenge, the +4 Traits that her four packmates lend to her does not apply to her cap, allowing her to bid a maximum of 36 Traits.

In cases of vampire cross-venue interaction, the "bomb" is kept, but the "Win All Ties" mechanic is replaced by a +10 trait bonus when declaring Traits. This bonus is not subject to the above limitation.

Example: Natasha, now overconfident, attacks Billy. Billy is an 8th Generation Brujah with Fleetness and Puissance. Billy could normally bid up to 28 Traits in a challenge. Because of the cross-venue rule, Billy retains use of the "bomb", but his "Win All Ties" turns into a +10 Trait bonus. Billy may now bid up to 38 Traits against the overconfident Fostern.

Current Traits (Pr.4.4.01)
When players compare Traits, they declare their total, permanent number of Traits (including Traits lost in previous challenges or for other reasons).  A player may still declare fewer Traits than she actually possesses in the category if she desires.  The Camarilla makes use of this rule to more easily suit the large-scale nature of its Sanctioned Chronicle.

Mob Rules (Pr.4.4.02)
In order to simplify mob combat, the following rules are used:

First, the narrator must decide who is challenging whom among the group.  This is usually obvious, but when it's not, have the players all point to the person they are challenging on the count of three.   Each combatant must bid one Trait, plus an additional Trait for each person attacking her beyond the first (no more than five individuals may attack a character at a time).  If the defender cannot match the required number of Traits to be bid, she automatically loses the challenge.  If she does have enough Traits, she tests as normal with the leader of the group.  The group has five seconds to choose the leader, and should not compare stats while doing so. If a leader is not chosen, then the leader is selected by the defender.

Only the leader of the group calls out Negative Traits.  The defender against Negative Traits need only bid extra Traits once for each Negative Trait applicable, not each Negative Trait per person challenging.

The leader of the group may apply a number of bonus Traits to his total (for ties and overbids) equal to the number of people assisting him (up to four).

If the defender wins, she remains unharmed and can choose to affect any single member of the attacking group (usually by inflicting a wound), and the attackers lose all Traits they bid.  If the attackers win, the leader may choose which attacker’s victory condition applies (usually inflicting a wound), and the defender loses all of the Traits she bid.  Continue the process until all who declared an action have been the target of a challenge or donated Traits as appropriate.

METAMORPHOSIS (Pr.4.5.00)
Metamorphosis is the process by which a character changes into another creature Type (the most common being death).  Rules for metamorphosis into specific Types (including rules for non-mortal metamorphosis) may be found in the appropriate venue supplements.  Additional rules for metamorphing  from a mortal Type into another creature Type are presented in the Mortal Supplement. 

General Guidelines (Pr.4.5.01)
Top Approval is generally required for metamorphosis if the character is/was not one of the mortal Types (see Mortal for details).  Top Approval is also required for any supernatural Type to become mortal. Only High Approval is required if a character is becoming a wraith or specter (see Wraith for details), regardless of their former Type.  The approving Storyteller will decide the exact effects of the metamorphosis, if the standard rules do not cover that particular type of change.

A minimum of High Approval is required if metamorphosis changes the character's venue.  (Approval is also required appropriate to what the new Type would normally take if the character stays in the same venue.)  For example, a character at home in the Mortal venue gets killed, and the player would like the character to become a wraith.  Wraiths are not one of the character types appropriate for the venue, so the character must receive High Approval, either to stay in the venue, or to change to the Wraith venue.  Conversely, a mortal in one of the vampire venues requires no special approval to get Embraced, unless she is Embraced into a clan that requires special approval.

Characters that undergo metamorphosis normally lose access to all their previous Type’s powers (though some exceptions exist for mortal characters).  They also lose all Arete, Glamour, Gnosis, Rage, and similar Traits, unless their new Type normally possesses them.  Ability, Attribute, Willpower, and similar Traits that are carried over remain at their current level, regardless of the new Type’s starting amount.  (The number of these cannot exceed the new Type’s maximums, so any excess Traits are lost.)

Unspent Experience Traits may be carried over.  Any Experience Traits spent on things that are lost as a result of metamorphosis are subtracted from the character’s “earned Experience Trait” total (for those countries who make use of a varying monthly cap based on earnable Experience Traits).

Most Backgrounds, Merits, and Flaws from the old creature Type are lost or rendered useless with a metamorphosis.  The Storyteller will work with the player to choose new Backgrounds, Merits, and Flaws from the source material for their new Type, attempting to duplicate the old ones as closely as possible.  In rare cases, characters may be allowed to keep one or more out-of-venue Merits or Flaws, in accordance with the approval guidelines given in Chapter Two.

OTHER SYSTEMS (Pr.4.6.00)

Damage Types (Pr.4.6.01)
Bashing damage is defined as any injury that is painful but fades relatively quickly, such as kicks, punches, or tackles.  Bashing damage may not be used to declare a killing blow. Lethal damage comes from bullets, swords, etc. and is intended to kill.  Aggravated damage often comes from fire, or from mystical sources like the claws and teeth of supernatural creatures.  It is more difficult for regenerating creatures to heal, and indeed, such creatures often take aggravated damage from exotic sources such as sunlight or silver weapons.  The Storyteller is the final arbitrator on what damage type any particular source inflicts, but damage from the natural weapons and powers of supernatural creatures is very rarely considered to be bashing.

Contrasting rules for bashing damage are presented in some of the MET source books.  To clarify, bashing damage is not halved in the Sanctioned chronicle.  Living creatures heal one level of bashing damage after an hour of rest.

Normally creatures require a week to heal each level of lethal or aggravated damage through such means as rest and medical attention.  Many supernatural creatures suffer from aggravated damage on a more frequent basis than normal humans do, and heal it more slowly than they do other damage types.  Some supernatural creatures have different or faster means for healing, as described in the applicable supplements.

Blood Loss (Pr.4.6.02)
Humans (and other living beings in the World of Darkness) are considered to have a maximum of ten Blood Traits in their bodies. They suffer a level of damage for each Trait they lose beyond two. Humans fall to Mortally Wounded when completely drained of blood. Damage suffered from blood loss cannot be healed until the blood is regained. Regenerating a Blood Trait should be treated as "healing an aggravated wound" for purposes of effects that can do so, as described above. Otherwise, humans (and other living beings in the World of Darkness) normally regenerate one Blood Trait per week.

Movement (Pr.4.6.03)
Powers, shapes, magic items, and other effects that increase a character’s movement rate are not cumulative.  Unless otherwise clarified in their appropriate venue supplement, a character may not attack and make use of such movement increases in the same action.