Physical

Acute Sense (1 or 3 points)

Choose one of your five sense (or, for 3 points, all five); this sense is almost supernaturally acute. Perception rolls using that sense have -2 difficulty, which can be further reduced by applicable powers. For obvious reasons, you cannot purchase this Merit for senses that are missing or hampered.

Ambidexterous (1 point)

You can perform tasks with the wrong hand at no penalty. The rules for taking multiple actions still apply, but you do not suffer a difficulty penalty if you use two weapons or are forced to use your off hand.

Cast-Iron Stomach (1 point)

Anything you can physically devour and digest is yours for the eating. This Merit does not in any way protect you from the effects of said substances — you can still be poisoned or physically injured by swallowing the wrong thing — but you can keep down a meal that would make the average person vomit.

Catlike Balance (1 point)

Non-combat physical acts for which keeping your feet or your balance is central (walking a tightrope, for instance) receive a -2 difficulty. Actions that merely require balance (dance, for instance) do not qualify; keeping your balance must be pretty much the whole point.

Daredevil (3 points)

Add an additional three dice to your rolls when attempting exceptionally risky non-combat actions. Such actions must be at least difficulty 8 and have the potential to cause 3 health levels of damage if you fail.

Direction Sense (1 point)

You know which way is north all the time. -1 difficulty to navigate or find your way.

Enchanting Feature (4 points)

You’re blessed with a particular physical feature that stands out as exceptional — a mellifluous voice, rippling hair, an amazing smile, or something along those lines. When you make a Social roll for which that feature is a central element, your difficulty is reduced by 2. The feature can’t just be something that’s noticed in passing; you must deliberately draw attention to and focus on it — looking soulfully into someone’s eyes with your baby blues, or, like Saruman at Isengard, talking circles around your captors to try and fool them into letting you go. If you are a Mage who uses their Enchanting Feature as an Instrument (see How Magick Works), it counts as Personalized, but not as Unique, for the appropriate Sphere; this is a change from the version in Book of Secrets. This Merit has been repriced from the book version to better reflect its broad utility.

Fencing (1 to 3 points)

You’re unusually skilled in fighting with melee weapons. While we use the term “fencing,” you don’t need to have studied foil, epee and sabre to take this Merit — or even have experience fighting with swords at all; the abilities are equally applicable to fighting with spears, daggers, axes, maces, you name it. For each point in this Merit, you may select two items from the list of armed combat maneuvers to add to your options; the associated +note should indicate which maneuvers are known. Your selections are fixed once made — someone with 1 point in this Merit can’t have Thrust and Great Blow in one fight and Bash and Curtain of Blood in another.

Huge Size (4 points)

You’re a very large human being — probably close to seven feet tall and 400 pounds. This puts you in the range of the Mountain from “Game of Thrones”, if not a little larger. You gain one additional Bruised health level, although this overlaps (does not stack with) added health levels you may gain from other sources (Trolls with multiple oaths, Ratkin Warriors, Life magick, etc.) You probably have a very difficult time finding clothes, and doorways or ceilings meant for more conventionally-sized people are also likely to prove challenging to tolerate.

Hyperflexible (1 point)

This Merit provides a -2 reduction in difficulty for rolls for which physical flexibility is central – escape attempts, contortions, and so on. Your character can also perform uncanny acts of hyperflexibility, as seen in Cirque Du Soleil, butoh dance, and extreme yoga postures.

Hypersensitivity (3 points)

Reduce the difficulty by -2 when using a Perception + Alertness roll to identify details about a sensation. However, painful sensations and overstimulation can trigger paralyzing agonies and intense panic.

Immortal (5 points)

Please read the complete text of this Merit carefully. For some reason, you’re significantly older than you appear. Perhaps you age very slowly, or perhaps you don’t age at all. Your character may be up to 150 years old (the limit for characters on TowersMUX), and any magical effects that cause further aging will be mostly or entirely ineffective on you.

This Merit only increases your natural lifespan. It does not provide you with any resistance to injury, disease, or death that does not result from old age. Nor will it provide you with additional starting XP — it is your responsibility as a player to explain why a very old character is not significantly more accomplished than others who appear to be the same age. Your explanatory +note for this Merit should provide an explanation for your lack of aging (even if the character doesn’t know). Vampire characters cannot take, and do not need, this Merit.

Increased Pain Threshold (3 points)

Whenever you’re at less than full health, the difficulty penalty for however many health levels you’ve lost is reduced by 1.

Legerdemain (1 point)

You have very quick hands, and any Subterfuge rolls to perform physical trickery (magic tricks, shell games, three-card monte, etc.) are made at a difficulty 2 lower than normal.

Light Sleeper (1 point)

You can get by on four hours of sleep a night without complaint, and, when you wake up, you’re pretty much ready to go immediately.

Long-Distance Runner (3 points)

You can run at double normal running speed for an hour per dot of Stamina. You must have at least 4 dots in Stamina to purchase this Merit.

Martial Arts (1 to 4 points)

You’re trained in some sort of combat discipline that gives you exceptional capabilities when fighting unarmed. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a formal “martial art” — it could just as easily be things you’ve learned from hard experience in a hundred back-alley brawls. For each point in this Merit, you may select two items from the list of unarmed combat maneuvers to add to your unarmed combat options; the associated +note should indicate which maneuvers are known. Your selections are fixed once made — someone with 1 point in this Merit can’t have Flying Kick and Snake Step in one fight and Counter Throw and Vital Strike in another.

Pain Tolerance (5 points)

You’re better at handling pain than most people. Maybe you’ve toughened yourself up through years of rigorous training, or maybe you’re just doped to the gills all the time. Whatever the reason, you suffer no wound penalties at all, no matter how badly injured you are. You must have a Willpower of at least 3 to purchase this Merit.

Physically Impressive (1 point)

You’re a pretty … imposing person, when you put your mind to it. All your Intimidation rolls gain one extra die.

Poison Resistance (2 points)

You gain two additional dice to resist the effects of poisons or toxins (which includes drugs and alcohol).

Mental

Artistically Gifted (2 points)

Your Art, Expression, and Performance rolls are made at -2 difficulty. This overlaps (does not stack with) Enchanting Feature, if you have one that is applicable to these rolls.

Berserker (4 points)

When you’re under intense stress — including but definitely not limited to pretty much any type of combat more serious than Nerf baseball bats — roll Willpower (difficulty 8). If you fail, you go on a berserk rampage, ignoring wound penalties, and gaining three Bruised health levels, two extra dice in Strength, and one extra die in Stamina until all enemies in the area are neutralized (incapacitated or worse). On the other hand, while in a berserk state, you are unable to use any supernatural abilities, act with any forethought or tactical acumen, or use less-lethal means to defeat opponents when something sharp and pokey is right there; you are also unable to distinguish between friends, enemies, and innocent bystanders, and anyone who makes what can be interpreted as any sort of threatening move toward you is likely to become a target. Vampire characters cannot take this Merit, as they already possess something like it; Shifter characters have their own sphere-specific version.

Code of Honor (2 points)

You follow a particular code (which should be defined in the +note for this Merit) that gives you purpose and strength in times of stress. When acting to uphold your code, or resist a temptation or compulsion to betray it, you gain two additional dice to all Willpower rolls.

Coldly Logical (1 point)

You’re very good at separating fact from emotion … even if you aren’t necessarily good at keeping your own emotions in check. When rolling to winnow out emotional coloration from the proverbial cold hard facts, you reduce the difficulty by 1.

Computer Aptitude (1 point)

Reduce all difficulties involving mundane computer-based rolls by 2.

Concentration (1 point)

You can block out your surroundings when you really need to. Ignore penalties due to distracting circumstances.

Eidetic Memory (2 points)

You retain almost everything you see, hear, or experience. For the most part, no roll is required, but a Perception + Alertness check may be required to see if you can recall things that happened in stressful or violent situations, or to remember things in great detail.

Heart of Needles (3 points)

You’re jaded, cynical, or maybe just naturally suspicious, making it especially difficult for others to control or influence your emotions — any such attempts are made at +2 difficulty. This resistance applies only to emotional manipulation (e.g., the Discipline of Presence), rather than to direct and forceful mind control (e.g., Dominate).

Hyperfocus (3 points)

For every hour spent focusing without distractions on a mundane task, you may add one die to your dice pool for each roll made during an extended action, up to a limit of three dice total.

Inner Strength (2 points)

Whenever you struggle against apparently overwhelming odds, your Willpower rolls are made at -2 difficulty.

Insightful (2 points)

Whether because you’re a dedicated observer of other people, a confirmed cynic, or a student of human nature, it’s not easy for people to put one over on you. Whenever you roll to detect an attempt to deceive you — typically someone using Subterfuge, Intrigue, Seduction, or a similar mundane deceit — your difficulty is 2 lower than normal. This is a change from the version in White Howlers, which both increases the difficulty of the person rolling against you and decreases your difficulty.

Iron Will (3 points)

You’re especially difficult to sway from your chosen course. Attempts to use mind-controlling powers (Dominate, Dementation, some types of Mind magick, etc.) on you are made at +3 difficulty. This Merit does not protect you from powers that are focused on emotional manipulation (e.g., Presence). A Willpower of at least 5 is required to buy this Merit.

Jack-of-all-trades (3 points)

If you have to make a roll using a Skill you have no dots in, you suffer no penalty to the roll’s difficulty unless the Skill has a required specialization; in the latter case you suffer the normal +1 to difficulty, but do not suffer an additional +1 for having 0 dots. If you’re trying to use a Knowledge you have no dots in, you can still make the roll but with an addition of +2 to the normal difficulty. This Merit is not available to Shifter-sphere characters of breeds other than Homid or Metis.

Language (1 to 10 points)

You know one or more languages in addition to your native one. Each point in this Merit represents one language; this does not count against the normal 10-point limit for merits. Each language must be one that can be spoken and understood by humans — you can’t purchase animal languages, spirit communication, and so forth. See “+help Language” in-game for further information.

Lightning Calculator (1 point)

This Merit allows you to reduce the difficulties of math and calculation-based rolls by -2.

Mechanical Aptitude (1 point)

You’re very good at building, repairing, or operating mechanical devices; any rolls to do so are at -2 difficulty. This Merit does not help you use a device skillfully — rolls to drive a car, or cook a meal, are not affected; it only assists in making sure the device operates normally.

Natural Linguist (2 points)

When rolling to study or analyze written or spoken languages, your difficulty is reduced by 3. Each purchase of the Language Merit allows you to learn two languages rather than one.

Self-Confident (5 points)

When spending Willpower to gain an automatic success, you don’t lose that point of Willpower unless: 1) The Willpower-gained success is the only success you get for that action; or 2) the difficulty for that action is 5 or less.

Specific Interests (1 points)

You’re extremely knowledgeable in one very specific area, and, when making Mental rolls that relate to that area, your difficulty is reduced by 2. Your special interest needs to be very narrow: “Black Dog tabletop roleplaying games” rather than “games”, “the British royal family” rather than “aristocracy and nobility”, and so on. We suggest that you discuss your ideas with staff before submitting a character.

Time Sense (1 point)

You have an internal clock that helps you gauge the time of day and the passing of time, even when you don’t have access to windows, clocks, or other information about time. You always know the phase of the moon.

Tunnel Rat (1 to 5 points)

You’re intimately familiar with the world beneath the streets. Any attempts you make to navigate through, track through, or evade pursuit through sewers and other underground areas you know receive a number of bonus dice equal to the points value of this Merit. This does not apply to areas of Subterranean London that require SST or staff approval to use in storylines, but it does apply to those areas that are available without approval.

Wheelman (1 point)

All Driving rolls you make to perform risky or difficult driving maneuvers are made at -2 difficulty.

Social

Animal Magnetism (2 points)

You have some sort of primal attractiveness that transcends conventional notions of beauty. Whenever you make Social rolls to charm, seduce, or impress people by appealing to their carnal nature, the difficulty is reduced by 2.

It should go without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: if we find that you’re using this Merit to try to coerce other players into RP that they are uncomfortable with, you will be removed from the game permanently.

Friendly Face (1 point)

The first time (and only the first time) you meet someone, you gain a -1 difficulty to Social rolls when being an affable, friendly sort of person. You don’t have to actually be their friend — it’s fine to use this Merit to chat up a Pentex exec at the bar even though you plan to have him end the night in the trunk of your car — but you gain no bonus on rolls when you’re being overtly threatening or hostile.

Confidence (2 points)

It’s not easy to shake your belief in your own abilities. When making a Social roll that’s specifically to impress other characters with your own abilities, your difficulties are 2 less than normal. Trying to fast-talk a security guard into letting you through the gate doesn’t count, even if your latest crush is watching — on the other hand, if you’re regaling the security guard with stories of how you broke the bank at Monte Carlo, you get the bonus whether your crush is watching or not. Conversely, musicians performing before a routine crowd probably don’t get a bonus, unless there’s someone in the crowd (like their latest crush) who they feel a need to impress. Attempts by other characters to shake your confidence in yourself suffer a +2 difficulty modifier. Under no circumstances can both modifiers affect a resisted roll — you must pick one or the other.

Local Hero (3 points)

In one particular borough of London, regular people know who you are and consider you one of the good guys. They may not be able to do much for you, but they’ll do what they can! As long as you don’t act in ways that would destroy their good impression of you, you reduce the difficulty of your social rolls by -2 when you’re dealing with the everyday people of your community, and receive aid and respect from those people whenever you need them.

Loyalty (1 point)

You’re unswervingly loyal to something — a person, an organization, or a cause. Any time someone tries to turn you against the object of your loyalty, you receive a two-die bonus to your Willpower when attempting to resist. If the assault uses your Willpower as the difficulty for the attack, then your attacker adds +2 to their difficulty while striving to undermine your loyalty.

Master of Red Tape (4 points)

Rolls to get something done via any sort of established bureaucracy are at -2 difficulty.

Natural Leader (2 points)

You have a quality that draws people to you and makes them look to you for guidance. Two extra dice on Leadership rolls. You must have a Charisma of 3 or higher to buy this Merit.

Officially Dead (2 points)

According to the authorities, you’re no longer among the living. Perhaps you’ve successfully faked your own death, or had it faked for you when you assumed a new identity — regardless, any signs to the contrary that can possibly be ignored by the authorities, will be ignored. However, if you want to interact with the mortal world in any but the most superficial ways, you’ll probably need to purchase Alternate Identity.

Peacemaker (2 points)

You’re fair-minded, and, what’s more important, you’re known to be fair-minded. Even people who can’t agree on anything else will grudgingly admit that they can both trust your judgment. When you make Social rolls to keep the peace, stop a fight, or mediate between factions, your difficulty is reduced by 2 as long as your efforts are genuinely sincere, rather than self-interested.

Perfect Liar (2 points)

Any rolls you make to lie to or deceive someone else are made with -2 modifier to their difficulty. If you’re lying about something that’s not important to you (or to them), and aren’t claiming something that’s obviously dubious, most people will probably believe you without a roll.

Poker Face (3 points)

You don’t show much of what you’re thinking unless you want to. Any rolls involving intimidation, deception, or resisting intimidation and emotional manipulation are made at -2 difficulty. This Merit has been modified and repriced from its original appearance in Book of Secrets, where it cost 2 points and also gave a +2 difficulty to those trying to intimidate or seduce you. We feel this price better reflects its utility compared with similar Merits like Perfect Liar (q.v.).

Pitiable (1 point)

People tend to feel sorry for you, and, when you’re willing to play that up, you can gain one die on Social rolls that make use of their sympathy. Unfortunately, people are also less willing to take you seriously as an authority figure.

Sanctity (2 points)

Whether or not you are actually innocent, you certainly do a good job of giving that impression. Unless they have reason to think otherwise, people will tend to trust and believe the best of you; even if they do have good reason to, they’ll probably give you the benefit of the doubt. You just seem so pure, after all!

Subculture Insider (2 points)

You’re innately familiar with a social environment that most folks never visit, much less understand; this might be biker gangs, academia, occult societies, or just about any sort of uncommon subculture. When moving through your subculture of choice, subtract -2 from the difficulties of rolls that grant social or physical access to that subculture’s established turf.

Supernatural Ties (4 points)

Whether because of blood or because of previous encounters, you are aware of and have non-hostile contacts with one other supernatural sphere in the city (chosen when this merit is purchased). This doesn’t mean you get invited to their parties or are privy to their inner councils — you’re not on that good terms — but it does mean that when you need to, you can find someone from that sphere to listen to you without immediate violence. While this Merit can represent a Mage with Werewolf blood or a Ghoul with fae blood, it does not permit your character acquire powers, supernatural abilities, etc., from more than one sphere — period. This Merit cannot be taken more than once (trying to befriend two groups will only make both of them suspicious instead), and will not protect you if either your own or the other sphere find out that you’re doing something forbidden (e.g., mages drinking vampire blood). It’s suggested that you discuss this Merit with staff before making it a key part of your concept.

Unobtrusive (1 point)

You’re just not the sort of person who sticks in the mind. People need to make a Perception roll (difficulty 6) in order to recall your features or name. On the flipside, you add +2 to the difficulty of any Social rolls you need to make, because folks just don’t notice you under most circumstances. For obvious reasons, you can’t take any socially distinctive Merits, Flaws or Backgrounds.

Wealthy (5 points)

Your Resources rating rises from 5 to 6 dots. You may not purchase this Merit without first buying Resources to 5.

Supernatural

Danger Sense (3 points)

You’re constantly on the alert for trouble. When something bad is about to happen, the Storyteller may roll your Perception + Alertness secretly, with a difficulty ranging from 6 (immediate, potentially lethal danger) to 10 (distant, abstract, mild danger). On one success, you sense something wrong, and may gain more information with additional successes. Before purchasing this Merit, please be aware that it will primarily be of use in Storyteller-run scenes, rather than in everyday RP. For scenes not run by staff, you may wish to alert the Storyteller in advance to the fact that you have this Merit, since they won’t be able to see your sheet.

Lucky (5 points)

Please read the complete text of this Merit carefully. This Merit is still under review and the price or benefit may be changed in the future. If your character is affected by such changes, you will have the opportunity to have the purchase price refunded if you are no longer happy with the Merit in its final form. For whatever reason — divine or infernal favor, a spell cast on one of your ancestors by a powerful wizard, or just plain old good luck — you have a knack for avoiding disaster. Once per scene, upon failing a roll, you may opt to roll one additional die at the same difficulty and retroactively add the result to your failed roll — which can prevent failure or even negate a botch if the additional die is a success. This Merit cannot be used with supernatural powers of any type, although it can be used for rolls that support or are supported by such powers (e.g., you cannot use it on Arete rolls, but you can use it on an Ability check made either to enhance, or after being enhanced by, such a roll).

Medium (2 points)

You can see and hear ghosts, and they can see and hear you. The difficulty of all all Awareness rolls involving the spirits of the dead is reduced by two, and some ghosts will try to curry favor with you by telling you things that are not obvious to mortal eyes. Of course, if you ignore the dead or, worse, make them angry, they can make your life a living hell by putting up a constant racket that makes it difficult or impossible to think.

Poisonous Blood (5 points)

Your blood is harmful to anyone who drinks it … primarily vampires, but Ananasi and the occasional monstrous creature that does so will also be put off. For each blood point of yours that someone drinks, they suffer one level of bashing damage that cannot be soaked.

Spark of Life (5 points)

You’re imbued with an amazing, even supernatural vitality, and it’s obvious to everyone around you. You heal fully from bashing damage in an hour, heal lethal using the standard rules for bashing damage, and heal aggravated damage as if you’d taken one level less of it. Any rolls to heal someone else via mundane means are made at -2 difficulty. However, vampires find you delicious, and drinking from you provides two blood points for each one drained.

Spirit Magnet (3-7 points)

Ephemeral entities flock to your presence. Spirits that can manifest physical forms may come across the Gauntlet to visit you, and those that cannot take on physical bodies still energize the spiritual atmosphere in your vicinity. The higher your rating in this Merit, the more, and stronger, spirits will tend to congregate around you and perhaps help you in small, positive ways. This Merit does not convey any ability to communicate with spirits; that must be purchased separately.