It’s possible, though unusual, for characters who start out as mortals to become part of a supernatural sphere during play. If this is something you’re pretty sure you’ll want to do while you’re creating your character, it’s a good idea to talk to staff about it, so we can help set you up; but sometimes it’s something that happens organically in play.

This process is generally more onerous, and offers fewer options, than just starting out as a member of the sphere from the beginning. Unless you’re really interested in exploring the narrative of moving from the mortal world into the supernatural, we recommend against it. If you are interested in that sort of story, though, read on.

Restrictions

A character must be a mortal or a ghoul in order to change spheres. Vampires, Garou and fera, mages, kithain, kinfolk, and kinain are ineligible. We realize that in the game world, it’s possible for, say, a vampire to Embrace a mage, but having something like this happen is an invitation to the sort of inter-sphere conflict that we’d prefer to avoid.

Mortal characters may become ghouls, vampires, or mages. Ghoul characters may only become vampires. Again, it’s technically possible for someone to, say, have their First Change late in life — but the societies and cultures of changelings and shapeshifters are complex and unforgiving, and we don’t think that having to learn the ropes of either in the IC world would be a lot of fun. Not only for the player of the newly-changed werewolf/kithain/etc., but also for the other players in the sphere who may or may not want to play through that dynamic.

Characters who have significant IC knowledge of a sphere other than the one they intend to join are not likely to be permitted. Again, this is the sort of thing that all supernatural groups take a very dim view of; the Camarilla does not want mages running around with extensive knowledge of their organization and abilities, and vice versa. If the character knows a lot about the sphere they’re joining, that’s fine: a newly Embraced vampire knowing a lot about the Camarilla is not problematic (although it may give the new Kindred confidence that they’d probably be better off without).

Players should have a reasonable level of knowledge of the sphere they intend to join. If you don’t know Mage: the Ascension, for instance, please do your best to learn the game before you start the process of joining the sphere. You don’t need to be an expert, but you do need to understand the basics of the setting and mechanics.

How to Change Spheres

First, you’ll want to decide what your character will be changing to, and find someone, or several people, who are willing to help you play out the scenes involved. Once that’s done, the process follows three steps:

• Complete pre-change +notes and other requirements.
• Play through the story of the change.
• Complete post-change +notes and any required stat purchases or distributions.

Pre-Change +Notes

This step involves creating the +notes listed in the Sphere-Specific +notes section that are not dependent on how the story of the character’s Embrace or Awakening plays out, and can be answered in advance.

• For characters who are becoming vampires, you’ve already answered the first question (“What was your life like before the Embrace?”) and need only answer the second (“What caused your sire to choose you for the Embrace? …”). You should also create the “Weakness” +note as described.
• For characters becoming ghouls, you again need to answer only the second question (“Why did your domitor select you as a ghoul? …”). You should also create the “Special” +note as described.
• For characters who are becoming mages, you should answer the second question (“What were the circumstances surrounding your Awakening?”). You should also create all of the “Magick” +notes (Avatar, Paradigm, Practices, Instruments, Personalized Instrument, Sample Effect, Impossible Effects, and Do if applicable; a Surpassed Instruments +note is not required).

Once you’ve completed the above, open a +request in the “Sphere” category, and briefly detail the intended storyline for the character.

Narrative Requirements

We view a change of spheres as a bit like gaining a supernatural power (which, in a sense, it is), and the requirements are very similar: a character should be able to present logs for 6-10 scenes in which the character’s transition between mortal and supernatural life are central to the scene and what happens in it. For characters becoming a ghoul, the requirement is less onerous: 3-5 scene logs of the same type. (A character must also have a Willpower of at least 5 in order to Awaken, which may require additional scenes in order to justify.)

For Vampire, scenes should focus on the sire’s selection of their new childe and pursuit of them; the actual Embrace; the physical and psychological changes that follow; the character’s first hunt and their introduction to the world and customs of the undead; and so forth.

For Mage, scenes should revolve around the evolution of the character’s worldview into something strong enough that it can alter reality; the gradual intrusion of the miraculous into their everyday life and how they react to it; the moment of Awakening and how it changes them; and their discovery by other Awakened and introduction into the Traditions; and their early training and instruction in the use of their abilities.

Scenes for prospective ghouls should explore the character’s mortal life, what it is about them that causes their domitor to select them, the moment of first feeding, the evolution of the Blood Bond, and their early experiences with their domitor and other vampires.

In all cases, the scenes should provide at least some grounds for answering the required backstory questions that weren’t answered in step one. That is, by the conclusion of the storyline, a new vampire ought to have at least some idea of how they feel about their clan, the various vampire sects, and so on.

Once you’ve played out as many scenes as you wish to dealing with the process — the above are minimum standards, not limits — you may open a +request with links to the logfiles. Staff will review them and ask any questions they may have about the character’s transformation. Once approved, you may then proceed to the mechanical phase.

Game Mechanics

Characters who change spheres will now need to add any additional +notes that would normally be required for their new sphere and were not completed in the first step. Some of these notes will be quite short for a freshly-transformed character!

A newly Embraced vampire character gains the normal complement of Virtues, i.e., one dot each in Courage, Conscience, and Self-Control and seven dots to distribute as they see fit. Their Humanity is determined as normal; their Willpower is unchanged from the mortal character’s, even if their new Courage score would normally indicate it should be higher or lower. The new vampire also gains one dot in each of their three clan Disciplines. If their sire’s Generation is low enough that they would have the Generation Background and/or associated Merits, they must purchase the required dots with XP.

A newly Awakened Mage has an Arete of 1, and may optionally purchase Arete 2 for the normal XP cost. They may not purchase Arete higher than 2. They gain 1 dot in any 3 Spheres of their choice immediately, at least one of which must be their Tradition’s specialty Sphere. Additionally, they gain 3 dots’ worth of credit toward future Sphere purchases — these must still be justified in RP, but have no XP cost. A Mage may purchase the Avatar Background at whatever level is appropriate for their Avatar, for the normal XP cost; while at least one dot is strongly recommended, it is not required. They may also optionally purchase dots in Arcane, Dream, Destiny, and Past Lives, assuming their Awakening and Focus are appropriate.

Some Merits and Flaws specific to the character’s new sphere may be purchased as part of this process, and some Merits and Flaws may be lost during the process. Please check with staff in advance if you think this might apply to your character.