Merits and Flaws
Connection Merits
Additional Loresheets: Enemies of the Night adds additional depth to the Loresheet mechanic by allowing characters to choose a second Loresheet that relates to membership in a Bloodline or Cult by purchasing the appropriate Merit below. For example, a character may have the Anarch Revolt Loresheet and be a Descendant of Tyler. They would purchase the Bloodline Merit to enable this combination.
A player may decide that they wish to be in a Bloodline and a Cult at the same time. This is permitted, but doing so takes up both of their Loresheet slots. They would need to purchase only one of the Merits below. For example, their character may be Embraced as a Descendant of Xaviar and then join the Bahari Cult. In such a situation, the character would buy the Cult Membership Merit.
Characters are only ever allowed a maximum of two Loresheets.
Bloodline
This Merit signifies your being Embraced into a distinct bloodline with unique qualities. This Merit allows you to purchase a Bloodline Loresheet in addition to any other Loresheets you are allowed to possess. This Merit may only be purchased once. Previously released loresheets that begin with "Descendant of" are considered bloodline loresheets. You may not purchase this Merit in combination with the Cult Membership Merit.
Cult Membership
This Merit signifies your membership in a cult or religious group corresponding to a chosen Loresheet (see Enemies of the Night, Chapter 4). Additionally, depending on the selected category of cult or religious group, it also fulfills the prerequisites for the Merits listed below. This Merit allows you to purchase one cult or religion Loresheet in addition to any other Loresheets you are allowed to possess. This Merit may only be purchased once. You may not purchase this Merit in combination with the Bloodline Merit.
Kindred Merits/Flaws
Mythical Merits
Cold Dead Hunger
Your Beast is weak and distant when you Hunger. While you can still sense it urging you toward indulgence, it is easier to quell. Through meditation, faith, self-denial, or other means, you have girded your Beast against Frenzy. Gain a +2 bonus to all attempts to resist Hunger Frenzy.
Psychological Merits
Penitence
You find absolution in pain. You self-inflict pain through whips, needles, hot coals, etc., to reaffirm your faith. Once per game, you may spend 5 minutes in or out of play pantomiming scourging yourself (players must not actually self-harm for your own safety and for the comfort of all participants). After completing this ritual, you take 1 aggravated damage and restore all lost Willpower.
Prerequisite: Cult Membership (●) Any
Unholy Will
Your unholy beliefs are a bulwark against the power of True Faith. You have debated devout theologians, hardened your mind against the beliefs of true believers, or cast yourself so deep into the role of a betrayer that your Convictions protect you against those who possess True Faith. With two dots in this Merit, once per night, you may ignore the effects of Level 1 True Faith. With four dots in this Merit, you may ignore the effects of each of Level 1 and Level 2 True Faith once per night. The hunter still spends the Willpower; however, it does not result in an automatic success for them.
Prerequisite: Cult Membership (●) Ruinous Belief
Zealotry
Your faith is unstoppable, driving you to intense displays of bestial zeal. Once per game session, you may turn any one successful non-combat challenge into a messy critical. You gain all the benefits of a critical success along with the drawbacks of the catastrophe you've created.
Prerequisite: Cult Membership (●) Any
Psychological Flaws
Beacon of Profanity
Your evil nature leaks out of you like a fetid stench. A mortal possessing any level of True Faith can detect your vampiric presence.
Prerequisite: Cult Membership (●) Ruinous Belief
Crisis of Faith
You are terrified of losing control to your Beast, who shares nothing of your beliefs. Whenever you suffer a bestial failure, you also lose 1 Willpower.
Prerequisite: Cult Membership (●) Any
Horrible Scars of Penitence
Your penitent behavior has left permanent evidence on your body in the form of scars and welts. Among your peers, these are immediately recognizable. Others recognize your self-mutilation as purposeful and repulsive. Exceptionally knowledgeable vampires and some hunters may recognize the markings and identify your cult or religious beliefs with a successful Intelligence + Academics test of difficulty 6.
Prerequisite: Cult Membership (●) Any
Physical Flaws
Insatiable
When feeding from other vampires, those of weaker potency fail to sate your Hunger fully. Your Blood Potency is considered two higher when feeding from another vampire.
Plaguebringer
You have a disease in your blood that you cannot expunge, and you display the symptoms of such a disease despite your undead state. You may have unmendable sores or rashes, you may even instinctively cough or ooze mucus. Mortals you bite contract your disease.