House Rules

by Rob Ieraci

April 7th, 2018

General Rules

1. The Storytelling (ST) Staff reserves the right to make any ruling they see fit to any scene.
2. Powers and Abilities (Merits, Disciplines, Rituals, etc.) not presented in Laws of the Night (Revised Ed.) (LotN:R), The Camarilla Guide (CG) or The Sabbat Guide (SG) must be written down on either an item card or within the notes section of the the player’s character sheet.
3. Items or custom powers that mimic the mechanics of R&U powers are banned in Dark Colony. Do not use them.
4. In tests of Auspex versus Obfuscate or Chimerstry, the PC gains a number of bonus traits (1 to 5) equal to the PC’s level of Auspex, Chimerstry or Obfuscate rating.
5. Characters must sign into Dark Colony Chronicles to effect the game with powers. This includes for uses of Pebble from the Mountain, Way of Warding, etc.
6. There is no soft proxy for Dark Colony Chronicle Games.
7. Positions may only be held by active pcs based in Dark Colony.

Outside Interactions (Interacting with other games/Coordinators)

All players of HDC must, when interacting (online) or interacting with any Coordinator’s office in OWbN must log the conversation in their PC’s PuppetPrince Journal, as well as courtesy copy (CC) of the email exchange. Poor behavior will be addressed just as it would at game. This may include loss of xp, loss of character and ban from game.

Backgrounds/Abilities/Etc.

1. Frenzy Tests: Willpower must be spent before the check for Frenzy is made. Both Instinct and Self Control will function as mechanically as Self Control does. (Players are expected to roleplay the differences. Taking time to calm themselves if on Self Control and becoming Feral and aggressive if on Instinct.)
2. Traits: All PCs may bid a max of 30 Under no circumstances may a pc bid more. Characters add permanent ratings in their appropriate abilities when determining ties.
3. Supernatural Backgrounds: Supernatural Backgrounds from other genres may not be purchased. Examples include Destiny and Rites.
4. Expending Traits (Maximum): If a power does not state otherwise in regards to spending traits, the maximum amount of traits you may spend is 3.
5. Linguistics: is handled as in Laws of the East, which states the Linguistics ability is handled as follows:

1. Level 1 = 1 additional language (to your native language)
2. Level 2 = 2 languages (in addition to your native, so 3 total languages incl. native)
3. Level 3 = 4
4. Level 4 = 8
5. Level 5 = 16

Merits

1. Ambidextrous: provides an additional trait when wielding two weapons, not an additional action.
2. Blase: Toreador Only
3. Luck: may not be used in combat challenges.
4. Bonus Traits: Bonus traits gained from merits do not stack.
5. Supernatural Merits/ Flaws: Supernatural Merits and Flaws from other genres may not be possessed by vampires.

Disciplines

1. Animalism:

1. Drawing out the Beast: Your beast will always return to you at the next sunset.

1. Auspex:

1. Aura Perception allows a character to see Wraiths in the Shadowlands.
2. Telepathy may be used across the shroud (If the Shroud is under 7) and may be used to speak with the dead.
3. Astral/Psychic Projection no longer causes the character to project into the Astral Plane but instead the Shadowlands. When using this power, the location of your body must be logged with the STs. Characters may not spend blood in this state.

1. Chimerstry:

1. GENERAL: Levels 1 through 4 do not require a challenge to use.  The only time a challenge against these powers may be issued is if the target/victim has the Auspex power “Heightened Senses” active (or has reason to activate it) at the time Chimerstry is used on said target/victim.  A challenge may also be issued if the illusion is deemed truly unbelievable in some way (as to give reason to question the illusion).  The challenge would thus be a normal Social challenge.
2. Horrid Reality: An ST must be present for the use of this power.  If this power is used to stake someone or cause a fatal blow, the victim may spend Aegis to negate the staking/damage.

1. Dementation:

1. Voice of Madness: Only one social trait need be risked to initiate the challenge or to retest all targets. A Willpower may not be spent to ignore this challenge.  The Virtue test must be thrown against this power.

1. Dominate:

1. Possession: When using this power, the location of a PC’s real body must be logged with staff and must be in the jurisdiction of the game.

1. Fortitude:

1. Aegis: A PC may only use this power PRIOR to the two simple challenges for staking (not after).

1. Necromancy:

1. Sepulcher Path (Soul Steal): When “Soul Stolen,” a PC may still use any of his or her Mental and Social powers but may not spend blood. These powers still do not cross realms.

1. Presence:

1. Summon: Target is aware of who summoned them. Targets MAY be summoned into boot parties.
2. Majesty: This power is line of interaction.  If a PC can interact with the character with Majesty active, he or she is under the effects of Majesty. Additionally, the test to break Majesty is thrown before an aggressive action is attempted on the user of Majesty. If the aggressor succeeds, he need not check against that use of Majesty again.

Quietus:

1. Scorpion’s Touch: Traits lost from this power do not return until the next night.
2. Dagon’s Call: This power also destroys one blood trait per successful level of damage inflicted.

1. Thanatosis:

1. Withering: If a victim’s head is Withered, then the only Disciplines the victim may then use are Potence, Celerity, and Fortitude.

1. Valeren:

1. Burning Touch: A Willpower may be spent to ignore the effects of this power.  This is spent on a “one for one” basis.  

Combination Disciplines

1. Pater Sclacta - Characters may not gain more than 4 physical traits from this power and bonuses may not bring a character past max traits.
2. Burning Wrath - Character spends one blood point and for the remainder of the scene gains the following benefits: Brawling attacks deal an additional level of Aggravated damage damage. Gain bonus physical traits Burning and Searing.Gain bonus social trait Intimidating.
3. Psychic Double - This power obeys all of the house rules of Astral Projection.

Combat

1. Carrier Attacks: PCs may not combine damage from carrier attacks (for example, you may either strike for damage or strike to quell, not both).
2. Order of Damage Applied: is always to armor (including supernatural forms) first, prior to being resisted with Fortitude or similar powers.

Blood Magic House Rules

Line of sight: Thaumaturgy/Necromancy (That does not require touch) may not be used on targets who are obscured, whether that be by smoke of via Shroud of Night. The exception to this rule is ranged attack powers such as Repulse and Lure of the flame. In these cases, blind fighting mechanics apply.

Uncontested Range: Thaumaturgy provides neither the advantage of, nor protection from Uncontested Range.

Magic Items: Magic Items created via Entrap Ephemera or other means may only grant up to +3 traits in any challenge, up to three retests or traits per scene whenever they produce any such effects. A character may only benefit from one such item at a time during any given effect or action.

Koldunism: Each use of Koldunism requires the expenditure of a point of Willpower in order to use. Previous existing Koldunism paths that have been converted into combination powers are disallowed.

Mind Affecting Thaumaturgy: The following paths and rituals are considered mind affecting Thaumaturgy for the purposes of Iron Heart, Iron will, etc. Be advised that other paths and rituals may also apply. This list includes but is not limited to:

1. The Hearth Path
2. The Hunters Winds
3. Oneiromancy
4. Corruption
5. Curses
6. The Faux Path
7. Gift of Morpheus
8. Spirit Thaumaturgy
9. Better Self
10. Duat
11. Snake Inside
12. Soul of the Serpent
13. Dry Nile
14. Phobos
15. Taking the Spirit
16. Vine of Dionysis
17. Binding the Accusing Tongue
18. Steps of the Terrified
19. Rend the Mind

Path Specific House Rules

Potency of Blood - Does not circumvent 30 trait maximum for PCs.

Lure of the flame - Courage tests caused by lure of the flame are made at a difficulty equal to the level used.

Firestorm - Only one trait is risked regardless of number of targets. When a target is struck, all items that are not fireproof are immediately destroyed

Movement of the Mind - Only one trait need be bid, regardless of the number of targets.

Weather Control - Target suffers 2 lethal damage for each Mental trait spent on the attack. Traits are not spent until after the target is hit.

Elemental Form - benefits of elemental form are replaced by the following features. This level may be activated more than once to benefit from up to two elements at the same time.

1. Fire - deal an additional level of aggravated damage with brawling attacks.
2. Earth - Gain 3 levels of armor.
3. Air- Gain a free retest on Stealth challenges.
4. Water - Gain an additional two steps of movement every action.

Binding the Abyss - Caster must possess a higher rating in "Binding the Abyss" then their opponent's rating in Obtenebration rating in order to affect them with any levels of the path. Abyss Mystics may spend spend a point of Willpower to reverse any use of this path.

Curses - Effects caused by this path only last the scene. Curses must be clearly heard in order to have any effect.

Focused Mind - One Track Mind now functions as follows: "Target gains +2 bonus traits added to challenges while pursuing one immediate objective. If stopped or distracted, they immediately lose the benefit of this power."

Mastery of the Mortal Shell - Seizures - now functions as follows: "Vampires affected only suffer a -4 trait penalty to challenges for the remainder of the scene. Make two Simple Challenges. If both succeed outright (lose on ties), the target Vampire cannot initiate Physical challenges for the remainder of the scene " This works as printed on living targets.

Marionette - Does not control the use of disciplines in the target and must win a mental challenge each round of combat they intend to control their target.

Gift of Morpheus - Enchanted Slumber may not be used to put a vampire to sleep. May not be used on vampires in torpor. Level five requires a personal item or true name to cast and a vampire who dies In dream combat goes to torpor.

Spirit Thaumaturgy - Fetish - May only be used to grant the benefits of Basic and Intermediate levels of Arcanoi. When an Arcanoi power is used that requires an extended challenge the limit of successful challenges falls under the rule of 3.

Way of Levinbolt - "Stun" causes a -2 trait penalty to actions for the duration of the stun effect.

Rituals Specific House Rules

Blood walk - Has no effect past 6th generation.

Calling the Restless Spirit - Calls a psychic impression. Only the caster may interact with the "spirit" and other powers have no effect on it.

Donning the Mask of Shadows - Gives a +2 bonus to Stealth challenges.

Mesti

Pavis of Foul Presence - Must be recast after three uses. Has no effect on Summon or higher levels.

Principal Focus of Vitae Infusion - May hold no more than 25 beads at a time. May ingest no more than 3 traits of blood per round. Takes an action to use beads.

Eyes of the Past - Does not pierce illusions or obfuscate employed at time/ place being observed. Disciplines such as Auspex may not be used in conjunction with Eyes of the Past.

Protean Curse - Only turns current form into a bat. Afflicted target may still shift into other forms, sometimes requiring multiple uses to trap the target in bat form utterly. The curse lasts for one scene.

Mephistophelean Minx - Characters may only gain up to 3 Willpower traits, one each hour with this ritual.

Blood Allergy - requires a personal item to cast. The effects last a number of rounds equal to the caster’s willpower rating.

Stone of the True Form - Only the caster may use stones. They must be pressed to the target and may not be thrown.

Warding Circles - Function across realms.

Escape to True Friend - Requires an action to use. Effects go off at the end of the round.

Virus Acquiring Eundo - May only be used on basic rituals and may only grant minor improvements. Examples include but are not limited to:

1. Impressive Visage - an additional social trait
2. Extinguish - one extra use before needing to be recast
3. Deflection of Wooden Doom - one extra use before needing to be recast

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