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Merits and Flaws
Tweet Topic Started: Feb 20 2009, 10:21 PM (295 Views)
Viktor Luminatis Feb 20 2009, 10:21 PM Post #1
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Merits and Flaws

Merits and flaws are essentially talents, strengths and weaknesses that your character has. Beautiful darkness has a list of merits that you can choose from, but you can invent your own merits that are unique to your character, if you like. Most all flaws are unique to your character, and as such there are no flaws listed here. This guide will explain merits and flaws, how they work and how to create flaws and merits that fit your character without giving them an unfair advantage or disadvantage.

Merits

Merits are talents and strengths that your character either has inherently, or has worked to gain. The Merit 'Striking Looks' is obviously a merit that you are born with, as you cannot gain the ability to be good looking by hard work. On the other hand, the Merit Fighting Style: Kung Fu is only gained through years of learning, practice and discipline.

Flaws
There are no established flaws, as flaws are unique disadvantages that your character has. They are always either mental, physical or social. Perhaps they are ugly, or perhaps they aren't too bright, or perhaps they only have one arm. Make up your own flaws, and an admin will help you out with making them both realistic and fitting to your character without making them too hard to play.

How Merits Work
Merits aid your character in one of three ways: Mentally, Physically or Socially. An example of a Mental merit would be a merit that allows your character to have better common sense than most people. An example of a Physical merit would be that gives your character years of training in a particular fighting style. An example of a social merit would be a merit that gives your character more allies than the average person. Not that a merit cannot be in more than one character. For example, you couldn't have a merit that gives you the ability to have great common sense and the ability to know karate.

For every level that you have in a particular merit, the more that merit aides you. For example, someone who has one level in Encyclopedic Knowledge knows a good deal of knowledge and could be considered the equal of a smart high school student. Someone who had 5 or more levels in Encyclopedic knowledge, however, would be a borderline genius. For a real world example, one level would be similar to an grade A student at a private high school. Level 5 would be someone who would be able to answer every single question ever asked in the history of Jeapordy.

For a physical example, someone who had one level in Fighting Style: Kung Fu, would be considered to have the proficiency of a learner. Someone who had five or more levels in Fighting Style: Kung Fu would be considered a master. For a real world example, level one would be that really good student in the martial arts school down the street. Level five is Bruce Lee.

A social example would be someone who had the merit Resources. Level one would be a daddy's girl who got a check from good old dad every month for $1000. Level five would be somebody in the top 20 of the Forbes List. Level 6 or higher would make Bill Gates jealous.

Most merits go from 1-10, just like skills and attributes. However, some merits have limits of 3, 4 or 5. Some merits can't go above 1. Those merits that are limited will have their limits listed next to them. Keep in mind that each level in merits cost 2 experience points per level, and level 5 and above cost double. Keep in mind to read the experience guide. When it says "# points per level" this means that amount of points multiplied by the total number of levels you are increasing it to. So for example, level one in a Merit will cost 2 points. Level 2 costs 4 points. Level 3 costs 6 points and so on. Level five and above are double. So level 5 would cost 20 points, level 6 would cost 24 points, etc.

Established Merits

Mental Merits

  • Common Sense
    Effect: Your character pragmatic and grounded. He makes good and sound decisions without much thought.
    Level Range: 1-5
  • Danger Sense
    Effect: You character has an uncanny talent to suddenly sense when an ambush is approaching. They certainly can't sense the future, but they're gut is usually right when they expect trouble
    Level Range: 1-2
  • Eidetic Memory
    Effect: Your character has a photographic memory, and is able to remember nearly anything with astonishing accuracy.
    Level Range: 1-2
  • Encyclopedic Knowledge
    Effect: Your character absorbs information like a sponge and never lets it go. He is a font of knowledge in a variety of topics because of the amount of books he's read and the amount of history channel shows he's watched.
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Holistic Awareness
    Effect: Your character is skilled in the arts of holistic medicine, knowing how to cure anything from a simple scratch to a horrible wound with holistic remedies.
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Language
    Effect: Your character knows a decent amount in a foreign language. Remember that 1 level would mean he can read and write the language with minimal fluency. Level 4 means that he speaks it like a native.
    Level Range: 1-4
  • Meditative Mind
    Effect: Without much effort, your character can enter a meditative state and remain in it as long as she wishes. She is able to calm her mind and rest her weary thoughts without sleeping.
    Level Range: 1
  • Unseen Sense (Only available to humans.)
    Effect: Your character is able to sense the unknown and the dark secrets of the world. She has a sixth sense tuned to ghosts, vampires, and the like.
    Level Range: 1-3


Physical Merits

  • Ambidextrous
    Effect: Your character is able to use both hands as well as the other and is able to switch hands without penalty or difficulty.
    Level Range: 1-3
  • Brawling Dodge (only available to those with level 1 or higher in Brawl)
    Effect: Your character is trained in minimal self defense and has trained how to block and dodge melee and close range attacks.
    Level Range: 1-5
  • Direction Sense
    Effect:Your character has an innate sense of direction, allowing him to keep his bearings and sense which way is north, south, east and west are.
    Level Range: 1-4
  • Disarm (Only available to characters with at least level 2 in weaponry or level 3 in a martial arts fighting style)
    Effect:Your character is able to use his weapon to disarm his opponent. Only usable with melee weapons and hands if your character has the a martial arts fighting merit.
    Level Range:No higher than 2
  • Fast reflexes
    Effect: Your character has lightning fast reflexes.
    Level Range: 1-2
  • Fighting Finesse (only available to those who have level 2 in weaponry or higher)
    Effect: Your character fights with a chosen weapon in a way that favors agility over strength and power. As a result, your character is able to out maneuver strong opponents when they use that weapon. The weapon in question must be the one that you specialize in with your weaponry skill.
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Fighting Style: Boxing (Your character must have at least 2 levels in the brawl skill to choose this merit.)
    Effect: (Replace 'Boxing' with the name of the boxing art of your choice) Your character is proficient in one of the many boxing arts around the world. They are able to deliver very powerful punches and weave their way in and out of their opponents attacks.
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Fighting Style: Martial Arts (Your character must have at least 2 levels in the brawl skill to choose this merit.)
    Effect: (Replace 'Martial Arts' with the martial art of your character's choice) Your character is proficient in one of the many martial arts around the world, such as Kung Fu, Karate, Muay Thai, or Krav Maga.
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Fighting Style: Two Weapons (Your character must have at least 3 levels in the weaponry skill to choose this merit.)
    Effect: Your character is trained to fight with a weapon in both hands. (This is only available with melee weapons. The dual wielding merit for firearms is 'Gunsligner')
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Fleet of Foot
    Effect: Your character is quicker than the average person. For every level that you purchase in this merit, add one point to your speed attribute.
    Level Range: 1-5
  • Giant (In order to purchase this merit, your character must be at least 7 feet tall, or over 250 pounds - or both.)
    Effect: Your character is taller, wider or just simply larger than the average person. When purchasing this merit, add 1 to your size. If you purchase up to level 4, add 2 to your size. For comparison, level 1 is about 7 feet tall or 250 pounds. Level 4 is nearly 12 feet tall or over 800 pounds. Remember the drawbacks to being so large.
    Level Range: 1-4
  • Gunsligner (Your character must have at least 3 levels in the firearms skill to choose this merit.)
    Effect: Your character is so well versed with firearms that he can accurately and easily fight with two firearms that he is specialized it.
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Iron Stamina
    Effect:Your character is able to push himself past regular physical limits of exhaustion or pain. Perhaps he taught himself how to stay up for days on end, or because of a lifetime in sports he is able to push through the pain no matter what. You may only choose one from Exhaustion or Pain. Not both. If you want both Exhaustion or pain, you must choose this merit twice.
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Iron Stomach
    Effect:Your character can eat practically anything under any condition and not suffer any ill effects. This obviously doesn't apply to literal poison (like arsenic, etc). Your character could essentially be plopped in the middle of nowhere and survive on bugs and roots if he needed to.
    Level Range: 1-2
  • Natural Immunity
    Effect: Your character has a very strong immune system that is exceptionally effect at resisting infection, sickness and disease. He could probably count on one hand the amount of times he's been sick in his lifetime.
    Level Range: 1
  • Quick Draw (Your character must have at least 2 levels in either weaponry skill or firearms skill to choose this merit.)
    [c]Your character is so well trained in the main weapon of his choice, that he can draw a firearm and fire or pull a melee weapon and attack in the same exactly stroke. This merit only applies to any specialized weapons you have in either the Firearms or Weaponry Skill.
    Level Range: 1
  • Quick Healer
    Effect: Your character heals extremely quickly, being able to bounce back from injuries that would leave most people bedridden for months. He recovers in roughly about half the time that the average person does.
    Level Range: 1-4
  • Strong Back
    Effect: Your character was born with very strong bones and muscles. She can lift and carry much heavier loads than her build or body type suggests. Effectively, your character can carry and lift objects that would normally only be able to be lifted by characters who has one more level in strength than she does.
    Level Range: 1
  • Strong Lungs (Your character must have at least 3 levels in athletics to take this merit.)
    Effect: Your character has trained to hold his breath for long periods of time. Your character can hold his breath for twice as many minutes as he has levels in this merit.
    Level Range: 1-5
  • Stunt Driver (Your character must have at least 2 levels in the drive skill to choose this merit.)
    Effect: Your character has worked in a profession where he needed to learn how to drive a car in many odd circumstances (perhaps he was a stunt man for a production company). He has trained to know how to drive a car in dangerous situations (such as through fire. At high levels, he can drive on two wheels, or flip the car over), as well as trained how to perform unrelated actions while driving without being distracted (such as firing a gun)
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Toxin Resistance
    Effect: Your character has a very high tolerance of various chemicals. He has probably never had food poisoning, let alone a hangover. The drawback is that his body cannot tell between recreational drugs and toxins and intentional ones. It's very hard for him to get drunk or high on any type of alcohol or drug. Also, painkillers and related drugs are only half as effective on him.
    Level Range: 1-4


Social Merits
  • Allies
    Effect: Your character has allies in a specific area. Examples could be police, unions, city hall, government, criminals, etc. In order to have allies in more than one specific area, you must choose this merit multiple times. Each level in this merit indicates how deep your character's influence runs in that particular group. One dot would mean simple favors (such as having a traffic ticket wiped off the books if his allies were police). Three dots would mean considerable favors, (such as a strike resolution being wrapped up early if his allies were a union). Five dots allow for dangerous or even overtly criminal favors (such as the answers to an exam being given to your character if his allies were in a university). More than five levels mean that the allies are practically at your character's every beck and call. Remember that allies are not robots. They have their own lives. Also remember that they are not slaves. Any favors that your character calls in will most likely be expected to be payed back in the form of a favor on their end at some point in time.
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Barfly
    Effect: Wherever your character is, no matter what city or country, he is always able to find his way into the best nightspots with a few quick words, a timely bribe or both. There isn't a velvet rope in the world that can keep him out of a restaurant, bar, or club.
    Level Range: 1
  • Contacts
    Effect: Your character has contacts in a particular area of awareness and is able to get information from them with a simple phone call, email, text or instant message. Instead of each level representing how good this merit is, each level in this merit represents a different area of your choosing. For example, if you have level three, you might choose to have contacts in computer hackers, couriers and big business. Contacts is strictly information gathering. Your contacts do not perform favors for your character or rush to his aide.
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Fame
    Effect: Your character has a measure of fame in one or more aspects of the media. Perhaps he is a performer, athlete or politician. The level that you have in this merit denotes your character's level of fame. Level 1 would mean that he's recognized by a few people, but isn't exactly on the lips of everybody's mouth. Level 5 means that he is a household name, and even people who don't know what he does know his name. The drawback to this merit is that the more famous your character is, the harder it is for him to go somewhere without being recognized.
    Level Range: 1-5
  • Inspiring (Your character must have at least 4 levels in Presence to choose this merit)
    Effect:Your character is able to rally others in times of trouble, renewing their courage and resolve.
    Level Range: 1-4
  • Mentor
    Effect: Your character has a friend and teacher who offers teaching, lessons, advice and guidance. Your mentor acts on behalf of your character and is an NPC controlled by you. A mentor usually teaches your character and offers advice, but he will sometimes use his own abilities to help your character out in certain situations. Remember however, that a mentor is there to teach you, not to baby you. They will usually want you to do things for yourself. A mentor will probably give up on a pupil who is constantly asking for aid. The number of levels you have in this merit determines the level of power, skill and influence that your mentor has. One level indicates a mentor with a specialized skill and a small amount of experience in your character's area of interest. Five or more dots indicate a mentor with a wide range of specialized skills and high influence in your character's area of interest.
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Resources
    Effect: This merit measures your character's material resources, including wealth. Just because your character doesn't have this merit doesn't mean he doesn't have any wealth. If you do not take this merit, you will have a resource level assigned to you at character creation that you may change if you ever end up taking this merit. This merit means disposable income, such as income and items that can be liquidated for money. It does not denote what type of house you own or if you have businesses to own. One level means about $500 a month in income and $1,000 in assets. Two levels mean an income of about $1,000 a month and about $5,000 of assets. Three levels an income of about $2,000 a month and about $10,000 of assets. Four levels mean an income of about $10,000 per month and about $500,000 of assets. Level five means an income of about $50,000 a month, and about $5,000,000 of assets. For levels higher than five, multiply your income by 2.5 and your Assets by 5. You must make this merit realistic for your character by putting into your biography how he attained this wealth.
    Level range: 1-10
  • Retainer
    Effect: Your character has an assistant, aide, servant or fanatical follower on which she can rely. Your must establish in your bio how this individual was acquired. In order to have more than one follower, you must purchase this merit multiple times. One dot means a child, an automaton or a madman with limited capabilities and freedom of thought. Five dots, however, denote an extremely exceptional follower. He might be very powerful, or even capable of supernatural feats. The retainer will always perform the assignment given to him unless your character gives him excessive abuse or an assignment that is impossible.
    Level Range: 1-5
  • Status
    Effect: Your character has credentials, authority or respect within an organization, group, company or social body. This merit is only one type of status. If you want your character to have status in more than one organization, you must purchase this merit multiple times. It will be written as Group Status (with group obviously being replaced with the group your character has status with). The level you have this merit denotes how much status he has. One level would mean that he is known through the organization, but he isn't exactly a string puller. Level 5 or higher means that he is a high ranking member. higher than level 5 essentially means that his authority is undisputed. Remember that your character's status depends on him doing his duties. You must explain in your biography how he attained his status.
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Striking Looks
    Effect: Your character is extremely physically attractive. Level one means that she is quite attractive. Level five means that she is one of the most beautiful people around, and when she walks in a room, those attractive to her automatically have sexual fantasies about her.
    Level Range: 1-5
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Viktor Luminatis May 2 2009, 02:54 PM Post #2
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Vampire Specific Merits

These are all the established merits that are only available to vampires.

  • Haven (This is highly recommended for a vampire. If you do not have this merit, you do not have a haven.)
    Effect: A vampire's haven is where he sleeps, protected from the sun during daylight hours. Legends of course tell of gigantic castles and mountain-top villas with a labyrinth of catacombs beneath it. The reality, however, is not so impressive. A haven can be anything, even something as simple as a sewer or a crate in a storage closet, as long as it is undisturbed between dawn and dusk. All havens, of course, are not the same. Depending on the type of haven that your character has, it will different aspects to it. A warehouse, for example, will have a lot of room but won't exactly be that secure against unwanted visitors. An abandoned subway car in a sealed off section of a train tunnel might have decent space and good security, but finding prey nearby would be extremely difficult. Vampires spend great time and care finding havens that will suit both their financial limitations and their needs. For these reasons, this merit is separated into three separate merits: Haven Location, Haven Security, and Haven Size. Haven location is both how easy it is for you to get to the haven, and also how close it is to prey without giving itself away. All of these aspects come with your purchase of your merit, but if you want to increase them, they are treated as separate merits. In other words, when you first purchase the merit, you get Haven Location, Haven Security and Haven Size all for one merit point. You then increase them as your haven warrants. If, however, you want to increase all three of these aspects, you would have to increase them as if they were three different merits. You couldn't just buy three dots and expect to level all three of them up three levels. While you can allocate your levels in this level as you want, it will be inspected by an admin and it must conform to the type of haven that you have your character obtain in your biography. For example, you wouldn't be able to have a shack in the middle of the woods and also be able to have five levels in Haven Size. It just wouldn't make sense. You may not increase any aspect of this merit without first role playing your character making the changes you wish to happen. You must also have these changes approved by an admin, and you must have the resources required.
    Level Examples:
    • Haven Location:
      1 Level: Not very close to prey
      2 Levels: Somewhat close to prey, but a journey still needs to be made.
      3 Levels: Average. Going to prey isn't a chore, but it's not exactly perfect.
      4 Level: Very good location. Quite near to prey.
      5 Levels: Prey is barely a few steps away.
    • Haven Security:
      1 Level: No security what-so-ever.
      2 Levels: Your haven is somewhat protected against someone wandering in, but someone actively trying to gain entrance would probably be able to succeed.
      3 Levels: Your haven is adequately secure. It might have a guard dog, or some regular security. It's also not easy to break into.
      4 Levels: Very good security. You have a few security guards, or a few guard dogs. It's also very hard to break into, and it's impossible for someone to find without actively looking for it.
      5 Levels: Your haven is practically a fortress. You have a small army of security personnel, both vampire,. human and ghoul, and a good amount of guard dogs. Your haven is also practically impossible to break into, and is fully impossible to just happen upon. It is also very hard to find even if people are actively looking for it.
    • Haven Size:
      1 Level: A small chamber or apartment. 1-2 rooms at the most.
      2 Levels: A large apartment or small house with 3-4 rooms.
      3 Levels: A warehouse, church or large house; 5-8 rooms or a large enclosure.
      4 Levels: A mansion or network of tunnels; equivalent of 9-15 rooms or chambers.
      5 Levels: A sprawling estate or vast network of tunnels and catacombs. Countless rooms or chambers.

    Level Range: 1-5
  • Herd
    Effect: Your character has a small group of mortals that she can feed upon without fear of disrupting the masquerade. Perhaps she runs a brothel, or is the head of a religious cult. The first level of this merit gives you a small group of 4-5 mortals. Every level above that doubles the number (i.e. 2 = 10 people; 3 = 20 people; 4 = 40 people; 5 = 80 people, etc)
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Status
    Effect: This is very similar to the regular Status Merit, except this applies to vampire organizations, such as Clans, Covenants and Domain status. This merit must be explained in your biography to show how your character attained his position. For domain status, you must be approved in your character sheet to have your character be part of the vampire hierarchy of the domain he is located in. (For information on vampire ranks, and the various domains in this game, visit the vampire creation guide which can be found here.
    Level Explanation:
    • Doman Status:
      1 Level: Hound, Errand Boy or Rising Star
      2 Levels: Sheriff, "Accomplished Individual"
      3 Levels: Harpy, Seneschal, Master of Elysium, "much deserved reputation"
      4 Levels: Regent, Primogen, Herald, "Cornerstone of Kindred Society"
      5 Levels: Prince, "True Paragon"
    • Clan/Covenant Status: (remember that clan status and covenant status are two different merits. This list is just compiled for simplicity.)
      1 Level: Your character is known to a small sub sect of her clan/covenant (i.e. a spy network).
      2 Levels: The majority of your character's clan/covenant can recognize her face and call recall most of her exploits.
      3 Levels: Your character's deeds are known to most all members of her clan/covenant, even members in other domains. Many members of other clans/covenants recognize her face.
      4 Levels: Words of your character's exploits have traveled far, and her name is known in cities around the country.
      5 Levels: Your character's name and face are synonymous with her clan/covenant and her deeds are taught to new members of the clan/covenant.

    Level Range: 1-5
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Viktor Luminatis May 2 2009, 03:23 PM Post #3
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Mage Specific Merits

These are all of the established merits that are only available to mages.

  • Artfact
    Effect: Your character possesses a magical artifact that was created in the supernal realms, or that has been touched by supernal powers. These artifacts cannot be manufactured. Nothing within the fallen world has the ability to manufacture them. Each of these artifacts are unique and one of a kind and most are old enough to have had enough research done on them for your character to have figured out what the artifact is and what it does. These artifacts can only be used by the awakened, and are not usable by unawakened humans, vampires or werewolves. As well, all artifacts are unbreakable by both magic, supernatural powers and weapons. They can only be unmade where they were created, and since most of these items were made in the supernal realms, that makes destroying them impossible.

    Artifacts are used in one of two ways. They are either persistent (meaning that their effect is always activated) or they are contingent (meaning that they need to be activated to be used). Due the fact that all artifacts are unique, you are allowed to make up whatever item you wish your character to have. You character may never purchase this merit more than once and may never have more than one artifact. Also, feel free to use the examples below as your own item if they have no already been taken. In order to avoid confusion, all taken artifacts are listed as special items, which are listed here. Each level of this merit denotes not only how powerful the artifact is, but also how rare and how legendary it is. The higher the level, the more powerful, more rare, and more legendary it is. This merit can only be increased or decreased if your character comes into possession with a different artifact and gets rid of his old one.
    Level Examples:
    1 Level: Your artifact is simple and not very powerful, but still useful. For example, it could be a ring that enables you to see in the dark.
    2 Levels: Your artifact is useful and somewhat powerful. For example, it could be a pair of glasses that allows you to read any written language as if it were your own.
    3 Levels: Your artifact is quite powerful and extremely useful. For example, it could be a talisman that allows you to grow bear claws upon activation.
    4 Levels: Your artifact is very powerful.
    5 Levels: Your artifact is so amazingly powerful that is has been in human legends for thousands of years.
    Level Range: 1-10
  • Destiny
    Effect: Your character has a destiny and her thread stands out in the skein of fate. Her life may be cut short by catastrophe or tragedy, but until then she is able to mold her fate as she chooses. She is fated for great deeds, and this merit helps her achieve them. The drawback of this merit is your character's bane, which can be summed up in one sentence, and could eventually be her downfall. (Beware the queen of hearts, for example, for a hero who is seduced and ultimately killed by her antagonist.) The exact destiny that your character has will be discussed with the admin who approves your sheet. That admin will also be the one who assigns your character her bane. The higher your level in this merit, the most impressive and important your destiny, but also the more powerful and dangerous your bane becomes. This merit can never be raised or lowered after character creation.
    Level Range: 1-5
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