Certain rules have been moved to this section, as they do not directly relate to game play, but aren't exactly "background / downtime" matters either. This section covers rules that apply before play begins, whether that's character creation, pre-game declarations, etc.

Sign-In

Free Rituals:

At the beginning of the night, before going into game, each blood mage is allowed to cast three rituals without hindering their in-game time. Anything beyond those three or anything after going into play will require the player to wait out of character while rituals are cast. If you wish to "chain cast" rituals such as Eyes of the Past or Scry, you will have to wait the appropriate amount of time to cast each ritual.

Card System:

At the beginning of the night, all characters signing into Baltimore by Night will receive full blood. Instead of a blood chop each player will draw a card from a deck of cards. This will be used as a randomizer to see what "real world" interaction a character suffers. Maybe he'll get pulled over for speeding. Maybe he'll witness an accident. Maybe he'll get introduced to an aspect of plot. The Storytellers will assign certain events to certain cards at the beginning of each night. Also, they will attempt to keep any random scenes generated from hindering the PC entering roleplay too much.

You may only play one character per game session unless you have permission from the Storytellers to play more. Permission should be requested before you go IC with any character. If your character is deemed "unplayable" (removed from play through plot, death, etc), you may play a second character. In any case where you play more than one character, regardless of reason, you may only apply XP towards one of them.
Obvious merits, flaws, appearance related social traits, negative traits and apparent humanity should be written on an easily readable tag. As well as any obvious equipment, like a sword on your back.
All characters based in Baltimore by Night as their Home Chronicle, will fully be under the authority of the Baltimore by Night storytellers.
Characters that visit Baltimore’s territory for downtime scenes must sign-in to the Chronicle to do so. Any character that is signed in to Baltimore by Night is considered to be Hard Proxied into the scene.

Hard Proxied is defined as the character being fully signed into the Chronicle. Should challenges be directed toward the proxy character, they must accept the challenges. Such challenges are not optional.
Proxied characters cannot decide to sign out of the chronicle in an effort to avoid consequences. The decision falls to the Storyteller staff of Baltimore by Night as to whether or not a character may leave a scene/sign out of the chronicle.

Characters that are fully Infernal/Diabolists (hereafter simply referred to as infernal) are not permitted in play in Baltimore or associated event games (such as Glitter & Gloom). Infernalism is a storytelling tool and found not to be appropriate for PC's.

Characters that are partially Infernal (such as those with Dark Thaumaturgy or the Demon Blood merit) will be permitted into play but infernal item will be not allowed in play.

Changing Characters Mid-Game

If you know in advance that you want to play multiple characters in a single session, please do your best to declare this to STs before game begins.
There is a 30-minute "fair escape" timer that begins when you switch characters. This means that other PCs have 30 minutes to Summon or otherwise go after the 1st PC you portrayed. This time may be shortened or lengthened at ST discretion.
If your PC becomes unplayable for some reason (death, staking, torpor, etc.), you will be allowed to portray (or create) a different character for the rest of the session.
The Storytellers reserve the right to not allow someone to swap PCs in the middle of a game session.

Character Creation

Build Points:

up to 10 for character background
up to 5 for haven write up
20 for 14th or 15th gen without the Inceptor merit
15 for 13th or 14th generation
10 for 12th generation
5 for scarce clans (2 or less active PC’s)
A character can only start with 30 build points, this can only be given within 4 games

Some clans or bloodlines may be capped at ST discretion.
New players are required to make a character from the seven core Camarilla clans or a Caitiff. You must be an active player (at least 1 game per month) at Baltimore by Night for at least 6 months before you can request a character that falls into an R&U category (including Tremere).
Tremere must start on Path of Blood unless they receive *both* ST and local subcoord approval.
A Character cannot start with more than three levels in an ability at character generation.
A character cannot start with more than three points in any background at character creation without Storyteller approval.
Merits and Flaws:

While not outright banned a player must have a very good reason for their character to possess these merits and flaws. A character can never posses more than one Merit and one Flaw from the restricted list at character creation. Additional merits and flaws can be earned and purchased through roleplay / plot.
Existing characters that already have multiple merits or flaws from this list will be allowed to retain them.

Merits

Ability Aptitude
Additional Discipline
Ambidextrous
Destiny
Driving Goal
Enchanting Voice
Fast Learner
Higher Purpose
Luck
Natural Leader
Nine Lives
Medium
Oracular Ability
Sanctity
Sympathetic Bond
True Faith
Unbondable
Any Merits found in the Faith and Fire, Laws of Elysium, Laws of the Hunt, Laws of the Night (2nd ed.), or Vampire by Gaslight books.

Flaws

Flesh of the Corpse
Mistaken Identity
Prey Exclusion
Uncontrollable Night Sight
Any Flaws found in the Faith and Fire, Laws of Elysium, Laws of the Hunt, Laws of the Night (2nd ed.), or Vampire by Gaslight books.

Time

Time at game is purposefully vague. We do not specify exactly when the game starts IC or when it ends because frankly it would be way too difficult to try and keep track of that, especially with visiting characters, feeding, the various times different vampires wake up, etc. The rules, where they do exist, approach time in a more arbitrary way.
To that end, only STs can set specific times for scenes, and will do so rarely. This is primarily to prevent the headache of trying to adjudicate multiple “time periods” running concurrently as much as possible. As much as possible we want to be inclusive of all Players/PCs that are checked into the game. Scenes where some PCs are excluded by virtue of an arbitrary timeline will be avoided as much as is possible.

During Play

Attributes / Traits

There is a difference between Bonus Traits and Extra Traits. Bonus Traits ONLY add to your tie-breaker resolution, nothing else. Extra Traits can be bid in challenges, add to tie-breaker resolution, can be spent where effects call for spending traits, and add to Initiative.

Check the language of the source and consult the STs if you are unsure about your powers. As a rule of thumb, if the power grants traits with Names (eg the Sharp trait given by Feral Claws) it counts as an Extra Trait. Some things in the books that are specifically noted as Bonus Traits – Ability Specializations, bonus traits from Merits such as Natural Leader and Enchanting Voice. As a rule of thumb if it just grants a blanket +N (eg Bonus Traits on Weapons) it is likely considered Bonus Traits.

A character can not use multiple trait-enhancing merits in the same challenge. I.E. If you are giving someone orders and wish to issue a basic social challenge, you can't use both Natural Leader and Enchanting Voice. One or the other. However, you can use multiple merits in the same challenge, i.e. using Natural Leader and then retesting with Lucky.

Additionally, you will only be allowed to use one Entrap Ephemera made Fetish per challenge. If you have one that gives traits and another that adds damage, pick one or the other.

Any challenge that calls for your traits vs. your opponent's Willpower is against his/her PERMANENT Willpower.

Any challenge that calls for your traits vs. your opponent's Vitrue Traits is instead your traits vs. his/her traits in the same category. (Ex. Social vs. Self-Control becomes Social vs Social.)

Influence and Willpower traits refresh at the beginning of each game.

Attribute and Abilities refresh at sunset every night.

Abilities

Specialization cannot apply to more than one discipline level; You may, however, take a specialization in a level of a discipline. For instance, you may not take a Leadership specialization in Presence, but can take a Leadership specialization in Entrancement. A specialization must be a narrow focus of the ability and cannot incorporate a group of actions. For example, a character cannot buy the Melee specialty Swords but can buy a specialty in Broadswords, or the Katana.

Awareness: This ability allows you to detect if a supernatural ability was used against your character. It does not, however, allow you to know what that ability was or who used the ability. Additionally, if a power has a visible recognizable effect in your vicinity, but is not used against you, you can use Awareness to discern the bend in reality. Occult may be used to cancel an Awareness retest.

Blind-fighting: This ability is only used to counter darkness as it applies to brawl and melee attacks. It does not apply to ranged combat. The ability works by being used as a cancel for the shroud retest when it is called against the character. If a character has the Blind flaw he must have the blind fighting ability to initiate physical challenges.

Drive: All Kindred without the Anachronistic Flaw have a basic understanding of driving without the Drive ability but cannot perform precision stunts (at least without wrecking their vehicle).

Etiquette: This ability can only be used to correct a faux pas; it cannot be used for obviously rude or insulting actions.

In the case of a written message, Etiquette can cover up one mistake per Etiquette spent. One Etiquette may not be spent to fix all mistakes.

Linguistics:

Each point of Linguistics represents one language that the character is fluent in: reading, writing and speaking. There is no limit to the number of languages a character may learn.
A character with the Natural Linguist merit learns two languages for each point of linguistics purchased.

Lore: If a character does not have a lore ability on their sheet, he or she does not know what that lore lists. If the character hears about something but does not have a high enough level lore, the player may ask an ST to buy that lore. If the ST feels the PC has learned enough about the lore to buy the next level, the spend will be allowed. Any knowledge that is not backed up by an appropriate lore ability will be forgotten. [reword]

Backgrounds

Only one level of an individual Background may be purchased per month at Storyteller discretion.
Backgrounds found in a Clanbook will only be available to members of that Clan. For example, Information Network is Nosferatu only.

Allies: Will sometimes ask for a favor from the PC.

Clan Prestige: We do not charge XP costs for Clan Prestige (or similar backgrounds). Largely, these are items that may be raised or lowered through roleplay.

Fame: Each level corresponds to an increasingly broad geographical area.

1: Surrounding Suburbs and cities

2: State: Maryland

3: Region: Mid Atlantic

4: Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time

5: Nation: US

This background allows the character to use influences outside of Baltimore. Fair warning though, having a high level of fame means sometimes being harassed by paparazzi and having the occasional stalker. It’s not always good being Angelina Jolie (i.e. Fame 5) especially for a Cainite.

Mentor:

Learning out of clan Disciplines from a Mentor requires a successful static challenge determined by the ST.
Using a Mentor to learn an advanced out of clan Discipline permanently decreases the mentor background by one level.
A PC may normally only have one Mentor at a time. If he/she breaks ties with their Mentor to seek another, those points are lost and the PC must begin buying Dots in the new Mentor from scratch. In other words, your 5 points invested in Mentor do not carry through to new relationships. Exceptions to this provision may be extended in specific cases.
If a PC's mentor dies due to story progression, the player will receive a new mentor of equal level to the one lost at no cost to the player.

Retainers:

A character can buy up to five separate retainers. The first has a maximum rating of 5, the second 4, the third 3 and so on. Each level of the retainer grants them 10 experience points above the base build for a mortal or ghoul. For example, a player can have up to a maximum of the following for a total of 15 xp spent.

5 point retainer: Base Build +40 xp
4 point retainer: Base Build +30 xp
3 point retainer: Base Build +20 xp
2 point retainer: Base Build +10 xp
1 point retainer: Base Build

A retainer will gladly put themselves in harm’s way for the character and will go against their own self interest for a character's benefit.
Ghouls an have a maximum of 9 traits in each category.
All sheets for retainers can be created by the players. However, they will be thoroughly checked over for balance.
As Oblivion does not specify a trait cap for Wraiths, the following formula will be used to determine the maximum number of Traits a Wraith can have in each category: 10 + Memoriam Background + Status + 1 per century as a Wraith.

Animal Retainers:

The Regnant of an Animal Ghoul must have Intermediate Animalism or they won’t be able to control their “pet.”
Animals are divided into 2 categories: Size (Small, Medium, Large) and Wild vs. Domestic. Many of their traits are dependent upon these categories.
Traits:

Starting Traits: Small – 5/3/1; Medium – 6/4/2; Large – 7/5/3
Physical Trait Maxes: Small – 5; Medium – 7; Large – 9.
Social and Mental Maxes: All animals have a max of 9 traits in these two categories, regardless of size.
All animal ghouls must take the following negative traits. They receive no free points for these (but can still take up to 5 other negative traits with no more than 3 in any category).

Social: Domestic – Bestial x2; Wild – Feral x2
Mental: Domestic – Submissive; Wild - Violent

Abilities: Animals start with 5 dots of skills. They *must* make sense for the animal to have. Skills such as Animal Ken, Hunting, Stealth, Intimidation, Brawl, Dodge (among others) are acceptable. Drive, Etiquette, Finance, Melee, or Firearms (among others) are not. Use common sense. STs or the Admin has the right to deny skills.
Backgrounds: Animal ghouls may NOT take any backgrounds nor influences.
Derangements: All animal ghouls start with a derangement and receive no free points for it. You can choose to take a 2nd derangement for 2 "freebies" but this will be watched carefully by STs. Some examples of acceptable starting derangements are: Crimson Rage (large wild animals); Agoraphobia (rats, mice); Claustrophobia (birds, "range" animals); other non-social phobias, Kleptomania (rats, raccoons), Trichotillomania (pulling one's hair out). Talk to an ST if you have trouble coming up with an acceptable derangement.
Blood: Small animals have 2 blood traits (1 “mortal,” 1 “kindred”); Medium have 6 (3/3); Large have 10 (5/5). Only the “vampiric” portion of the blood pool may be used to fuel powers.
Willpower: All animal ghouls start with 1 WP. Maximum WP: Small: 2; Medium: 4, Large: 6.
Humanity/Virtues: Animals do not have Humanity. They do, however, have Virtue Traits. 7 points are spent, and animals use Conviction & Instinct (+ Courage). Their “Animality” is still configured the same way, but is used only as the difficulty for a social challenge to get the animal ghoul to follow complex orders (retest: Animal Ken). They do not lose or gain animality. A Wild Animal gains an automatic +1 to this statistic. Buying DOWN this rating is the same cost as buying up humanity (3 XP per point lowered – this cannot be reduced to less than 1.)
Disciplines: Animal ghouls start with 1 dot in one of the three physical disciplines. Additional levels can be purchased with free traits, but never above 2nd basic. After character creation, animal ghouls may learn any physical discipline up to 1st intermediate at normal out-of-clan costs (this applies to ALL disciplines, even the one they started with).
Merits & Flaws: These MUST make sense for an animal to have. STs will pay careful attention to merits & flaws on an animal.

Huge Size: If an animal has the “Huge Size” Merit, it ups their size category by 1. (A cat would become Medium, a Dog would become Large, a bear would become Huge.) Its starting traits, blood, health and willpower should be modified accordingly. Any animal increasing to Huge is a potential masquerade issue, but does gain the benefit of the extra Bruised health level, as per the merit (smaller animals do NOT gain the additional health level Bruised, they merely get the next size up’s health). You can NOT buy this merit more than once to further increase an animal’s size (you could never have a Large Mouse, for example).
Additional Discipline: For now, we will be allowing Animal ghouls to purchase this merit. This may change as more animal ghouls get play tested. Animal Ghouls with this merit cannot learn any clan-specific discipline (Chimestry, Dementation, Melpominee, Necromancy, Obtenebration, Protean, Quietus, Serpentis, Thanatosis, Thaumaturgy). They can learn: Animalism, Auspex, Dominate**, Obfuscate, or Presence (in addition to the physical disciplines). They do not just learn these disciplines by themselves, they MUST have a teacher who has the discipline in-clan, and the teacher must be able to communicate with the animal (Feral whispers). **Dominate ONLY works on creatures of the animal’s kind (a dog could dominate a dog, but not a cat, nor a wolf).

Influences:

Influences will be run by the rules from Dark Epics with minor modifications.
In order to buy the next dot in influence, you must have a justified reason approved by the ST staff. This will usually take the form of a completed grow action, but other situations could crop up. Once allowed to buy influences, you don't get them until you spend XP on them. Any influences attacked will be inaccessible temporarily until you regrow them with a grow action.
Personal Influence Maximum: The maximum dots in Influence a player character can have is their total number of base Physical, Social and Mental traits plus 1 for each Retainer (maximum Five). So, at best, an 8th Gen Kindred with max traits/retainers could have 47 (14+14+14+5). Additionally, if the Ventrue Merit "Paragon" is taken for an Influence sphere, that will add a further +1 to allow for the 6th dot.

Growing Fame, Resources, and Alternate Identity

For the purposes of gaining more Fame, Resources, and Alternate Identity, these Backgrounds can be "grown" as though they were influences. Dedicating a number of influence actions equal to three times your current level in these backgrounds will allow you to grow them to the next level. For instance, dedicating Bureaucracy x2 towards growing your Alternate Identity x2 three times will grant you permission to buy Alternate Identity x3.
Not all spheres of influence will aid in this endeavor though. For instance, it is unlikely that Occult influence would be able to raise your Resources level or that Industry will be able to raise your Alternate Identity.
There may be situations where STs make special allowances and allow these Backgrounds to be grown faster (such as using a High Society x6 action to immediately increase one's Fame).

Uncovering an Alternate Identity

There is no such thing as an iron-clad, uncrackable Alternate Identity, but they take a lot of work to be seen through. If you have successfully applied a Trace to an influence that is protected by an Alternate Identity, you will receive the Alternate Identity's name, not the user's actual name. If you suspect that this is an Alternate Identity, you may attempt to uncover it. To do so, you must submit "Uncover" actions against that Alternate Identity. Uncover actions may only be taken and supported by relevant influences. For instance, in most cases Occult would not aid in Uncovering someone's identity unless their fake identity was a known occult dealer.
In order to defeat someone's Alternate Identity and Uncover the user's real identity, you must defeat each level one at a time, starting with the highest level the user has. It takes significantly more actions to defeat an Alternate Identity than it does to create one. In descending order, these are the number of actions required to defeat each level:

Level 5: 31 actions
Level 4: 19 actions
Level 3: 10 actions
Level 2: 4 actions
Level 1: 1 action

Once each level is Uncovered, you do not have to attempt to Uncover it again unless the user submits actions to increase their Alternate Identity again. Additionally, a user may use the Conceal action to protect their Alternate Identity and they may also Watch for Uncover actions to see if anyone is attempting to do so.
Once all levels of an Alternate Identity are uncovered, the user's identity is revealed but only to the person who did the Uncover actions. The user does not lose any of their Alternate Identity levels.

Challenges/Combat

Order of Combat:

Alacrity actions, followed by Normal actions (at trait initiative - Mentals, Socials, and Non-Celerity Physical Normals), followed by Swiftness and then Legarity. At the end, any "end of the round" actions (such as off-hand or Vanish) will occur.
Your initiative is the total number of traits you will be bidding at the time of your challenge (weapons add to traits for this purpose).

Eye Contact in Combat:

Eye Contact is assumed, as long as you are not behind the target (ST will adjudicate in cases of positioning). The defense against eye contact is to keep them behind you or close your eyes and accept Blindness penalties.

Messaging in Combat:

Related to the timeline point, there is a recurring problem with communication in and out of Time Stops. A mass combat in Vampire might take 2-5 hours OOC, yet is almost always less than 60 seconds in IC time. Unfortunately what happens is someone NOT in the combat gets a message, and they are stuck IC with no option to react to it, and thus have to just spend the 4 OOC hours “waiting” to arrive at the fight which lasted 30 IC seconds. This kind of bleed-over between those in Time Stop and those outside of it is sometimes unavoidable, but we hope to mitigate it.
Communication out of a Time Stop Combat, and communications immediately prior to a combat will be restricted. If you want to send a text or phone call to someone elsewhere it will be logged with the STs, but the message will NOT be delivered until the combat is over.
So instead of being stuck doing nothing but trying in vain to reach a combat you can never be a part of for the entire night, you won’t receive the message till after the fight is over – which makes sense since the fight probably all but ended in the time it took Verizon to get the text to your phone and you to read the message. There will still be a discontinuity in time, but one that doesn’t ruin RP for those outside the Time Stop.
This communication blackout will be invoked by the STs ad hoc, primarily for mass PVP combats rather than ST Plot stuff, where we are more likely to try to find ways to be inclusive, but will be more on a case by case basis.

Movement in Combat:

You may move up to 3 steps in combat without penalty.
If you choose to make a Dedicated Move you may move up to 6 steps as your complete action AND are down 2 traits on all challenges until your next Normal Phase initiative.
The revised Gangrel Clan Book states the Wolf (Fight) form doubles ground movement or moves a special movement form (eg climb, burrow) up to the full normal. Therefore Baltimore is allowing a Wolf (Fight) form character to move 6 steps without penalty or 12 as a Dedicated Move.

Ranged Weapon Rules:

Guns use the Rate system out of Dark Epics. Each gun item card should have a 'Rate' stat which determines the maximum number of times it can be fired in a round (such as with Celerity).
Ranged Surprise Retest: According to LotN:R, p. 206, if someone has a ranged attack, but the defender doesn't have a ranged attack, the ranged attacker can always treat the target as though they were surprised. We'll begin implementing this rule.

Surprise Rules:

When an aggressor successfully declares Surprise against a target, the target character may not use ability retests in the Surprise challenge, and the aggressor receives one free "Surprise" retest against the target. This is contrary to the way Surprise is run in Laws of the Night, Revised.
The three second surprise rule is in effect. The defending character has three seconds to respond to the attacker, or the attack will be considered from surprise and only the defending character can be harmed in the challenge. The attacker should say, for example, "Physical challenge," then count to 3. If the defender has not responded by the time the attacker gets to "three," the attack is a surprise.
If the attacker is Obfuscated, the defender has only two seconds to respond to the challenge declaration.
If the attacker is using Quietus and Obfuscate, the defender is automatically surprised and no count is required.

Baltimore will again be using Bashing damage. Most melee and ranged attacks will be doing lethal damage, so Bashing won't be too common. Key points to remember are:

Bashing is healed by blood at the rate of 2 bashing damage per blood spent.
Vampires take half damage from bashing. So, if some source deals 12 bashing, a vampire takes 6 (and then heals it with 3 blood).
Bashing damage cannot torpor a Vampire, it just kinda knocks them out.

Static Willpower Challenges:

There was much confusion about how a Static Willpower Challenge works. This is how we are defining it which makes the most sense relative to the rest of the rules.
The initiator bids (not spends) a Willpower Trait and tests with the target. If he wins the challenge his WP is not expended. If he loses the challenge he expends the WP trait. On an RPS tie you compare the current temp willpower traits of both characters (NOT permanent willpower). The ONLY retests either party has access to are Overbid, Luck, and Oracular Ability.
Note these rules are for Static Willpower Challenges and not Static Challenges in general.

Simple Tests

Several powers call for a Simple Test (notably Fortitude: Resilience and Resistance, Thanatosis: Withering and staking). Laws of the Night Revised clearly discusses Simple Tests and Retests but in neither section does it preclude Simple Tests from being retested. Therefore, to clarify, in Baltimore, Simple Tests cannot be retested.

Active Pursuit must be declared to a Storyteller immediately after combat.
Fair Escape must also be declared to a Storyteller.

Diablerie

All instances of Diablerie must have a Storyteller present.
If the Diablerie victim is one or two generations lower than the diablerist, one of the XP earned for diablerie must be spent to purchase a dot of the Generation Background.
If the Diablerie victim is three or more generations lower than the diablerist, both points earned from the Diablerie must be used to buy the Generation background.
If the victim is of sufficiently lower generation than the Diablerist (ST discretion) part of the victim's soul may exert some influence over the Cainite. This can manifest as mental and social traits changing to reflect the victim, or the Fugue derangement to reflect the victim occasionally gaining control of the Diablerist’s body.
If the victim is of significantly lower generation than the Diablerist (ST discretion) the victim can completely take over the body of the Diablerist. This will mean a significant reworking of the characters sheet and may mean the PC becoming and NPC.
A character on the Path of Humanity or a Path of Enlightenment that doesn't allow diablerie will automatically lose one morality trait.
A character MUST log with the Admin any diablerie he has committed. A note will be placed in the characters grapevine of the date of the diablerie.

Disciplines

Out of Clan Disciplines

Out of clan disciplines require a teacher. Both the teacher and the student must document this relationship by informing the Admin who will place a note in the student's Grapevine file.
You cannot learn an out of clan discipline to Advanced until you have learned at least one in clan discipline to advanced.
You cannot learn disciplines from Kindred that you have the staked/torpored bodies of (aka "Trunk Monkeys").
You cannot learn Disciplines from a subject you have Conditioned as they no longer have the mental capacity to teach.
A character can only teach a discipline to another kindred if they have the discipline in clan and at one level higher.
In order to learn a unique discipline (ex. Protean, Melpominee, etc), you must ingest one Blood Trait from your teacher, thus creating a one-step Blood Bond. This Bond should be role-played appropriately. You can only begin the process of breaking the bond after you have learned the discipline to the full extent allowed/desired. If, for some reason, you break the bond sooner, you must re-ingest blood from your teacher before you begin learning again.
Mentors will only teach the Advanced level of a unique discipline if the 4 other levels were taught by a PC.

Combination Discipline General Rules

All Combination Disciplines are at ST Discretion
To teach any combination Discipline, a PC must possess at least one of the contributing Disciplines in clan.
If one of the discipline is unique you must have that in clan.
The PC must have been in play for at least one year.
PCs must have an appropriate teacher for all combination Disciplines.
Ghouls cannot learn Combination Disciplines. If a ghoul from another game has a combo and signs in to Baltimore, they cannot use the combination discipline(s) while signed in to Baltimore.
House Rules for Specific Combo Disciplines can be found at the end of the 'Specific Disciplines Rules' section below.

Combination Discipline Specific Rules:

Alpha Glint (Animalism 3, Protean 3):

The rules in the Gangrel Packet WILL NOT APPLY in Baltimore. The following are the rules for Alpha Glint in Baltimore.

In response to a Physically or Socially aggressive action, the Gangrel may preempt that action and initiate a Static Willpower Challenge. Activating Alpha Glint is a "Free Action." However, you cannot use the power against the same target again in the same round once you fail.

If the Gangrel wins the Challenge, the would-be attacker loses their action for that Phase (if in combat) and may not attempt to initiate any challenge against the Gangrel again for the remainder of the Round and the next round (if in Combat) or 5 minutes (if in RP).

Alpha Glint (as written) is a contest between the Gangrel's Beast and the Target's Beast. Thus, the Gangrel would have to make separate challenges against all would-be attackers IF he wanted to try and block them all.

Furthermore for the remainder of the scene, the would-be attacker is down N traits in all challenges against the Gangrel where N = the number of times he has succumbed to the Alpha Glint.

The prohibition against attacking the Gangrel is rescinded if the Gangrel attacks the target, however the N Trait penalties remain in effect on the Target.

Rod Raw Rending (Potence 1, Fortitude 1) (Vampire: Dark Ages, 20th Anniversary Edition)

This power will allow the user to spend a blood trait and, for the scene or hour (whichever comes first), their brawl and melee attacks will function as though they have they have the Armor Piercing special effect.

Read the Winds (Animalism 4, Auspex 5) (Libellus Sanguinis 3 pg. 30)

The wielder makes a Static Mental Challenge against seven Traits, retested with Animal Ken, and then spends Mental Traits for the desired distance and effect based on the chart below.

Traits Spent - Distance - Details
One - 50 yards - Garner general impressions
Two - 100 yards - See blurry details
Three - One Mile - See details clearly
Four - Three Miles - See details clearly, hear faintly
Five - Five Miles - See and hear details clearly

Note that Auspex cannot be used in combination with this power, although this power may be used by a character employing Earth Meld, to perceive more than the mere dirt around him.
Read the Winds costs 17 Experience Points to learn

Specific Discipline Rules

Animalism:

Feral Whispers:

When a vampire is in Subsume or Shape of the Beast they may be understood by others with Feral Whispers. Characters in human form cannot speak in feral whispers.

Quell the Beast:

Does not prevent aegis.
Does not prevent the expenditure of permanent willpower traits.
Also, a Vampire who is in Mist Form, Tenebrous Form, or possibly other incorporeal forms - depending on a storyteller’s case by case discretion - cannot use Quell the Beast through touch since they lack the physicality needed to enact the power.

Subsume:

STs must be notified if you are in subsume. You will be issued an item card with important details, such as where your body is, and how many physical traits the animal you're possessing has.
Aura percepting someone in subsume shows a dual aura (animal overridden by vampire).
Three traits can also use Obfuscate (in addition to Animalism and Presence).
As a reminder, per Laws of the Night: Revised when using Subsume the Spirit, you must declare your intention to abandon your subsumed animal at the beginning of the round but you do not actually leave your suit until the end of the round.
You cannot use Subsume the Spirit from Psychic Projection.

Auspex:

Auspex vs. Chimestry: Per Laws of the Night, if you have Auspex active, you may make a challenge to attempt to break through any Chimerical effects. Each party adds the levels of Chimestry or Auspex to the challenge.

Auspex vs. Obfuscate: When both individuals are using contrasting powers the parties may add their levels of the discipline to their traits.

Aura Perception:

When you aura perceive someone using possession or subsume, you see dual auras (human/animal overridden by kindred).

Telepathy:

Line of sight is required for all uses of telepathy.
Telepathy may not be actively used in combat.
If you choose to use it to ask a question you may not take another action that round.
If you and another wish to communicate, you may do so for 30 seconds per round. However, both participants may take no other action that round.
If you are communicating someone via telepathy, and taking no other action, but the recipient is taking other actions, they will be unable to receive your message as they are too focused on other actions.

Psychic Projection:

May not use Blood Magic, or any blood expenditures.

Celerity:

Celerity may be used in conjunction with Ranged attacks.

Rapidity:

The Bomb does not need to be declared prior to the challenge (though, it can if you wish).

Fleetness:

Ties does not need to be declared prior to the challenge (though, it can if you wish).

Chimestry:

All uses of Chimestry require a Storyteller to be present.

Auspex vs. Chimestry: Per Laws of the Night, if you have Auspex active, you may make a challenge to attempt to break through any Chimerical effects. Each party adds the levels of Chimestry or Auspex to the challenge.

If one person disbelieves a Chimerical illusion, it only breaks the illusion for that individual. They can still see the illusion, but they know it is not real. However, if someone who has already disbelieved an illusion breaks that illusion (ex. Putting their hand through an illusory wall), it breaks the illusion for everyone present.

In order to Disbelieve an illusion a character must interact with in such a way as to prove it is not real (i.e. they have to place their hand inside what they believe is illusory fire and believe it is not real, or allow what they believe is an illusory stake to pierce their chest without dodging, soaking, or testing down the damage)

Permanency:

Does not work with Horrid Reality

Horrid Reality:

Everyone sees the illusions but it only affects one individual.

Dementation:

Any use of Dementation past the Haunting requires a storyteller to be present.

Passion:

This is run from the Faith and Fire instead of the Laws of the Night version. (Passion Up: Impatient and the difficulty of any frenzy or self-control/Instinct challenge is increased by one. Passion Down: Submissive and the difficulty of any frenzy or self-control/instinct challenge is reduced by one.)

Eyes of Chaos:

Has to be declared to an ST before the surprise.

Voice of Madness:

A victim of this power may not spend a willpower to resist the Frenzy brought on by the power. They *must* engage in the Courage challenge.

Dominate:

Telepathy can be used for the verbal component of Dominate.

Mesmerism:

Requires a Storyteller to be present and an item card signed by both players and the Storyteller. One item card is to be kept by the player. A note will also be made in the characters’ Grapevine file.

Forgetful Mind:

Requires a Storyteller to be present and an item card signed byboth players and the Storyteller. One item card is to be kept by the player, and one is to be kept in their folder. A note will also be made in the characters’ Grapevine file.

Conditioning:

Requires an item card. A note will also be made in the characters’ Grapevine file.

Possession:

STs must be notified if you are in possession. You will be issued an item card with important details, such as where your body is, and how many physical traits the body you're possessing has.
Aura perceiving someone in possession shows a duel aura (human overridden by vampire).
When possessing a human you bid their physical traits on challenges instead of your own. You also are unable to use any physical disciplines you possess. If you possess a ghoul however you may use it’s physical disciplines as if they where your own.
Three Traits also allows the use of Obfuscate (in addition to Dominate and Presence).
As a reminder, per Laws of the Night: Revised when using Possession, you must declare your intention to abandon your possession suit at the beginning of the round but you do not actually leave your suit until the end of the round.

Fortitude:

Resilience:

This power no longer requires a test, you automatically negate one point of lethal damage per source of damage. (See Simple Test rule in the Challenges section).

Resistance:

This power no longer requires a test, you automatically convert one point of aggravated damage to lethal per source of damage.(See Simple Test rule in the Challenges section).

Aegis:

Unspent traits must be spent first when burning for Aegis.
You may blow for Aegis after the two simples in a staking challenge.

Melpominee:

All uses of Intermediate or Advanced levels require a Storyteller to be present.

Necromancy:

Soul Stealing

In order to Compel a soul which has been stolen, you still must first successfully use Summon Soul on the target, as per the requirements listed for Compel.
You are considered a ghost/wraith while Soul Stolen and are unable to use Vampiric Disciplines.
A Kindred's stolen Soul will return to its body in torpor if the Soul loses all of its corpus (health levels).
Soul Steal can only be declared against targets in the same realm as the caster (ie. no soul stealing across the Shroud).
A "vacant" body can still use Fortitude. If the "vacant" body blows Aegis from damage taken, the Soul returns to its body.
Note that vampires do not have fetters.

Obeah:

All uses require a Storyteller to be present.

Obfuscate:

Obfuscate vs. Auspex: When both individuals are using contrasting powers the parties may add their levels of the discipline to their traits.
Obfuscate does not trick technology (barring merits)
Obfuscate is an offensive power not defensive.

Mask of 1000 Faces

allows you to change your clothing as well as your physical features.

Vanish from the Mind’s Eye:

In combat, this requires a declaration to the Storytellers at the beginning of the round.

Obtenebration:

All Obtenebration effects happen at the end of the round.

Shroud of Night clarification:

There is a common belief that Shroud provides a retest against those affected and that they are Clumsy x2. The correct mechanical effect is that they are Clumsy x1, suffer from the Shroud retest and suffer a 2 trait penalty on all challenges (Eyes of the Beast, Heightened Senses or Tongue of the Asp each negate 1 trait penalty).

Arms of the Abyss:

The maximum number of arms you can have is your levels in Obtenebration. Each arm still costs a social trait to produce.

Black Metamorphosis:

This is not a shape changing power.

Potence:

Potence can be used defensively, assuming the situation allows for it. "Potently" dodging a bullet would not be allowed, but trying to Potently shrug off a grapple would be.

Prowess:

Refreshes only strength related traits.

Might:

This is your last retest. Not the last retest for the challenge.

Vigor:

The Bomb does not need to be declared prior to the challenge (though, it can if you wish).

Puissance:

Causes an additional lethal damage.
Ties do not need to be declared prior to the challenge (though, it can if you wish).

Presence:

Awe:

This power gives the character a social challenge as a free action in order to get eye contact for use of an additional discipline (ie. Dominate, Total Insanity, etc).

Entrancement:

This power improves the attitude of the target by one. I.E. from Hostile to Neutral, from Neutral to Friendly, and from Friendly to your Best Friend and companion that you would do almost anything for.

Summon:

In order to summon someone you must have previously successfully used a Presence power on them or have engaged in an active conversation with them for at least 15 minutes.
Responding to a Summons does not require you to evade your allies if they are not stopping you, but it also does not allow you to pause to gather your allies. We will do our best to scrutinize this for the fairest adjudication we can.
You cannot be summoned back into combat. This does not mean that you cannot be summoned into a dangerous situation. This rule is at Storyteller discretion as to what constitutes combat vs. dangerous situation.
When you reach the destination you are aware of the person you must present yourself to. You do not know their identity automatically if they are Masked or otherwise disguised. However, you cannot prevent them from knowing who to present themselves to by clever placement. It is a supernatural power.
When you are summoned, you cannot summon the person who summoned you in response.
Line of sight Summons are allowed. When using a line of sight Summons it is not necessary to have previously used a Presence power on the individual or have engaged them in active conversation. All other Summoning rules, however, still apply.
You may not use Unseen Presence (or be under someone else’s Cloak for Unseen Presence) and still use Summon.
Example: Tim Summons Jill. Tim and friends are at an abandoned amusement park. Jill will rationalize to herself that she needs to go there. She will not ask Bob to go with her, but if they were in the middle of a Monopoly game, Bob might decide to follow/go with her. When she gets there, even though Tim and 8 other people are riding around the carousel on wooden horses, she will rationalize to herself that she should go see Tim (or the guy in the clown costume were he disguised as a clown).

Majesty:

This power works out to 30 feet. If you move out of the radius you’re still effected by the character's Majesty. The majestic aura created by Majesty takes on the characteristics of the Social Trait used in its creation. I.E. If you burn a Fearsome Social Trait to create Majesty you create an aura of terror that cows everyone within its range. Whereas if you use the Seductive Social Trait you create an aura of rampant lust and everyone who is affected will see you as a living embodiment of sexual passion. Once majesty has been broken, it is broken for the scene. If you fail to break majesty, you may not try to break the majesty again that scene.

Protean:

Shape of the Beast:

Gangrel (and only Gangrel) use the optional rules on pg. 67-9 of the Revised Gangrel Clan book. Non Gangrel turn into a bat and a wolf and gain the wolf traits listed in the Gangrel book.
Note that the Gangrel forms are named Fight and Flight. Human form is your Utility form. If you are not fighting or 'flighting,' you will have the most options available in Human form. A drawback to having no hands, being on four legs, etc. is it is difficult to do things like carry groceries, open doors, etc. STs may impose ad hoc penalties on actions that would be difficult or improbable for various animal forms.

Quietus:

Silence of Death:

The radius of this power stops sounds from escaping the radius. It does not stop the casting of Blood Magic.

Taste of Death:

A non-Sorcerer Assamite may choose to replace Taste of Death with Blood Essence from Faith and Fire.
With the expenditure of a permanent Willpower trait, the blood vassal created by Blood Essence is permanent until used.

Variant Sorcerer Quietus (Coordinator Approval Required)

Silence of Death: As per standard Silence of Death, except that despite no one being able to hear her, the Sorcerer can still speak. While this may seem a meaningless distinction, many applications of Dur An Ki require verbal incantations, which this power allows the sorcerer to use without drawing attention to herself.
Scorpion's Curse: The sorcerer version of Scorpion’s Touch is Scorpion’s Curse. It allows the sorcerer to place a ward on a solid surface such as a door, a section of floor, or even a small object such as a box or a letter. The sorcerer may ward any object or area up to her Mentals in square yards/meters. The Sorcerer spends a Blood Trait and creates the blood ward. A few seconds after the power is activated, the blood ward fades and can only be spotted with a static mental challenge against the sorcerer’s mentals at the time of casting, retesting with Investigation. The ward lasts for a number of days equal to her Occult dots before dissipating, but while it lasts, anyone who touches the affected area or item is targeted by the Discipline just as though a warrior using Scorpion’s Touch had successfully touched him. As usual, the blood has been transformed into a potent spiritual poison and may not be used as a sympathetic link to the caster.
Dagon's Call: This works exactly the same as the standard Warrior version, except that it causes the loss of a Willpower Trait per lost challenge instead of Damage.
Baal’s Caress: The sorcerer version of Baal’s Caress is less useful for slaying enemies than for smiting demons. With this power, the sorcerer can spend one point of blood that he smears across his eyes. For the rest of the scene, the sorcerer can perceive dematerialized spirits regardless of what realm they currently inhabit and similar creatures as if they were material. If he spends additional points of blood to coat a melee weapon such as a dagger or sword, that weapon can strike such targets and harm them normally despite their intangibility. As usual, the blood coating the blade has been transformed into a potent spiritual poison and may not be used as a sympathetic link to the caster.
Taste of Death: The sorcerer equivalent to Taste of Death works exactly the same as the warrior version, except that the attack only targets dematerialized spirits and the like, regardless of what realm they currently inhabit, as if they were solid. The sorcerer must have already used Baal’s Caress to make himself capable of perceiving such beings. As usual, the blood has been transformed into a potent spiritual poison and may not be used as a sympathetic link to the caster.

Variant Vizier Quietus (Coordinator Approval Required)

Silence of Death: Once the zone of silence is activated, the vizier can decide whom, if anyone, can hear him when he speaks. Thus, while the power is active, he can allow one or more people to hear him while no one else can. More importantly, he can deliver instructions backed by Presence or Dominate without anyone else noticing.
Ishtar’s Touch: The vizier version of Scorpion’s Touch is Ishtar’s Touch. Instead of yielding a deadly poison, this power converts the vizier’s blood into a touch-activated narcotic that puts the victim into an inebriated state under which he is more vulnerable to Presence, Dominate, and even mundane Social manipulation. The vizier’s player must spend a variable number of blood points (up to their Generation maximum) and touch the target’s exposed skin (possibly requiring a physical challenge). If successful, the tainted blood passes into the target’s bloodstream through the skin. The victim must then make a static physical challenge against the vizier’s physicals. If successful, the power takes effect. While the effect lasts, the target is unable to spend Willpower to resist mental or social manipulation by the vizier, and the difficulties for all challenges by the vizier for such manipulation (whether natural or supernatural) are reduced by the number of blood points spent. This effect only lasts while the target remains in the vizier’s presence, after which he will come to his senses. However, if the vizier returns to the victim’s presence, she will automatically fall back into her addled state. This disability lasts for the remainder of the scene or an hour, whichever comes first.
Dagon’s Call: This works exactly the same as the standard Warrior version, except that it causes the loss of a Willpower Trait per lost challenge instead of Damage.
Baal’s Caress: The viziers are rarely as eager to slay their opponents as the warriors are. Subjugation is much more desirable. The vizier may coat a weapon with her vitae just as the warrior does with her version of this power. However, on a successful strike, the blow does not inflict any damage at all. Instead, a successful hit causes the target to lose a point of temporary Willpower. More importantly, if the target loses all of his temporary Willpower by Baal’s Caress, he temporarily behaves as though he has becomes one step further blood-bonded to the vizier. This aspect of the power is unaffected by Unbondable. This effect only lasts for a single scene, but during that time, the target responds to the vizier as if he had drunk the vizier’s blood and increased whatever existing blood bond (if any) by 1. If the target is already fully (3-steps) bound to another vampire, he may make a Simple Challenge to resist commands from the vizier that conflict with the wishes of his regnant as he understands them.
Taste of Bliss: Unlike the distasteful and caustic version of this power used by the warriors, the vizier equivalent is Taste of Bliss. Instead of spitting out a deadly acid, the vizier softly exhales a fine reddish mist towards the target. The vizier spends a number of blood traits up to their generational spending limit and may target someone up to 10 feet away per physical trait he possesses. Hitting the target requires a physical challenge, retest with Athletics. If the attack hits, the victim loses one temporary Willpower per spent blood point. Moreover, if the attack succeeds, treat the attack as if the target had actually consumed a point of blood for normal blood bonding purposes.

Serpentis:

As per Faith and Fire (p. 198). (Spend 1 blood, it takes 3 turns to transform; you have all the advantages of Skin of the Adder; fit through tight spaces; free retest on grappling challenges; poisonous bite does 7 points of aggravated damage to mortals; form last until dawn or until you discard it; it takes 3 turns to return to human form.)

Temporis:

Subjective Suspension:

You may not suspend items that would also immobilize or detain someone. For instance, you could suspend a bullet in mid-air or the sword in someone's hand, but the watch on their wrist or their shirt could not as this would also freeze the wearer.

Clotho's Gift:

The only restriction on the number of actions you can gain is the amount of Stamina related physicals you can bid. Once activated, each use of any Discipline will result in a point of lethal damage that cannot be soaked via Fortitude. Multiple uses of the same Discipline inflict multiple damage. Additionally, this doesn't just apply to the bonus actions gained from Clotho's Gift, it applies to any round in which you've benefited from Clotho's Gift. (Example: If you activate Clotho's Gift for 3 rounds and then declare Might 3 times in your bonus actions and use Awe defensively 2 times during an opponent's action, you will sustain 5 unsoakable lethal damage.)

Thanatosis:

All uses of this discipline require a Storyteller.
A character whose head is withered can only use the Celerity, Fortitude, and Potence disciplines.

Thaumaturgy:

Unless otherwise noted, casting Thaumaturgy takes a full turn, and the magic takes effect at the time of your action. You cannot use Alacrity to preempt normal actions with Thaumaturgy and Celerity does not allow for additional actions that round, however the Bomb and Ties may be used defensively or as part of the Thaumaturgy action.
Multiple rituals may not be stacked on top of each other for multiple effects unless specifically allowed. For example, casting Vires Acquirit Eundo in conjunction with Pavis of the Foul Presence is allowed, as Vires is a ritual that enhances other rituals. Effects such as Engaging the Vessel of Transference and Protean Curse cannot be combines such that one physical challenge delivers both effects.

Paths

Focused Mind:

Perfect Clarity: The bonus provided in winning ties is not against *all* mental and social actions, just those that are mind or emotion affecting. So it will allow you to win ties against Presence, Dominate and Chimestry, but it will not protect you from effects such as Soul Steal.

Elemental Mastery:

Elemental Form. We run Elemental Mastery from Laws of the Night - Camarilla Guide, not Faith and Fire.

Path of Blood:

Blood Potency. The caster gains the new maxium blood pool from the new temporary generation, but his/her current blood pool does not change. Example, a 13th gen potencies down to 10th gen. His/her blood pool would be 10 of 13 max.

Mastery of the Mortal Shell:

Seizure will not render a character unable to act, they will simply be -4 traits on any physical challenge.

Rituals

Eyes of the Past:

No disciplines are to be used while viewing the past from Eyes of the Past. All powers and effects that were up in the past are still consider up when viewing the incident from the future.
(Example: Molly uses Eyes of the Past in a warehouse where it's believed the Sabbat have been meeting. Simon the Sabbat was at the meeting, but was hidden with Obfuscate. Molly can't use Heightened Senses with Eyes of the Past to see Obfuscated people, so she doesn't know Simon was at the meeting.

Pavis of the Foul Presence:

Awe retests against someone with this ritual active are negated as are uses of Summon, the ritual reflects Dread Gaze and Entrancement, and it does not affect Majesty.

Bureaucratic Condemnation:

If successful, choose one of your spheres of Influence and double the number of traits that you have. These excess traits can be used either to initiate a BLOCK action or a CONCEAL action.

Expedient Paperwork:

If successful, choose one of your spheres of Influence and double the number of traits that you have. These excess traits can be used either to initiate an additional action or used to STEALTH your action. They may not be added together to perform a larger action.

Valeren:

All uses of this discipline require a Storyteller.

Vicissitude:

All uses of this discipline require a Storyteller.
To create an exact replica of somebody you need to have Crafts (Body Craft) x3 or greater.
Horrid Form:

This is a physical manifestation of your inner beast. It cannot be changed to look like something else. The extra level of damage, per the book, is only inflicted in brawling combat.

Merits and Flaws

Merits

Ability Aptitude: Cannot be used in combat situations. Occult Aptitude cannot be used with any type of Blood Magic.
Ambidextrous: The extra offhand attack is resolved at the end of the round.
Enchanting Voice: The bonus two traits only add to Social challenges.
Lucky: Regardless of the number of games a player attends in a week/month/story/etc., Lucky will simply be usable once per night. This alleviates the headache of trying to determine how long a story is and removes the need to track the number used.
We do not charge XP for the Sect Status Affecting Merits (such as Dignitary and Luminary). Largely there are roleplay items that may be added/removed through roleplay and are impossible to purchase at character creation.

Flaws

Flesh of the Corpse: This is a 2 pt flaw for characters of the Gangrel, Nosferatu, and Tzimisce clans or the Gargoyle, Harbinger of Skulls, and Samedi bloodlines.
Mistaken Identity: You cannot have a mistaken identity of a previous character. Also keep in mind that Mistaken Identity is a flaw and will be treated as such by the ST’s. I.E. you won’t be gaining benefits from looking like a powerful and well known kindred. Instead that kindred’s enemies will target you mistakenly and the kindred themselves will take an active interest in you when they discover your existence.

Miscellaneous

Willpower may be spent to remain active during the day at a rate of one willpower per hour, up to a total number of hours equal to a PC's path rating.
Low humanity and paths look inhuman. Characters on paths or at humanity 1 without Mask of a 1000 faces will attract undo attention and the horror of mortals who see them.
All PC IC officers must be based in BBN: DH. Any exceptions will be on a case-by-case basis.

Blood Bonds

If the Domitor dies, the blood bond slowly fades over the course of the next two weeks. It is not an immediate *snap*

"Dead Drops"

Any time an action occurs post mortem (be it dead drops or ghouls delivering information) such declarations must be fully and clearly defined with the STs, including what triggers the release. Information must be so well-documented that STs should have no need to contact the player about what would occur. If there is any uncertainty about the dead drop set up, the STs will resolve the uncertainty. No alterations to these sorts of actions may be declared after they would go into effect.

Instinct Paths

Baltimore will be using an alternate mechanic for "Instinct" paths. This mechanic is found in Faith & Fire, pg. 130. In short, a character on Instinct will always Frenzy unless the difficulty of the frenzy test is less than her Instinct Score. This varies from the Laws of Night variant, in which a character on Instinct will always Frenzy unless the difficulty of the frenzy test is less than HALF her Instinct Score. Be aware that Instinct characters that never frenzy will have a very cranky beast and we may take action accordingly.

Torpor

We are using the Torpor rules on Page 111 of Laws of the Night (Revised), not page 199. Note that this system measures time in Game Sessions, not Calendar Dates. For characters entering voluntary torpor, they may add 1 to their effective Morality score for determining when they may wake up; they do not wake up at any time they desire. As it is measured in Game Sessions, waking up from Torpor will be handled at game check in.
Going into torpor must be registered with the STs. Trivial uses of voluntary torpor (such as trying to go into torpor for a week or two to evade Summons will likely not be approved.

Disallowed / Banned Items

The following items are not permitted in Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor. If you have any questions why, please feel free to reach out to the ST’s.

Disallowed / Banned Merits	Disallowed / Banned Rituals	Disallowed / Banned Combination Disciplines	Disallowed / Banned Backgrounds
Arcane Heritage	Portrait Link (Akhu)	Approximation of Loyalty Absolute	Berserk
Blasé	Trigger (All Paradigms)	Aegis of the Void	Bystanders
Home Advantage	Lesser Trigger (All Paradigms)	Beatitude	Destiny
Mist Guide		Cleopatra's Dominion	Everyman
Sense the STock		Eternal Emnity Approach	Exposure
True Berserker		Face of the Gods	Fraternity
		Here There Be Monsters	Grace Under Pressure
		Legacy of Fenris	Iron Willed
		Lure of the Otherworld	Military Force
		Mastering…mind	Patron
		Norton's Blessing	Pawn
		Psychic Double (Allowed for Inconnu and Infernal)	Roots
		Pulse of Haqim	Soulmate
		Soul Punch	Steel Nerves
		Untameable
		View the Maya
		Walk in Maya
		Water in the Rock
		Wild Heart

"Behind the Scenes" Rules

The rules included in this section are for things like crafting, ritual creation, magic item creation, etc. Things that are typically handled during "downtime" versus live at game. To make the rules easier to navigate, all such House Rules have been moved to this section.

Blood Magic Ritual Creation

The following Ritual creation rules apply to all forms and paradigms of Blood Magic, be it Tremere Thaumaturgy, Setite Sorcery or Giovanni Necromancy. These rules are slightly modified from those found in the Tremere Arcane Compendium.

CREATION

In order to create a ritual, you must first have a number of rituals at the corresponding level and a a sufficient level of the Occult ability as detailed below:

To Create a Basic Ritual: Occult x2, must know seven basic rituals
To Create an Intermediate Ritual: Occult x4, must know seven intermediate rituals
To Create an Advanced Ritual: Occult x5, must know seven advanced rituals

TIME

Creating a ritual also takes a bit of time. It takes a number of months equal to the Ritual's cost x2. So Basic Ritual will take 4 months, an intermediate 8 months and an Advanced 12 months. During this creation time, no other rituals can be purchased without the expenditure of Occult influence. To learn a Basic Ritual requires an Occult x3 Influence action. To learn an Intermediate Ritual requires an Occult x4 action and an Advanced Ritual requires an Occult x5 action.

While other player characters can assist in creation of a ritual, there will be no mechanical effect. We've intentionally tried to keep Ritual creation straight forward and simple without a lot of mechanics.

WHAT CAN I CREATE?

When creating rituals, keep an eye on the ritual's power level. It's good to compare the effect of your custom ritual versus the effects of existing rituals to determine what level of ritual you will be creating and to determine if its fair. Also, bear in mind that all custom rituals must be approved by the Baltimore staff and may not function in other games you travel to.

When creating your ritual, keep an eye on the difficulty of it. Beyond just the level requirement, you'll also want to consider how hard it is to enact a ritual (a custom ritual that puts a victim down traits should require a chop against the victim, not just the standard ritual chop) and even consider the components needed for the ritual and any possible drawbacks (perhaps a ritual limits you in some way, applying negative traits for instance. Rituals should also have a relevant spell component. A ritual requiring a clothespin is going to be a bit less likely to be approved. However, a ritual requiring three hairs from a mountain lion might be more appropriate). Lastly, custom rituals can not deprive others of their powers. There is constant debate over the power level of Pavis of the Foul Presence and as such, we don't want to see Pavis of the Devious Dominate. If you wish to create a custom ritual to assist against a power, create something that gives you bonus traits. Perhaps your custom "Defend the Mind" gives you +2 traits against Dominate.

Crafting

BASIC CRAFTING AND FUNCTION POINTS:

In order to Craft an item successfully, you need to have an appropriate craft skill. With a craft skill of 3 or lower, everyday items (including gear from Dark Epics) can be crafted with varying ease. Items crafted at 1 or 2 may be more fragile, or prone to mishaps at ST discretion. At Craft skill of 4 or higher you are able create true works of art, or items that fit outside of the normal realm for that item type. To represent this, any item crafted over Crafts 3 will have additional Function Points that can be used to improve the design if appropriate.

Craft 4 - 1 point
Craft 5 - 1 additional point
In some cases, additional and related Crafts or Sciences over 3 can add Function Points. For instance a sword being made with Crafts 5 and Science: Metallurgy x4 will have a total of 3 Function Points (2 from having Crafts at 5, 1 from having Science at 4).
When crafting weapons, Function Points can add various bonuses to weapons. All weapons use a model from Dark Epics for a base. A weapon can be crafted with up to five of the following options, and each can be selected only once.

Improve bonus traits by +1. Cost: 1 Function Point
Remove a negative trait: 1 Cost: 1 Function Point
Add an extra damage trait : Cost: 2 Function Points (Requires at least 1 associated skill at 5 traits)
Make weapons from non-standard materials: (such as a silver sword or a non-metallic gun): Cost: 1 Function Point (must have an associated Science such as Metallurgy)
Make the Melee Weapon Potence Resistant (note, this is not Puissance Proof. Beating a puissance resistant sword into a solid concrete wall with Puissance may still cause the weapon to break) : Cost: 1 Function Point (Crafter must also posses Puissance)
Add a special ability to the item such as High Caliber or Mass Trauma : Cost: 1 Function Point (and a good reason why it should get the ability!)

CRAFTING TIMES:

Crafting an item takes time and concentration. Crafting items at Crafts 3 or lower take a week to create. For each level of crafts used to improve an item, an additional week is added to the creation time. (Examples: Crafts 5 Painting - 3 weeks. A Crafts 4 Pistol with a bonus trait - 2 weeks. A greatsword with a bonus trait, extra damage, a negative trait removed, lacing the weapon with silver, and making it Potence resistant - 7 weeks.

CHALLENGE DIFFICULTY:

Crafting chops must be thrown as normal using Crafts as a retest. The difficulty of the challenge is 8 + the number of weeks so far invested. Each week of required work, the a test will be needed. You add the current week to 8 base. So, using the above example, on week 1, you'd chop against 9 traits. Week 2: 10, Week 3: 11, etc. If a challenge is failed, the artist may use one of their Craft retests. If that is failed, they are also awarded a retest per related ability they have at 5. Example: An artist is making an amazing gun. He has Crafts: Gunsmith x5, Science: Physics x5 and Mechanical Engineering x5. The ST's allow the Physics and Engineering to be used in the creation of this gun. While crafting, he fails his week 6 challenge (difficulty: 6 [week] + 8 [base] = 14). He then uses a standard craft retest and fails that. He is allotted to additional retests as he has 2 extra abilities at 5.

MISCELLANEOUS:

A weapon may have no more permanent supernatural effects applied to it then it has permanent bonus traits. This includes, but is not limited to, fetish effects, wards, enhancements from Combination Disciplines such as Blood Tempering and Madman's Quill, etc. So, a 3 trait sword could be a fetish, have Ward vs. Kindred and be Blood Tempered. However, it could not then later be enhanced with Ward vs. Ghoul.

Items

Armor Piercing

This will only negate mundane armor. Supernatural armor (such as Disciplines or combos that give Armor levels) will not be negated by Armor Piercing. Similarly, supernatural fortified armor such as Blood Tempered Armor will also not be affected by Armor Piercing. Armor that is supernaturally treated but not fortified (any magical enhancement that does not add health level) will be affected by Armor Piercing.

Fetishes

Making:

There are 2 types of Fetishes accessible to Kindred. Ones made with Spirit Manipulation x4 (Entrap Ephemera) and ones made with Spirit Thaumaturgy x5 (Fetish). The latter tend to be more powerful and require the expenditure of a permanent mental trait upon creation. In either case, when binding a spirit, be aware that Gaian, Wyld and most Weaver spirits will not willingly work with a vampire and will therefore have to be forced into the Fetish. This is cruel to the imprisoned spirit and its brood will likely seek retribution. Binding an Elemental or Wyrm spirit will not provoke the ire of the spirits as much but it is still an imprisonment to the spirit.

Activating:

To activate a fetish made with Entrap Ephemera, you must spend a willpower and make a simple challenge (you win on ties, but no retests are allowed save for Luck or Oracular Ability). Should you win, the fetish is activated. Should you loose, the fetish does not activate and you must make another simple challenge. Should you win this second challenge, the fetish does not activate, but it is intact but you cannot attempt to reactivate it for the scene. Should you loose the second challenge, you must make a third. If you win this third challenge, the fetish is intact but cannot be activate for the remainder of the evening. If you fail this third challenge, the spirit inside is freed and will react accordingly.

Multiples:

While you may have multiple fetishes active at the same time, you may only use one per challenge. So, if you are engaging in a physical attack and have an active fetish that gives you +3 physical traits and another that gives you +1 damage, you may only use one or the other and it must be declared at the beginning of the challenge. However, you may swap from one fetish to the other in the same round (example: normal action you use the +3 physical trait fetish and on Swiftness and Legarity you use the +1 damage).