Merits, Restricted

From Codex of Darkness
Second Edition
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These Merits are restricted to Storyteller discretion. Some are designed for antagonists or non-player characters, while others are simply too specific in nature to list elsewhere.

Merits

Merit Rating Prerequisites Description Book
Holy Acquaintances • to ••••• You have friends in the Church hierarchy in a time and place when the Church's authority rivals the state's. DE2 274
Librarian ••• Your training at the Library of Alexandria improves your scholarly impression and helps you locate written records. DE2 75
Party Affiliation Status • to ••••• You have standing in one of the major political parties involved in a time of civil upheaval. DE2 344
Rune Caster •• Occult •• +2 on rolls for the Clairvoyance, Medium or Omen Sensitivity Merits, interpreting a Cahalith's Prophetic Dreams, or using the Gift of Insight. DE 163
Sabbat Knowledge •• to ••••• You are learned in the teachings of witches and witch-hunters alike. DE2 275
Church of the Wolf Merits
Apocalypsis fidei • When afflicted by Lunacy, gain the Enraptured Condition on success and the Awestruck Condition on failure. You may choose to add Enraptured to an exceptional success. NH-SM 134
Invenire venandi •• Apocalypsis fidei Gain a general sense of being close to werewolf when within (Wits x 10) miles of one. Roll Perception to find a werewolf within (Empathy x 10) yards. NH-SM 134
Manticae ••• Invenire venandi Werewolves in Kuruth treat you like a packmate in a shared Rage and will not attack you. NH-SM 134
Ligulae •••• Manticae Werewolves who come within (Primal Urge) yards treat your presence as a trigger for Death Rage. NH-SM 134
Svikiro Merits
Svikiro ••• Resolve •••, Composure •••, not a Sleeper You're a medium in one of the traditions of the Shona peoples. You cannot be Claimed, and sense and support certain ephemeral entities with Influence Conditions, depending on whether you are wamasikati or wedzinza. DEC 123
Svikiro Channel • or ••• Svikiro When Fettered to an entity, you can communicate with it and serve as a channel for its powers. With three dots, you can forcibly channel its power by spending Willpower and contesting the entity. DEC 124
Svikiro Nganga •• Svikiro You're both wamasikati and wedzinza. DEC 124
Svikiro Ridden • or ••• Svikiro You're conscious and can communicate with an entity while it Possesses you. With three dots, you can temporarily seize control back by spending Willpower and contesting the entity. DEC 124
Cybernetics Merits
Cybernetic Limb ••• Limb replacements offer a Strength bonus to certain actions or traits, such as climbing, lifting objects, Speed and Initiative, and can store small objects within compartments. Cybernetic arms can be used as +2 Brawl weapons. DSG 182
Implanted Device • Voice-activated electronic equipment that is always on your person. DSG 183
Implanted Weapon •• Install a Size 0-1 weapon you may "draw" reflexively. DSG 183
Optical Enhancements ••• Telescoping zooming vision grants a +2 bonus to perception, ranged combat, and delicate work. DSG 183
Subdermal Armor • to ••• Fortified bone and tissue grants a point of general Armor for each dot in this Merit. DSG 183
Wired • Neural augmentation grants a bonus die to rolls using your choice of Composure, Dexterity, Intelligence, Manipulation, Stamina, or Wits. DSG 183
Nereid Merits
Each to Each • Spend a turn sending out a message that all other Nereids withing Blood Potency * 10 miles hear. You cannot do anything except move at half speed. NH:SB 139
Swimmer's Skin •• or ••• At two dots, move at full speed, without movement penalties, in the water and can attack with claws at quickly as if out of the water. At three dots, also be able to roll Dexterity + Athletics to move at triple speed for Blood Potency turns. NH:SB 139
Crown games Merits
Divine Scion • to ••• Be part of an elite bloodline. +1 to social rolls with those below you. With three dots, be a lost heir and act as though you have 3 status to gain access to elite places once per story. GTTN 123
The End of the World Merits
Cult • to ••••• Have a cult following you, making a demand per dot of this merit per story so long as you also make a single action proving yourself worthy of leading. For additional demands, roll Manipulation + Intimidation or Persuasion + Cult, and lose a dot of this merit for the rest of the chapter. GTTN 123
Hidden Cache • to ••• Once per chapter, gain supplies as if having resource dots equal to this merit. GTTN 123
Strain Resistant ••• Vampire Ignore your first failure of being affected by the blood and one level less lethal on a dramatic failure. GTTN 124
Ascendancy Merits
Augmented Retainers • to ••••• An alternate version of retainer with Cybernetic Augmentation. One or Two dots have common augmentation, Three or Four dots have Quality, Five has Superb. GTTN 124
Feared Among the Mighty •• Your violent reputation has the Ascendancy avoiding your affairs unless you're provoking them. GTTN 125
Synthetic Feast ••• Vampire By spending one willpower, you cand feed off of someone with cybernetics as if they were a normal human. GTTN 125
Night Without End Merits
Celebrity • to ••• An alternate version of Fame on a galactic scale. GTTN 125
Impatient Blood •• or •••• Vampire Serum made from you takes nine years minus your Blood Potency at two dots, or seven years at four. Feel compared to procreate regardless of grooming. GTTN 125
Network • In a galaxy of imperfect transmission, you have a system that allows uninterrupted transmission of messages. GTTN 125
Wealth Immeasurable • to ••••• An alternate version of resources on a planetary scale. GTTN 125
War Drums Merits
Night Guardian • to ••• Vampire A community accepts you as their personal monster. Once per story, use the community to use the dots in this merit as contacts, resources, or status. GTTN 127
Shadow Occultist Merits
Shadow Occultism •••• must have previously been possessed, Ridden, or Claimed by a spirit and received transgression through Essence from a spirit. The character must have endured at least one Breaking Point in pursuit of this merit. can perceive patrons in Twilight, gains an Essence pool (Sta + Res) with no limit to how much can be spent, can learn and lead Pack Rites even without a pack, and gains the ability to hold Influences from her patrons. She begins with 3 dots in a single Influence possessed by the spirit who fed her Essence during the initiation. She retains this initial Influence while she has this Merit. The occultist rolls Presence + Wits for all Influence dice pools. She can regain a single point of Essence per day by being in contact with the Resonance of her initial Influence, a single point of Essence per week for each taboo she has avoided violating or by extracting Essence from loci. NH SM 138
Shadow Perception ••• Shadow Occultism, endured at least one further Breaking Point The occultist can see spirits in Twilight, can understand First Tongue, and can also sense whether a location they are in or a person or object they are touching is Resonant to any Influence they currently possess. The occultist can sense the presence of a locus within its area of influence but can’t cross into the Shadow under her own power. She must be carried by a willing spirit through the locus in either direction NH SM 138

Style Merits

Style Prerequisites Rating Maneuver Description Book
Athenian Vampire NH:SB 115
• Supporter Gain a dot in Allies (Athenians).
•• Connected Gain a dot of Cacophony Savvy.
••• Member Gain a role and a dot in that role's skill.
•••• Resident Have a one dot safe place and two dot Haven shared among the Athenians. Cap all Status at one dot.
••••• Fanatic Either gain three merit dots to spend one merits gained from Athenian, or a skill dot from another role.
Phoenix Deputy Training under the Promethean-hunting Sheriff Russell Brown. Add Merit dots as a bonus to Intimidation against citizens of Phoenix, and to resist Disquiet. PTC 2e 285
• Strike Hard Take 9-Again to Firearms, Brawl, and Weaponry attacks.
•• Connections Take a free dot each of Allies and Contacts on the beat.
••• Lethal Force Deal an extra point of lethal damage with Firearms, Brawl, and Weaponry attacks.
•••• Informed Take a free specialty in Investigation (Prometheans), as if it had both Interdisciplinary Specialty and Area of Expertise.
••••• Assault Team You may coordinate teamwork on attacks with other Phoenix Deputies.
SPR Status The early days of the Society for Psychical Research. Shares benefits of Status Merit. DEC 280
• Attendee Take a specialty in Psychical Phenomena.
••• Contemporary Gain the benefits of the Eye for the Strange Merit.
••••• Expert Take the Encyclopedic Knowledge Merit, focused on psychical phenomena.
Theosophical Society Status Madame Blavatsky's group of contemporaries. Shares benefits of Status Merit. DEC 278
• Attendee Take a specialty in Academics or Occult (Theosophy).
••• Investigator The above specialty becomes both an Area of Expertise and an Interdisciplinary Specialty.
••••• Leading Thinker Receive the effects of the Inspiring Merit among receptive thinkers.
Zero-Gravity Fighting Night Without End These maneuvers apply in low or zero gravity. GTTN 126
• Spiriling Dodge When you dodge, roll your defense plus dots in this merit twice, taking the higher result.
•• Effortless Leap When you jump, travel yards equal to successes.
••• Dizzying Strike -

Mystery Cult Initiations

Style Rating Maneuver Description Book
The Bay City Marshals A Nameless Order sworn to peacekeeping and retribution in the wake of the gold rush. DE2 386
• Volunteer Take a specialty in Empathy (Motives).
•• Marshal Receive a dot of Fame.
••• Hangman Empathy, Firearms, and Investigation become sorcerous Rote Skills.
•••• Judge Add three Doors in the Duel Arcane.
••••• Authority Gain either Just as a second Virtue or Vengeful as a second Vice, which recovers a point of Mana in addition to Willpower.
The Chosen of Mammon Prosperity cult worshipping the power of money. CofD 52
• Initiate Take a specialty in Politics (Bureaucracy).
•• Member Learn Language (Aramaic).
••• Devotee Distribute two dots between Contacts, Allies, Resources, and Retainers.
•••• Priest Take the Thief of Fate Merit.
••••• High Priestess Take three dots of Resources, and once per month, draw upon a five-dot purchase.
The Church of Death's Shards Necromancers who hoard Mementos for their own power and to fight ghostly horrors. GTS 2e 228
• Recruit Take a specialty in Occult (Ghosts).
•• Member Gain a dot of Contacts or Resources.
••• Initiate Learn to recognize Mementos on sight.
•••• Priest You are gifted a Memento from the cult's collection, and may requisition others.
••••• Inner Circle Learn a variant of the Ghost Trap Ceremony which allows you to strike the held ghost.
Company of the Codex A Nameless Order sworn to radical freedom in the Pirate Republic of Nassau. DE2 300
• Fearsome Mien Gain the one dot Potent Nimbus Merit.
•• The Sword and the Spell Take a specialty in either Occult or Weaponry.
••• Rote Skills Firearms, Intimidation, and Survival become sorcerous Rote Skills. Non-Awakened cannot progress further.
•••• The Dread Mage Gain the three dot Shadow Name Merit.
••••• Company Captain Gain the three dot Grimoire (Codex) Merit.
Cult of Divine Resurrection Archeologists and historians unknowingly worshipping Abyssal powers. NH-NA 105
• Unearth the Past Receive a Specialty in Academics (History).
•• Academic Resources Receive Contacts (Academics) Merit.
••• Divine Mysteries Gain a dot of Occult.
•••• See Beyond Receive the Unseen Sense (Abyssal Phenomena) Merit. Non-Awakened only.
••••• Behold the Divine Gain access to Artifact (Divine Gobbet).
Cult of Huitzilopochtli the Many-Wheeled Aztecs who conflated Huitzilopochtli with the God-Machine. DE 250
• Novice Receive a Specialty in Investigation (Cycles).
•• Initiate Receive a dot of Allies.
••• Devotee Receive Unseen Sense (God-Machine), or if stigmatic, two dots of Supernatural Merits.
•••• Astrologer Receive the Omen Sensitivity Merit.
••••• High Priest Spend Willpower to disappear into a temporary spatial bolthole. Spend more to bring up to three people with you.
Daughters of Ravana Alchemists who hunt monsters to use their parts as reagents. Shares benefits of Status Merit. NH-TT 92
• Initiate Take a specialty in either Occult or Investigation (Monsters).
•• Acolyte Receive either Tolerance to Biology or Eye for the Strange.
••• Rakshasi Gain a dot of Intimidation.
•••• Lieutenant Receive a Physical Merit of up to three dots.
••••• Apprentice Gain a dot of Magnitude.
Fellowship of the Final Awakening Demon-manipulated apocalypse cult. DTD 358
• Recruit Take a specialty in Occult (Apocalyptic Legends).
•• Devotee Receive two dots of shared Resources.
••• Organizer Take the Eye for the Strange Merit.
•••• Leader Distribute three dots between Contacts, Resources, and Library.
••••• Mastermind Either become stigmatic or take the Unseen Sense (God-Machine) and another Supernatural Merit.
The Forty-Third Nome An Egyptian Sin-Eater krewe seeking the lost heart of the Underworld. GTS 2e 87
• Initiate Take a specialty in Survival (Caving).
•• Member Learn Language (Coptic).
••• Snake Handler Develop Hardy ••.
•••• Underworld Delver Distribute up to three dots among borrowed Safe Places in Underworld encampments each story.
••••• High Priest Navigating the Underworld takes half the time.
The Grand Order of the Immaculate Three Spiritualist social organization secretly manipulated as a vehicle of vengeance. DEC 286
• The Multitudes Receive a dot of Contacts.
•• Hand of the Three Receive a dot of Allies.
••• Voice of the Three Take a specialty in Occult (Spiritualism).
•••• The Tears of the Two Receive two dots of Resources and Allies.
••••• The Eyes of the One Gain the Open influence condition through the cult's medium. Receive another dot of Resources and Allies.
Hand of Destiny An accursed Nameless Order of self-help Scelesti. NH-NA 119
• Body Language Fluency Take a specialty in Empathy (Cold Reading).
•• Vested Interest Gain a dot of Resources.
••• Rote Skills Empathy, Occult, and Persuasion become sorcerous Rote Skills.
•••• Reach for the Stars Gain the the ability to bestow the Destiny Merit to a Sleeper or Sleepwalker for one chapter.
••••• Climb the Pyramid Gain three dots of Status (HopeBerries) or three dots of Professional Training with Asset Skills: Persuasion, Socialize, Subterfuge; Contacts (Human Resources) and (Small Businesses); and specialties Persuasion (Sales) and Socialize (Networking).
Hototogisu Status A conspiratorial business conglomerate in conflict with vampires in Tokyo. Shares benefits of Status Merit. VTR 2e 267
• First Circle Receive a Specialty in Occult (Vampires).
•• Second Circle Occult (Vampires) becomes an Interdisciplinary Specialty.
••• Third Circle Receive the Indomitable Merit.
•••• Fourth Circle Receive the Iron Will Merit. You are immune to the third stage Vinculum.
••••• The Friday Club Spend Willpower and roll Intelligence + Occult to enchant a charm for one night per success. A person wearing the charm shows every sign of being a vampire, doesn't require food, and can safely drink human blood.
Jaguar Priests Priests of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. DE 249
• Novice Receive a specialty in Empathy (Deceit).
•• Priest Receive a dot of Status.
••• Nahualli Receive the Skinthief Merit.
•••• Nahualli Receive a dot of Animal Ken.
••••• Nahualtin Receive the Skinthief merit again.
Latimer's Followers Unknowing devout followers of a Seer of the Throne's philosophy. NH-NA 36
• Rhetoric Receive a specialty in Expression, Persuasion, or Subterfuge (Rhetoric).
•• Strength in Numbers Recieve the one dot Merit Contacts (Internet Communities).
••• "Us" vs. "Them" When regularily attending meetings and having the group's support available, gain 9-again on Politics rolls and +2 on extended actions with Politics.
•••• Popular Opinions When spending Willpower to contest or resist in Social interaction, substitute Resolve for +3 bonus, and if it's contested, gain 8-again.
••••• Unwavering Trust Once per scene, spend Willpower to add one additional Door to character's total in Social Maneuvering. Works only if their defense or argument aligns with cult's philosophy.
The Order of the Ineffable Flame Worshippers of the Divine Fire. Shares benefits of Status Merit. Characters with two or more dots gain a Persistent Condition. NH:TT 105
• Initiate Take a specialty in Occult (Pyros).
•• Member Gain the invisible branding mark of the Cauterio Alembic, but suffer a deleterious Persistent Condition.
••• Respected Receive the Automatic Writing Merit.
•••• Devoted Sense sources of Pyros like the Sanctus Aspiratus Alembic, and read them as with the Aura Reading Merit.
••••• Prophet Each wound penalty suffered charges a new level of the Blight Alembic. Dying strengthens the summoned Firestorm.
Order of the Rose A Nameless Order sworn to perfecting the human body and soul, and exploring other realms. Shares benefits of Status Merit. NH-NA 47
• The Chemycal Wedding Take a specialty in either Occult or Science.
•• Hermetical Lore Gain one dot Library (Occult) or (Science) merit.
••• Rote Skills/Otherwordly Awareness Empathy, Occult, and Science become sorcerous Rote Skills for Awakened members. Sleepers and Sleepwalkers gain a sixth sense for Supernal magic and phenomena. Sleepers cannot progress further.
•••• One Step Beyond Gain the Astral Adept Merit. Sleepwalkers cannot progress further.
••••• The Crown Notebook Gain the three dot Grimoire (Crown Notebook) Merit.
RAT Squad Washington State Department of Transportation special occult projects team. Seat 20
• Trainee Take a specialty in Crafts (God-Machine).
•• Field Analyst Apply Interdisciplinary Specialty and Area of Expertise to the above specialty.
••• Maintenance Technician Take lethal damage to force success using the above specialty.
•••• Supervisor Either the Clairvoyance or Psychometry Merit.
••••• Senior Engineer Telepathically broadcast troubleshooting messages to any listening angels.
Sisters and Brothers of the Bomb Military mystics fighting a guerrilla war against the God-Machine. CofD 52
• Recruit Take a specialty in Occult (God-Machine).
•• Initiate Receive a dot of Contacts.
••• Devotee Destroy a sacred relic as the cost to enchant a weapon to strike spirits and ghosts in Twilight.
•••• Organizer Take three dots' worth of Retainers.
••••• First Contact Take the Encyclopedic Knowledge Merit focused around the God-Machine.
The Tick-Tock Men A cult which serves the God-Machine in the name of pure order and collectivism. Iface 107
• Pinion Synchronize awareness by touch. Synchronized cultists act on their lowest rolled Initiative, +1 per cultist.
•• Wheel When taking the same action as synchronized cultists, gain +1 Defense, and a +1 action bonus per cultist.
••• Regulator Synchronicity acts as the Small Unit Tactics Merit.
•••• Mainspring Gain a dot of Contacts and two of Resources.
••••• Timekeeper Receive the Omen Sensitivity Merit.
The Titgwai Gang Gang containing worshippers of a spirit of death by train. Members cannot go beyond three dots. HL 116
• Initiate Take a specialty in Streetwise (Railways).
•• Member Gain the one dot Anonymity Merit.
••• Devotee Gain the Eye for the Strange Merit.
Tremere A Nameless Order of Reaper liches seeking to understand creation's hunger. NH-NA 128
• Enfante Gain one dot of Occultation or the High Speech Merit.
•• Venator Empathy, Occult, and Subterfuge become sorcerous Rote Skills.
••• Custos (Minor) Gain the ability to create a hollowstone, a soul stone that can hold souls of Sleepers.
•••• Custos (Major) The hollowstone can now hold the souls of supernatural beings and the Awakened.
••••• Princeps Gain the ability to Hollow an Initiate.
Voyager Membership Tokyo-based cult that studies the power of names. WTF 2e 272
• Initiate Take a specialty in Occult (Spirit Tongues). You may understand the First Tongue, and communicate very basic ideas with it.
•• Inroads Take a dot of Contacts among spirits.
••• Blood Payment Feed spirits Essence by spilling blood, taking lethal damage.
•••• Word Voyage Roll Intelligence + Occult as an extended action, spilling blood each roll, to pierce the Gauntlet with words.
••••• Wordpower Feed spirits Essence by linguistic expenditure of Willpower.
Notation Legend
Dot of a Trait Rating (Skills, Merits) •
Power Trait Point (Vitae, Mana) ●
Willpower Point ○
Activation Damage B/L/A
Special/Other Activation Cost ※
Alternate Costs ●/●●●
Costs per Item ●/item
Optional Costs (●)
Cost Ranges ● to ●●●
●●+
Combined Notation Example ●(○)
●/item, 1L
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