Fera Backgrounds

Backgrounds are now rated one (O) to three (OOO).

Super Backgrounds are binary. They represent a far more powerful version of the regular background and require far more actions/ freebies to be spent acquiring them, or freebies to be spent acquiring them. (They also require ST approval which usually will not be given.) There are limits on the number of people who can have some super backgrounds. You must have your characters maximum rating in a background before buying the super background. There may also be a story roadblock in your way to acquiring the super background.

Allies- Relationship

Allies can represent mortal contacts or membership into a supernatural organization. Allies are in general more powerful per-point than retainers but they will also expect things in return. Allies can be asked for a variety of things. The rating of the Ally will decide what they can and can't do. Allies give the player an additional action. However, this action will be accompanied by a cost or the ally asking for something in return.

O: Mortal Police Captain, Similiar ranked Changer.

OO: Connected Neonate, Neonate Vampire.

OOO: Connected Fera, Someone in the state government, Garou Nation, Hengeyokai etc Fledgling Mage.

Super Background

Elder Ally: Elder Vampire, National Government/ sect member, Important Garou. Grants a free Gather News action each month.

Limits: None

Contacts - Relationship

Contacts represent a source of reliable information. The information may still cost something but the Contact will always answer. If you want to use a contact make a test. You have retests equal to your level of contact and the Staffer assigns a difficulty to the check (1-3) based on how likely your contact is to know the requested information. Each contact must be given a name and a short description. In addition, for each level of contact, you may grab a “ News” slip for an influence you don't have.

O: Private Investigator, Member of another sept.

OO: Sabbat or Camarilla member, Member of the Garou Nation, Hengeyokai, or other Fera organization.

OOO: Member of another supernatural group, Member of a national organization.

Super Background

Web of Influence: Your contacts are not just a single person but a whole web of people. Your level of contacts is doubled for tests and you may always grab all the News Slips.

Limits: None.

Mentor- Relationship

Each Mentor can teach a variety of things. The things a mentor can teach are determined by the level of the mentor. The Mentor reduces the Exp cost by one. The Mentor acts like an ally and will request things from the character in exchange for continued support. When using a Mentor you cannot apply labs, live fire, or expert teachers.

O: Two Skills, Virtues, Willpower, 1 gift chain - reduced by one

OO: Three Skills, Virtues, Willpower, 3 gift chains- reduced by one

OOO: Five Skills, Virtues, Willpower, 5 gift chains - reduced by one

Super Background

Coach: Your coach arranges for you to learn whatever you need, besides Master Breed gifts.

(Just because you don't have a mentor doesn't mean you don't have Breed contacts, faction contacts, or miscellaneous contacts who can teach you things, they just won't do it for free.)

Limits: none

Retainers - Asset

Retainers are people who work directly for your character in exchange for some sort of payment or a sense of loyalty. Each Retainer must be classified as one of the following types. The type declares what the retainer can do. (In general, Retainers cannot show up to scenes because that is a pain for the staffers to run. Keep that in mind when setting up your retainers.) You can't have more retainers than your leadership. Often these are Kinfolk and family members

O- One Retainer

OO - Three Retainers

OOO - Five Retainers

Retainer Types

Knowledge

• Knowledge retainers know things. They can provide you an additional skill retest on a check to know things. ( only callable 1x per night)
  

Guard

• Guard retainers are charged with protecting an area. A sheet is required for them.
  

Investigation

• Investigation retainers can be sent to perform tasks separate from the player. A sheet is required for this type of retainer. When sent to do something they can die. Gives a +1 on the search for Action.
  

Influence

• Influence retainers can be assigned to an influence. They count as 1 extra dot when trying to grow. Only one ghoul can be assigned per influence.
  

Blood

• Blood retainers… go get blood for their master. They must be ghouls. Each blood retainer can produce one blood per month for her master.
  

Research

• Research retainers add an additional point to the research total when at least 2 actions are spent on research. A single research project cannot benefit from more than one retainer per month. A research retainer can also be used on the Search For actions.
  

Management

• Necessary if a Fera has Influence: Dominance. Manages businesses for the Fera. Also provides a +1 bonus on Defend and Attack actions.
  

Banking

• Grants an additional action that can only be used to take the Bank action. It still needs to be listed in your actions.
  

Training

• Grants a free Train Retainer action each month.

Super Background

Vassals: The Vassals Background, Doubles the number of Retainers the character can have. . An action must still be spent to acquire each individual.

Limits: Each person who has this in the game increases the number of hunters

Alternate Identity - Relationship

With Alternate Identity, each dot represents a persona the Fera can take on. Each dot represents another persona complete with look, and government records.

Super Background

Infinite Faces: You have records, licenses, and full identities that match to every ability you possess at 3 or above.

Limits: None

Spirit Guide- Asset

The Fera can spend a point of Spirit Guide for one of the following effects by spending a temporary point of Spirit Guide.

Insight into the future (this usually takes the form of unclear visions)

Extra skill retest (as per oracular ability)

Asking the GM for a danger rating of something they are about to do ( Red, Yellow, or Green.)

Fame - Relationship

Fera with Fame are famous. Fame has a variety of effects positive and negative. At levels one and two the Fera must select an influence in which they are famous. At level 3 they are well known everywhere. You may be recognized in scenes by NPCs.

X: None: No one knows who you are.

O: Local: Your influence actions have one extra dot of effectiveness when using influence from your chosen field.

OO: City: Your influence can be applied to nearby cities with no loss of power.

OOO:Regional: You can grow influence in other cities with no degradation. Also, you get two extra points worth of effect when using your chosen influence.

Super Background

Celeb: You are known the world over. Any bluebook action that deals with the mortal populace gain one additional point of effectiveness from any action.

Limits: None, but there will be consequences.

Faction Prestige - Relationship

Faction Prestige represents respect and notoriety within your own clan. There are few mechanics to represent this but NPCs from your clan will be more likely to listen to what you have to say. It also affects the Search For action. Fera can have prestige within their own Breed, other breeds, the Garou Nation, the Hengeyokai, the African Fera Coalition, or Amazon Fera Coalition.

O: Respected

OO: Honored

OOO: Elite

Super Background

Luminary: You are trusted with the deepest secrets the Breed has.

Limits: One per Clan/Sect per game.

Resources - Asset

Resources represent the amount of capital a Fera has to burn in a month. These numbers are lower than you might expect for a variety of reasons. Resources is a representation of capital wealth, something the Camarilla has in spades and that the Anarchy is relatively lacking so the lowered Resources number is representative of that.<be> Fera may not start above resources 2

X (None): You scrounge and scrape just enough to get by, whether it be a minimum wage job or panhandling, or one of those people who stand outside of WaWa needing just enough gas to get home. You have $100 available in spare cash. If you live in an apartment, you have roommates and you have a bus pass and bicycle for transportation needs. You can not perma-burn your resources.

O (Moderate): You can display yourself as a member in good standing of the middle class. You maintain a modest living style and most modern convenience items. You have $1000 available in spare cash. You have your own apartment or condo and you have a motorcycle or a used car for transportation needs. You could perma-burn your resources for $10,000.

OO (Comfortable): You are a prominent and established member of your community. You have $5000 available in spare cash. You own a house and a new car, and could even take a yearly trip to Disney World if you wanted to. could perma-burn your resources for $50,000.

Fetish- Asset

A fetish is a magical item, imbued with a spirit useable by a changing breed. Attuning a fetish reduces the Fera's total Gnosis pool by one. This background represents both Talens and Fetishes. Level 1 grants a Talen, Level 3 grants a Fetish.

O: The Garou has 5 of any 1 Talen

OO: N/A

OOO: The Fera has a precious Fetish.

Library - Asset

A library represents a collection of books, scrolls, writings, and devices of occult or mystic significance. The effects of a library and what it can be used for vary with the number of dots. The effects are cumulative. The Library must be attached to a lore or skill when the first dot is purchased. In addition, if anyone ever breaks into your library they will have access to all of the things your character has researched.

(As a change for Eden Calling, all lores will use the library instead of normal equipment.)

O: Interesting: At this level your library provides bonus traits when looking up information about the subject that your library is about. The trait bonus is equal to level.

OO: Incredible: when performing research actions. If you perform two in a month, the library causes that to count as three points instead of two so long as the library contains applicable information.

OOO: Priceless: The Library counts as an additional skill retest whenever seeking information.

Super Background

Archive: Grants one additional skill retest and doubles the trait bonus for the attached Lore check.

Limit: Is extremely dangerous to have. People will covet it and want to take it from you.

Den - Asset

Den represents the security and amenities of a Fera's home. The difficult of all locks on the house and the difficulty to find the haven with search actions are increased as the rating raises. A pack may pool points together if they wish to purchase the level 3 or the Super Background.

X: You have no home, or quite possibly a broken van down by the river: No actions to find, difficulty 0 locks.

O:You have a house or apartment: 5 actions to find, difficulty 2 locks. Moderate security features (Alarms, Low Quality Cameras, etc)

OO: You have a secure facility 15 actions to find. Difficulty 4 locks. High security.(Guards, CCTV Systems, Trick rooms, etc)

OOO: Your homes is also a node or Caern, that allows you to draw gnosis. Its locks aren't any better but it features spiritual defenses.

Super Background

Umbral Den: Your Home is in the Umbra, and only you can find your way to it.

Limit: None

Influence - Relationship

Influence represents the Fera’s pull in the mortal world. There are 15 influences. Each one provides different benefits at each level. When you gain an influence you must define what area that influence is in.

Influence List

Bureaucracy

• ( Local government)

Religious

• ( Traditional religions,)

Finance

• ( Banking and stocks)

Health

• ( hospitals and clinics)

High Society

• ( Parties, Rich people)

Industry

• (production of materials)

Construction

• ( building and infrastructure)

Media

• ( Television and Radio)

Occult

• ( hedge magic groups, occult shops)

Emergency Services

• ( Police, Fire, ambulance)

Street

• ( Non Violent crime low end bars and the homeless)

Transportation

• ( shipping, roads, traffic)

Underworld

• ( Handles all violent crime and drugs)

Super Background

Dominance: Represents command of a certain aspect of the city. The user gains an additional action each month that can only be used to do something concerning the influence they have dominance in.

Limit: A city can only hold so many people with Dominance at the same time. If someone tries to grow Dominance and it is already at cap then the action will fail. It is possible to grow the number of Dominances that can exist in a city but it is hard. Finding out how many Dominances an influences can have is part of a monitor action. The number will usually be between 0-2.

Rites - Asset

The only Background that can be purchased infinite times at character creation. Each purchase grants two rites.

Super Background

Rites Master: You gain one additional action each month that can only be spent to cast a rite.

Armory - Asset

You have access to a plethora of weapons armor and equipment if you have time to go get it. You don't need to purchase individual pieces of equipment up to a certain level.

O: You have one trait equipment for every skill you have at two.

OO: You have one trait equipment for every skill located in your car that can be lent to others. (Small weapons)

OOO: You have two trait equipment for every skill you have at two. ( Medium Weapons) You can arm up to 5 people out of your car. All of your ghouls have Equipment like this as well.

Super Background

Military Arsenal: You have three trait equipment for every skill you have at two. (Large weapons) You can arm up to 5 people out of your car. All of your ghouls have Equipment like this as well.<be>

Ancestors/ Mnesis - Relationship

You have access to a plethora of experiences and Knowledge that you may call upon in times of need. Once each game session you may choose to use Ancestors in place of any skill check, not made in combat time. It also can't be used on long-form actions like crafting. You allow your ancestors to guide your hands. Each dot of ancestors counts as two skill dots. Even if you don't use all the skill dots, you may not call on your ancestors again that night. Mokole think about their past incarnations and call this Background Mnesis.

Super Background

Vessel: You may call on Ancestors 2x per night.

Spirit Heritage - Relationship

Spirit Heritage is a measure of how spiritually connected the Fera is. The Fera gains 1 trait per level of the background on all interactions with spirits. This is not an equipment bonus

Super Background

Spirit Court Expert: Choose a single word descriptor (must be approved by ST) (City, Wolf, Fire, Puzzles, Football, ) You win ties on all challenges against spirits of this court.