Elder Merits/Flaws

Enlightened (1-7-PT Merit)
You have taken at least the first few steps on the steep and complex road to Golconda. Although you have by no means achieved this exalted state of being, you are more aware of the proper approach than the vast majority of your kind will ever be. Much of your time is spent in the quest for further information on Golconda and on attempting to progress towards this distant goal.

Holdings (1-5-PT Merit)
You own a number of properties that have been in your possession for years. These have all been modified to provide you with protection, numerous places to rest and emergency escape routes. Although such holdings are often ancient castles, museums and the like, they can also be specially prepared apartment complexes, mountain lodges, old churches, etc. For every point taken in this Merit you have two such holdings, which can be almost anywhere in the world.

Powerful Childe (1-5-PT Merit)
You have a childe in a position of power within vampiric society. This childe is loyal, and often serves as both an information font and protection. Although she sometimes asks favors of you, you are most defiantly in control of the relationship, as it is right for a sire to be. The cost of this Merit depends upon the power and position of the childe (1 for leading anarch, 2 for Archon, 3 for a primogen, etc., determined in conjunction with the Storyteller). This Merit must be taken separately for each such childe. Having this childe Blood Bound to you costs an extra two points.

Paranoia, Limited (2-PT Merit)
You know that there are many vampires, hunters, Garou and the like who would love to destroy you. You go out of your way to prepare contingency plans, vary your movement patterns and habits, and otherwise make yourself a difficult target. As a result, you are less likely to be attacked unawares (-1 difficulty to spotting ambushes and the like).

Prestation Gifts (2-6-pt Merit)
One or more Kindred currently owe a boon to you. You may have gifted them with favors or material items sometime in the distant past, or just last week, but they now owe you a debt. This grants you an advantage in your dealings with these Kindred (-1 to the difficulty level of any checks to influence them). Although you would not give up your current position lightly, you may also call in this debt (or should you require aid. Such aid must be commensurate with the initial value of your gift of Prestation. The number of points in Prestation Gift must be determined by both the player and Storyteller, based on the number and magnitude of the debts owed you, and the importance of the Kindred who owe them. The exact nature of this Merit should be worked into the elder characters journal or memoirs.

Chylde, Loyal (3-PT Merit)
Your childes loyalty goes beyond any Blood Bond, being born of true affection and admiration. She would do almost anything to aid you, and you trust her as you do no other among the Kindred. You would be grief-stricken should anything happen to her.

Paramour (3-5-PT Merit)
You have had a long-term (minimum of 75 years) relationship with a fellow Kindred. Although you may have had your disagreements over the many years, you are generally loyal to each other. You know most, if not all, of your paramours secrets, and your paramour knows as much about you. You have both come to each others aid several times over the years, and you would be aggrieved were anything to happen to your love. The cost of this Merit depends on the relative power and position of your paramour in Kindred society (3 for an ancilla, 4 for another elder of equal power, 5 for a more powerful elder).

Patience (3-PT Merit)
You have learned the wisdom of patience in all things. Passions may bum brightly; but as they say, revenge is served best cold. Often, with enough patience, new avenues of endeavor open, enemies grow careless and favors shift. Those who wait and watch are in a position to take full advantage of the vagaries of time. Due to your mastery of patience all Frenzy rolls are made with a -1 difficulty modifier.

Mummy Companion (5-PT Merit)
You have one of the worlds few mummies as a companion or close associate. Your relationship is one of relative equality, with neither of you able to dominate the other, and you find this most refreshing. Although it would not be condemned by the Kindred, you both take pains to keep the association secret. Other powerful elders might wish to take advantage of your companion and the benefits he occasionally provides you. Other Kindred may even attempt to destroy the mummy or turn him against you rather than allow you access to his great stores of information and abilities. (Storyteller discretion check with ST before taking).

Death Wish (1-5-PT Flaw)
You have an unconscious wish to die the True Death. The search for blood, the politics and pain, the constant knowledge of all eternity looming ahead of you, and perhaps your own cowardice, all have their effect on you. Although you never deliberately do anything to harm yourself, you do tend to hinder yourself at awkward times. At any time during a story, the Storyteller may ask you to re-roll a successful Skill check. The least successful of the two rolls is the actual result of your action. The Storyteller may do this a number of times per story equal to the number of points taken in this Flaw.

Paramour, Jilted (1-3-PT Flaw)
You had a long-term relationship (minimum 50 years) with a fellow Kindred. Although the relationship proved useful and pleasant while it lasted, you grew weary of your former paramour and ended the long-term tryst. Unfortunately, your former paramour did not take the ending of the affair well, and has apparently developed a strong antipathy for you. You both know many of each others secrets and this has caused a stalemate thus far, but you are concerned that your ex-paramour may interfere in your affairs at some time in the future. The cost of this Flaw depends on the relative power and position of your ex-paramour in Kindred society (1 for an ancilla, 2 for another elder, 3 for a more powerful elder).

Poverty (1-PT Flaw)
You are very poor for an elder vampire. Either you never bothered to save anything over the years, or yotl throw away any accumulated wealth for your own, obscure reasons. You may not take any Resources.

Prestation Debt (1-5-PT Flaw)
You currently owe a boon to one or more other Kindred. This debt could have been incurred far in the past or only last week, but the Kindred to whom you owe the debt is still extant. As such, she has gained some Status over you, and you are at a slight disadvantage in any dealings you have with her. It is also conceivable that your debt could be called in, and that you could be asked to perform some service or favor for any such vampire to whom you are indebted. The number of points in Prestation Debt must be determined by both the player and Storyteller. The number and magnitude of such debts and to whom they are owed determine the rating of the Flaw. You also receive a + 1 to the difficulty level of any checks made when attempting to influence such Kindred. The exact nature of this Flaw should be worked into the elder characters memoirs.

Vainglorious (1-3-PT Flaw)
You are boastful and know that you deserve any praise you receive. You are particularly fond of Kindred who realize their lesser standing in the face of your obvious superiority, although you tend to views any who speak well of you as more intelligent and deserving than most. Due to your arrogance and love of sycophants, you receive an increase of one to three points on the difficulty level for resisting any attempts at Manipulation using flattery (the modifier is doubled if the flatterer has a flattery specialty). The modifier is determined by the rating of this flaw.

Bastard Childer (2-PT Flaw)
You have sired one or more childer without the permission of the local prince or Justicar. Under Kindred law, both you and your childer may be subject to a Blood Hunt should other vampires discover your secret. This Flaw is cumulative, and must be taken once per bastard sired.

Childe, Vengeful (2-PT Flaw)
You have sired a childe who has grown to loathe you. Not only does your childe not aid you in your dealings with other Kindred, he actively works toward your detriment. At times you feel your childe would commit diablerie upon you if given half a chance, and you could be right.

Diabolist, Secret (2-PT Flaw)
You have committed diablerie at least once to achieve current position of power, but no one yet knows your .~ver be revealed, other elders may well refuse you aid, shun you or, even worse, turn against you, perhaps even calling a Blood Hunt. It is imperative you keep this information hidden. Should your secret ever be revealed you will receive a +3 difficulty modifier to any Social roll involving elder Kindred.

Emotional Isolation (2-PT Flaw)
You have seen too many friends and family, Kindred and kine alike, swept away on the river of time and cast into oblivion. The pain of seeing so many die while you continued to exist was horrible to bear, so horrible that you have now isolated yourself emotionally from all others. You often come across as cold and utterly without feeling, but what is that to you? You are now safe from pain. Due to your total emotional isolation, you receive a + 1 difficulty modifier to any Social roll involving emotions and cannot spend experience points on the Empathy Talent.

Ennui (2-PT Flaw)
You are world-weary. You have seen enough to know that nothing is ever truly new: the same events and so-called passions are merely replayed again and again, with only the faces and names shifting as the many, many years go by. You rarely pay attention to those around you, assuming you know all there is to know of them once you have determined what part they play on the world stage (+ 1 difficulty to Perception rolls involving people you know). Due to your belief in the predictability of others, you also receive + 1 to the difficulty level of the first action taken following a surprise (such as an ambush).

Routine (2-PT Flaw)
Through the ages you have settled into somewhat of a routine. You tend to go to the same places at the same time of year, and to proceed from haven to haven in a regular order. If others studied your behavior closely, they might be able to take advantage of it to do you harm. The Storyteller may lower the difficulty level for anyone attempting to surprise the character from 1-3 points depending on the specific nature of the situation.

Paranoia, Extreme (3-PT Flaw)
You are certain that the world is full of creatures and people who wish to see you destroyed. However, you do not worry overmuch about those individuals who loathe you from a distance. It is the ones you let get near you, the ones who profess some caring towards you, who are the real danger. Of course, not all your associates and so-called friends are actually your enemies (at least they probably all arent). However, you know that no one ever does anything they dont believe to be for their own benefit. You are constantly alert for signs that one or more of your acquaintances are actually seeking to commit diablerie upon you, stake you, or worse. Whenever someone you know performs an act that appears selfless, you must make a successful Self-Control roll to resist branding them a traitorous, implacable enemy bent on your destruction (and taking appropriate actions against such a monster!). The Storyteller may also decide that your companions actions are suspiciously altruistic and necessitate such a roll.

Recently Arisen (3-PT Flaw)
You have been lying in a state of torpor until very recently. The years have left you in their wake and the world has been remade in your absence. The culture shock is very jarring, and you still find it difficult to make your way in this strange new environment. Only the general flow of Kindred politics and society remains reasonably familiar; the rest of the world is gibberish. You receive a + 2 to the difficulty level of rolls involving technology and to social interactions with everyone save other elder Kindred.

Matricide/Patricide (4-PT Flaw)
You have committed diablerie upon your own sire. If this information becomes known among other elder vampires you will be shunned, or perhaps even put to the sun. You are most certainly an easy target for blackmail, and you must always be alert to the signs of other Kindred searching for information about your sire and his untimely demise (or "disappearance").

Diabolist, Known (5-PT Flaw)
You have committed diablerie at least once to achieve your current position of power. Although not all members of elder Kindred society know of your terrible flaw, at least some elders of import are aware of it. You are certain word of your proscribed behavior is slowly making its way through society. Other elders could easily discover this at any time and, at the very least, most of society knows that you are to be shunned. Adding to the danger, there is always the possibility of a Blood Hunt despite your elder status. If they havent already, certain elders can be expected to use their information to force you to back their causes. You receive a +3 difficulty modifier on any Social roll involving elder Kindred who know your secret.