Alternate Identity

Overview

• Found In: M20 page 304-305, V20 page 111 (but we use the HR below)
• In Character Generation: Purchased as standard Background.
• After Character Generation: Raised through methods below.
• Purchasable When Becoming: No
• Limitations: A rating of 5 is the maximum.

Using Alternate Identity

V20 and M20 have contradicting rules for how Alternate Identity works. The V20 version, being very abstract, leaves characters who take it vulnerable to inconsistent implementation by STs. The M20 version is basically worthless if you think through the mechanics. We use our own rules, as follows.

If someone wants to attempt to crack another character's Alternate Identity, they must spend 1 Downtime to make the attempt.

The Investigator and the Target will make a resisted roll to see if the ID is broken. The Investigator rolls Highest Mental + Investigation against a difficulty equal to Target's Alternate ID + 3.

The Target rolls Highest Mental or Social + Higher of Subterfuge or Alternate ID against a difficulty equal to Investigator's Investigation + 3.

Target's successes eat the Investigator's successes.

If the remaining successes are greater than the Target's Alternate ID rating, the ID is broken. Otherwise, the ID is solid as far as the Investigator is concerned.

In Character Generation

Alternate Identity is a standard Background bought with Background dots, Freebies, and Starting XP.

When you create a character and pick an Alternate Identity score, you will be asked to set a note called "alternate identity" on your character. In this note, please disclose your character's alternate ID, and fill out the following:

• Birthdate.
• Legal name.
• Recorded birthplace.
• Marriage records, if any.
• Family on record, if any.
• Criminal records, if any.
• Miscellaneous records (e.g. passport, certifications, exceptional credit history, or whatever you want to stand out).

Alternate ID And Vampires

Typical Vampire characters get 3 free dots of Alternate ID for one and only one alias. This is specifically intended to give you the ability to make a character who can hold down a job, have a house, a car, and a bank and/or brokerage account. This one legal alias is valid within the United States. However, this allotment has a limited scope of intent, so certain character types will not get free Alternate ID depending on what they are applying for.

The following aspects about a character will prompt staff to ask that you explicitly purchase Alternate ID:

• Paperwork/identification that involves federal government (e.g., FFL, DEA permit).
• Paperwork/identification that involves a different country (e.g. Dual Citizenship).
• Resources 5.
• A Resources note that involves receiving inheritance.
• Dots of Fame.
• Died 300+ years ago.

Don't forget about Double Unlife, the house background that involves an alternate identity as a different vampire.

After Character Generation

Alternate Identities can be generated by any character for another character. The recipient of the Alternate ID will be the one to pay the XP.

To acquire an alternate ID ICly, you will first need to designate what rating you wish to make, then:

1.) Roll Intelligence + Computer to add it to the system.

2.) Roll Intelligence + Larceny to forge the supporting documents.

3.) Wait for the ST to roll to detect if you get away with it.

4.) The owner of the Alt ID buys the BG if the creation was successful and uncaught.

For steps 1 and 3 apiece (Computer and Larceny rolls), you need as many successes as your desired Alt ID rating. The difficulty is 4 + Alternate ID Rating. Each roll costs 4 downtime. If you fail a roll, the difficulty of detecting you goes down by 1, but you may roll again. If you botch a roll, you got caught! Prepare your sphincter for prison.

The ST's Detection Roll is 3 die per dot of Alternate ID and the difficulty is your Intelligence + the higher of your Computers or Larceny, modified by the number of failures on the creation roll. If they get more successes than you got on your cumulative rolls, you will be caught.

Examples

Simple Example

Jimbo has Intelligence 3, Computers 3, and Larceny 4. He wants Alternate ID 2.

His Intelligence + Computers roll will have difficulty of 6 (4 + desired level). His Intelligence + Larceny roll will have difficulty 6, as well (4 + desired level). He rolls his Computers roll (6 dice vs 6) and gets 2 successes. He rolls his Larceny roll (7 dice vs 6) and gets 3 successes.

The ST then rolls 6 dice (since Jimbo wants a rating of 2) against a difficulty of 7 (since Jimbo's Intelligence + Larceny is 7). Since Jimbo rolled 5 total successes, the ST will need to get 6 successes for Jimbo to be caught. They roll the 6 dice, and only get 2 successes. Jimbo is not caught.

Further Example

Jimbo wants Alternate ID 5! Again, he has Intelligence 3, Computers 3, and Larceny 4.

His 2 rolls will be against a difficulty of 9 (4 + desired level). He gets 2 success on his first Computers roll, fails his second and third roll, then 3 successes on his third roll. Then, he gets a steady stream of 1 successes in a series of Larceny rolls until he accumulates 5 successes. He decides to call it there.

The ST rolls 15 dice (3 per level of Alternate ID) against a base difficulty of 7, since Jimbo's Intelligence + Larceny is 7. Jimbo screwed up twice, so that difficulty lowers to 5. The ST gets 7 successes. Jimbo prepares his sphincter.

Modifications and Variations

Creators of Alt IDs may use supernatural abilities and Influence towards their goals. Using magick to create documents (e.g. Matter 2 and supporting spheres) can replace the Larceny roll. Successes on such a magick roll will increase the difficulty of the Detection Roll by 1 per succcess (max +3).

You also can waive the Intelligence + Larceny roll by requesting your documents of the government after your Computers roll, who will now find 'you' in their system. Be advised, this means waiving potential successes normally gained from a Larceny roll. You stand to gain true Government-issue documentation, but with higher risk of immediate detection. Alternate ID can be bought at any level, but you will need to pay for the interstitial levels.