Merits And Flaws

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Merits and Flaws can add a distinct dimension to your character. Merits are special advantages unique to the character, while Flaws are liabilities or disadvantages that create challenges to the character's activities.

Merits cost Freebie Points while Flaws add Freebie Points. In Character Generation, you get 15 Freebie Points if you are playing a supernatural character (e.g. a Vampire or Mage) and 21 Freebie Points if you are not (e.g. a plain human). Freebie Points are spent to buy advantages for your character (higher starting stats and Merits).

You can increase your starting amount of Freebie Points by taking one or more Flaws. Each Flaw has a rating which will add to your Freebie Points pool. You may select up to 7 points' worth. If particular flaws intrigue you thanks to the type of character they would create, but they happen to add up to a number greater than 7, you may still take them, but you will not gain more than 7 Freebie points. If you feel like there is worthwhile narrative payoff for portraying these flaws without any positive tradeoff, you are welcome to do so.

As said before, Freebie points are spent to buy advantages for your character. Merits are one such advantage. You can purchase an amount of Merits equal to your Freebies rating.

Buying Merits With XP

With the sole exception of the Language(s) merit, Merits can not be purchased with XP during character generation. Each additional Language you wish to acquire costs 3 XP. All other Merits cost Freebie Points.

After character generation, characters may continue to buy additional Languages at 3 XP per Language. For any other Merits or Flaws, IC circumstances may cause your character to take a Flaw or qualify them to purchase a Merit according to Staff discretion. This acquisition of Merits and Flaws are meant to reflect the consequences of story or character developments. PRP runners may nominate another character for a Merit or Flaw but are not empowered to administer them. Players are welcome to inform staff of their goals to acquire certain Merits and Flaws and plan for the appropriate IC experiences.

When a character acquires a Flaw, that character also acquires an amount of XP equal to [5 x Flaw Rating]. When a character acquires a Merit, that character must spend an amount of XP equal to [5 x Merit Rating]. For example, were a character to acquire 3 points of the PTSD flaw at the end of a very traumatic experience, they would also get 15 XP. Were a Nosferatu to create a 2-point Spawning Pool, they would need to pay 10 XP.

For the most part, Merit and Flaw acquisition is voluntary. However, a Mage who becomes a Ghoul automatically acquires the 5 point Ghoul merit (Book of Secrets, page 75) and the 3 point Addiction flaw. As the Ghoul merit costs 25 XP, and the Addiction flaw administers 15 XP, the net cost of becoming a Ghoul is 10 XP. This 10 XP will be taken by Staff regardless of if the character in question has it, so somebody who becomes a Ghoul with insufficient XP will go into the negatives.

Merits Available

Physical Merits

Merit Name Point Value Short Description Page Reference Available To
Acute Sense 1 -2 difficulty to perception rolls pertaining to a specific sense. P 479 V20 Core Everyone
Acute Senses 3 -2 difficutly for all perception rolls P 35 BoS Everyone
Alcohol/Drug Tolerance 1 or 2 Can make Stamina rolls to shake off effects of intoxication P 35 BoS Everyone
Ambidextrous 1 Self explanatory P 480 V20 Core Everyone
Bruiser 1 Others find it harder to intimidate you P 480 V20 Core Everyone
Catlike Balance 1 Lowers difficulties of balance-related rolls P 480 V20 core Everyone
Daredevil 3 Adds benefits to your rolls when you do something ballsy P 480 V20 core Everyone
Enchanting Feature 2 Standout feature about you that's so good you get benefits P 36 BoS Everyone
Enchanting Voice 2 Standout voice, benefits rolls involving use of the voice P 480 V20 core Everyone
Friendly Face 1 Amiable, social based rolls with strangers are easier on a first meeting P 480 V20 core Everyone
Huge Size 4 You're yuge, you get an extra health box P 480 V20 core Everyone
Hyperflexible 1 Self-explanatory, reduces difficulties P 36, BoS Everyone
Insensible To Pain 5 Pain don't hurt P 38, BoS Everyone
Noble Blood 1 Well isn't your family tree special! You can get dice benefits if you're dealing with snooty peeps P 36, BoS Everyone
Physically Impressive 2 You are one imposing sumbitch P 37, BoS Everyone
Poker Face 2 Nothing rattles you. Nothing. P 38, BoS Everyone
Blush of Health 2 Vampire
Cloak Of The Seasons 3 Verbena
Early Riser 1 Vampire
Eat Food 1 Vampire
Efficient Digestion 3 Vampire
Hypersensitivity 3 Everyone
Immunity 2 Mage
Too Tough To Die 5 Mage

Mental Merits

Name Point Value Short Description Page Reference Available To
Artistically Gifted 1 Everyone
Berserker / Stress Atavism 4 Mage
Calm Heart 3 Vampire
Code of Honor 2 Everyone
Coldly Logical 1 Everyone
Common Sense 1 Everyone
Computer Aptitude 2 Everyone
Concentration 1 Everyone
Eidetic Memory 2 Everyone
Hyperfocus 3 Everyone
Inner Strength 2 Everyone
Introspection 1 Everyone
Iron Will 3 Everyone
Jack-of-All-Trades 3 Everyone
Judge's Wisdom 4 Mage
Language 1 to 5 Everyone
Lightning Calculator 1 Everyone
Light Sleeper 2 Vampire
Mechanical Aptitude 1 Everyone
Natural Linguist 2 Everyone
Scientific Mystic / Techgnosi 3 Mage
Self-Confident 5 Everyone
Strength of Psyche 2 Human
Time Sense 1 Everyone
Useful Knowledge 1 Everyone

Social Merits

Merit Name Point Value Short Description Page Reference Available To
Animal Magnetism 2 Everyone
Bullyboy 2 Vampire
Confidence 2 Everyone
Dark Triad 3 Everyone
Elysium Regular 1 Vampire
Family Support 3 Mage
Family Support 1 Mage
Family Support 2 Mage
Favor 2 Mage
Favor 1 Mage
Favor 3 Mage
Folk Hero 3 Mage
Former Ghoul 1 Vampire
Friend of the Underground 3 Vampire
Groomed for Embrace 5 Ghoul
Harmless 1 Everyone
Honored Lineage 2 Verbena
Local Hero 3 Everyone
Loyalty 1 Mage
Major Boon 4 Vampire
Master of Red Tape 4 Everyone
Minor Boon 2 Vampire
Mourner's Chant 3 Mage
Natural Leader 1 Everyone
Open Road 2 Vampire
Perfect Liar 2 Everyone
Pitiable 1 Everyone
Prestige 2 Everyone
Prestigious Mentor 1 Mage
Prestigious Sire 1 Vampire
Protege 1 Vampire
Regal Bearing 1 Everyone
Rep 1 Everyone
Rising Star 3 Mage
Sabbat Survivor 1 Everyone
Sanctity 2 Everyone
Scholar of Enemies 2 Vampire
Scholar of Others 2 Everyone
Secret Code Language 2 Everyone
Sect Enmity 1 Mage
Socially Networked 2 Everyone
Subculture Insider 2 Everyone
Trivial Boon 1 Vampire
True Love 4 Everyone
Unobtrusive 1 Everyone

Supernatural Merits

Merit Name Point Value Short Description Page Reference Available To
Addictive Blood 3 Follower of Set Vassal
Additional Discipline 5 Vampire
Astral Vigor 3 Mage
Aura of Command 3 Lasombra
Avatar Companion 7 Mage
Bardic Gift 2 Mage
Betrayer's Mark 3 Tremere
Bioluminescence 1 Tzimisce
Blood Flaw Immunity 5 Ghoul
Brahmin 1 Ravnos
Burning Aura 1 Mage
Call of the Sea 2 Lasombra
Cannibal 1 Giovanni
Celestial Affinity 3 Mage
Circumspect Avatar 2 Mage
Clear Sighted 5 Mage
Clear-Sighted 4 Ghoul
Cold Read 3 Malkavian
Connoisseur 2 Ventrue
Consanguineous Resistance 1 Giovanni
Controllable Night Sight 2 Lasombra
Court Favorite 5 Lasombra
Court Favorite 3 Lasombra
Court Favorite 4 Lasombra
Court Favorite 1 Lasombra
Court Favorite 2 Lasombra
Critters 2 Ravnos
Cyclic Magic 3 Mage
Danger Sense 2 Everyone
Death Grip 3 Vampire
Deathwalker 4 Chakravanti
Deceptive Aura 1 Vampire
Disciple Of Lazarus 2 Harbinger of Skulls
Distracting Aura 2 Malkavian
Dracon's Temperament 3 Tzimisce
Drug Resistance 2 Follower of Set
Dual Affiliation 7 Mage
Embraced Without The Cup 1 Tremere
Eyes of Shadow 1 Lasombra
Eyes of Shadow 4 Lasombra
Eyes of Shadow 2 Lasombra
Eyes of Shadow 3 Lasombra
False Reflection 3 Nosferatu
Fury's Focus 3 Brujah
Green Thumb 1 Mage
Guardian Angel 6 Mage
Half-life 4 Cappadocian
Hands of Daedalus 3 Mage
Haven Affinity 3 Tzimisce
Healing Touch 1 Vampire
Heart of Needles 3 Ravnos
Hidden Diablerie 3 Vampire
Hive Minded 1 Gangrel
Hive Minded 2 Gangrel
Immortal 5 Mage
Immortal 7 Mage
Impressive Restraint 2 Toreador
Indelible 1 Toreador
Indelible 2 Toreador
Inner Knight 5 Mage
Inoffensive to Animals 1 Vampire
Instrument of God 5 Lasombra
Keys To The Library 2 Tremere
Keys To The Library 4 Tremere
Keys To The Library 1 Tremere
Keys To The Library 3 Tremere
Keys To The Library 5 Tremere
King of Shadow 4 Lasombra
Kshatriya 1 Ravnos
Legendary Attribute 5 Mage
Legerdemain 1 Ravnos
Lesser Mark of the Beast 4 Gangrel
Lizard Limbs 1 Nosferatu
Long Fingers 1 Nosferatu
Long-lived 1 Verbena
Lucky 3 Everyone
Mad Science 2 Society of Ether
Magic Resistance 2 Vampire
Manifest Avatar 3 Mage
Mark of Favor 3 Everyone
Master of the Masquerade 2 Toreador
Medium 2 Everyone
Member of the Pack 2 Gangrel
Monstrous Maw 1 Nosferatu
Mortuario 4 Giovanni
Mortuario 2 Giovanni
Mute Devotion 1 Ravnos
Natural Channel 3 Mage
Natural Shallowing 5 Mage
Natural Shapeshifter 3 Verbena
Nine Lives 6 Everyone
Oathbreaker 4 Mage
Oracular Ability 3 Everyone
Pain Tolerance 2 Tzimisce
Pale Aura 2 Ghoul
Parlor Trick 1 Mage
Parlor Trick 3 Mage
Patagia 4 Nosferatu
Personal Masquerade 3 Clanless
Personal Talisman 1 Mage
Piscine 1 Nosferatu
Privacy Obsession 3 Tzimisce
Promethean Clay 5 Tzimisce
Prophetic Dreams 2 Malkavian
Quartermaster 3 Tremere
Revenant Weakness 3 Tzimisce
Rugged Bad Looks 5 Nosferatu
Sanguine Incongruity 5 Giovanni
Scent Of The Other 1 Salubri
Secret Society Member 1 Tremere
Sectarian Ally 1 Assamite
Shattered Avatar 5 Mage
Sight Beyond Sight 3 Salubri
Skald 2 Gangrel
Sleep Unseen 2 Nosferatu
Slimy 1 Nosferatu
Slowed Degeneration 5 Toreador
Spark of Life 5 Mage
Spawning Pool 3 Nosferatu
Spawning Pool 2 Nosferatu
Spawning Pool 1 Nosferatu
Spirit Magnet 3 Mage
Spirit Magnet 7 Mage
Spirit Mentor 3 Everyone
Stitcher 3 Vampire
Stormwarden 5 Mage
Stormwarden 3 Mage
Styx Baptism 3 Cappadocian
Thousand Meter Killer 1 Assamite
Totemic Change 5 Gangrel
Tough Hide 2 Nosferatu
Tunnel Rat 3 Nosferatu
Tunnel Rat 5 Nosferatu
Tunnel Rat 1 Nosferatu
Tunnel Rat 4 Nosferatu
Tunnel Rat 2 Nosferatu
Twin Souls 4 Mage
Umbral Affinity 4 Mage
Unaging 2 Mage
Unbondable 5 Mage
Unmarked Antitribu 5 Tremere
Unmarked Antitribu 2 Tremere
Vaishya 1 Ravnos

Flaws Available

Physical Flaws

Name Point Values Short Description Read More Available To
Addiction -1 You are addicted to an act or substance, from caffeine to cocaine. P 39 BoS Everyone
Addiction -3 You are a vampire addicted to a substance and must have it in your victims' blood P 482 V20 Core Vampire
Bad Sight -1, -3 You can't see too hot. You may need glasses. p 481 V20 Core Everyone
Blind -6 You can't see at all. P 484 V20 Core Everyone
Deaf -4 P 483 V20 Core You can't hear. Everyone
Deformity -3 You have a profound physical deformity. P 482 V20 Core Everyone
Degeneration -3, -6, or -9 Your body is falling apart. P 41 BoS Mage
Disease Carrier -4 You're a harbinger of plague P 483 V20 Core Vampire
Disfigured -2 P 482 V20 Core You have a deformity. It ain't pretty. Everyone
Dulled Bite -2 Your teeth aren't sharp enough to hunt like the cool vampires. P 492 V20 Core Vampire
Easily Intoxicated -2 You're a teetotaler. P 40 BoS Everyone
Fifteenth Generation -4 You're a 15th Generation vampire. P 481-482 V20 Core Vampire
Flesh of the Corpse -5 You're quite literally an ambulatory corpse. Gross. P 483 V20 Core Vampire
Fourteenth Generation -2 You're a 14th Generation vampire. P 471 V20 Core Vampire
Glowing Eyes -3 Self explanatory. Wear some ski goggles. P 482 V20 Core. Vampire
Hard of Hearing -1 Wha? P 480 V20 Core Everyone
Horrific -5 You make people throw up in their mouth at least. P 41 BoS Everyone
Infectious Bite -2 You've got nasty-ass komodo dragon mouth. P 481 V20 Core Vampire
Lame -3 You can't walk well. P 482 V20 Core Everyone
Lazy -3 Everyone
Light Sensitive -2, -4, -6 Ghoul
Mayfly Curse -5, -10 Mage
Medicated -1, -3, -5 Everyone
Monstrous -3 Vampire
Mute -4 Everyone
One Eye -2 Everyone
Open Wound -2 Vampire
Permanent Fangs -3 Vampire
Permanent Wound -3 Vampire
Profiled Appearance -2 Everyone
Repulsive Feature -2 Everyone
Short -1 Everyone
Slow Healing -3 Vampire
Smell of the Grave -1 Vampire
Teetotaler -1 Everyone
Thin Blood -4 Vampire
Twitch -1 Everyone

Mental Flaws

Name Point value Description Page Reference Available To
Absent-Minded -3 Everyone
Amnesia -2 Everyone
Anachronism -2 Vampire
Attention Deficit Disorder -2 Everyone
Berserker / Stress Atavism -4 Mage
Bigot -3 Everyone
Bound -2 Vampire
Chronic Depression -3 Everyone
Compulsion -1 Everyone
Conspicuous Consumption -4 Vampire
Curiosity -2 Everyone
Deep Sleeper -1 Vampire
Extreme Kink -3, -5 Everyone
Flashbacks -3, -6 Mage, Vampire
Guilt Wracked -4 Vampire
Hatred -3 Everyone
Hero Worship -1 Everyone
Icy -2 Everyone
Impatient -1 Everyone
Intemperate -2 Everyone
Lifesaver -3 Everyone
Lunacy -2 Vampire
Mental Lock -1 Everyone
Nightmares -1 Everyone
OCPD -3 Everyone
Overconfident -1 Everyone
Phobia -2 Everyone
Prey Exclusion -1 Vampire
PTSD -2, -3, -4, -5 Everyone
Rose-Colored Glasses -2 Everyone
Short Fuse -2 Vampire
Shy -1 Everyone
Soft Hearted -1 Vampire
Speech Impediment -1 Everyone
Stereotype -2 Vampire
Territorial -2 Vampire
Thirst for Innocence -2 Vampire
Uncontrollable -5 Brujah
Unconvinced -1 Vampire
Vanilla -1 Everyone
Vengeful -2 Everyone
Victim of the Masquerade -2 Vampire
Weak Willed -3 Everyone
Whimsy -1 Everyone

Social Flaws

Name Point Value Short Description Page Reference Available To
Botched Presentation -1 Vampire
Catspaw -2 Vampire
Construct -2 Mage
Coward Of King's County -2 Vampire
Diabolical Mentor -2 Mage
Diabolic Sire -2 Vampire
Disgrace to the Blood -3 Vampire
Failure -2 Vampire
Former Prince -3 Vampire
Hunted -4 Vampire
Hunted Like A Dog -3 Vampire
Incomplete Understanding -1 Vampire
Infamous Sire -1 Vampire
Insane / Infamous Mentor -1 Mage
Insane Sire -1 Vampire
Laughingstock -5 Vampire
Major Boon -4 Vampire
Masquerade Breaker -2 Vampire
Minor Boon -2 Vampire
Narc -3 Vampire
New Kid -1 Vampire
Obvious Predator -2 Brujah
Outcast -1 Assamite
Pawn To A Paw -2 Vampire
Probationary Sect Member -4 Vampire
Recruitment Target -1 Vampire
Resentful Sire -1 Vampire
Rival House -1 to -5 Mage
Rival Sires -2 Vampire
Rogue -4 Mage
Rotten Liar -3 Mage
Special Responsibility -1 Vampire
Sympathizer -1 Vampire
Trivial Boon -1 Vampire
Twisted Apprenticeship -1 Mage
Witch-Hunted -4 Mage

Supernatural Flaws

Name Point Value Short Description Page Reference Available To
Anachronism -1, -3 Mage
Ancestral Soil Dependence -2 Tzimisce
Anosmia -2 Nosferatu
Aura of the Typhon -5 Undead
Beacon of the Unholy -2 Vampire
Beast Within -5 Mage
Bedeviled -6 Mage
Bestial -3 Nosferatu
Bizarre Hunger -1 to -5 Mage
Blood-Hungry Soul -2, -3, -5 Mage
Blood Magick -5 Mage
Bound to the Clan -3 Tremere
Branded -5 Mage
Branded -3 Mage
Brittle Body -2, -4 Vampire
Broken Antitribu -3 Assamite
Bulimia -4 Clanless
Can't Cross Running Water -3 Vampire
Cast No Reflection -1 Vampire
Cast No Shadow / Reflection -1, -2 Mage
Chandala -1 Ravnos
Cloistered -2 Tremere
Cold Breeze -1 Vampire
Contagious -5 Nosferatu
Count Von Count -3 Vampire
Crucial Component -1 to -5 Mage
Dead Inside -4 Malkavian
Deathsight -2 Vampire
Death's Reflection -3 Lasombra
Devil's Mark -1 Mage
Echoes -1 to -5 Mage
Eerie Presence -2 Vampire
Enemy Brood -3 Nosferatu
Faceless -3 Tzimisce
Faithless -5 Mage
Fangless -2 Vampire
Faulty Enhancements -2 to -5 Mage
Flawed Reality -2 Ravnos
Forked Tongue -2 Follower of Set
Foul Blood -1 Nosferatu
Gremlin -1 to -5 Mage
Grip of the Damned -4 Vampire
Heartless -4 Follower of Set
Ignorance -2 Clanless
Inbred -1 to -5 Giovanni
Incoherent -5 Nosferatu
Infectious -3 Malkavian
Infertile Vitae -3, -5 Vampire
Insubordinate -3 Lasombra
Invite Me In -3 Vampire
Jinx / Infernal Contraption -2, -4, -6, -8, -10 Mage
Light Sensitive -5 Vampire
Lightweight -1 Vampire
Locked Vidare -1 Mage
Lord of the Flies -2 Vampire
Lost Svadharma -3 Ravnos
Mage Blood -5 Tremere
Mortal Flashbacks -5 Vampire
Multiple Curses -3 Assamite
Oathbreaker -2 Ravnos
Outcast -2 Assamite
Overstimulated -3 Malkavian
Paper Trail -2 Malkavian
Paralyzed by Drowning -3 Vampire
Parasitic Infestation -2 Nosferatu
Permanent Paradox Flaw -2, -4, -6 Mage
Permanent Third Eye -2, -4 Salubri
Phylactery -7 Mage
Primal Marks -3 Mage
Private Life -3 Toreador
Prone to Quiet -4, -5 Mage
Putrescent -4 Nosferatu
Rat in a Cage -2 Gangrel
Repelled by Crosses -3 Vampire
Repulsed by Garlic -1 Vampire
Repulsed by Hawthorn -1 Vampire
Repulsed by Holly -1 Vampire
Repulsed by Oak -1 Vampire
Repulsed by Roses -1 Vampire
Scales -1 to -3 Follower of Set
Shadow Scarred -3 Cappadocian
Shadow Walker -6 Giovanni
Stench -1 Nosferatu
Stigmata -2, -4 Malkavian
Strangeness -1 Mage
Taint of Corruption -7 Mage
Thaumaturgically Inept -5 Tremere
Throwback -1 to -5 Mage
Throwback -5 Mage
Throwback -4 Mage
Throwback -1 Mage
Throwback -3 Mage
Tortured Artist -1 Toreador
Touch of Frost -1 Vampire
Unblinking -1 Tzimisce
Uncommon Vitae Preference -2 Ventrue
Uncontrollable Night Sight -2 Lasombra
Unproven -3 Lasombra
Unsanctioned Embrace -2 Harbinger of Skulls
Unsettling Effect -1, -3 Human
Venomous Bite -2 Follower of Set
Vulnerable to Silver -2 Vampire