CrunchyMeritMethodology

Crunchy Merit Methodology

This revamp is intended to use the new, stronger framework for projects, crafts and social influence to attach more crunchy rules to Story Merits. It seeks to answer the question: what do Story Merits do?

Rules

Story Merits often add bonus dice to appropriate rolls. To use these dice, you must have access to the Merit, and use a stunt that illustrates how it assists you.

It is possible to receive dice from more than one Merit on a single action, but you may not add more than a total of five Merit dice. Merit dice are not considered as coming from Charms.

When using these rules with the Unified Project Methodology, you may not add the Merit dice below to a Project roll. If you want to use a Merit for a Project, make it a Supporting Merit.

Revised Merits

Allies

Allies are no longer repurchased multiple times to reflect different characters.

When you are having difficulty doing something, you may call upon your Allies. You may do this a number of times each story equal to your Allies rating.

When your Allies respond, they will provide the chance to reattempt a task (if it would otherwise be impossible), and add bonus dice equal to your Allies rating to the roll. This will take a form appropriate to your Allies, as determined by the ST – they may intercede directly, provide you with something you can use, or send someone to assist.

Artifact

This merit is unchanged from as described in Third Edition.

Backing

You may add your Backing in dice to:

• Social influence rolls targeting members of the organisation.
• Rolls to accomplish something that the organisation specialises in.

You must add your Backing to the Difficulty of:

• Mundane attempts to conceal yourself from members of the organisation.
• Social influence rolls targeting anyone who has a negative Intimacy toward the organisation.

Breeding

You may add your Breeding in dice to:

• Rolls to determine whether your child Exalts as a Dragon-Blooded.
• Rolls to seduce Dragon-Blooded characters.

Command

You may add your Command in dice to:

• All War rolls.
• Rolls to threaten someone.

You must add your Command to the Difficulty of:

• Attempts to evade detection.
• Attempts to outrun or outmanoeuvre someone.

You may leave your troops behind (and often do!), suspending these effects until you are reunited.

Contacts

You may add your Contacts in dice to:

• Rolls to determine the activity or intentions of anyone within the organisation.

Cult

This Merit is unchanged from as described in Third Edition.

Demesne

You control a place of power within Creation.

OO: You control a Demesne. OOO: You control a Demesne upon which a Manse has been built, and have its Hearthstone. OOOO: You control a Major Demesne. OOOOO: You control a Major Demesne upon which a Manse has been built, and have its Hearthstone.

You automatically detect any Essence expenditure within your Demesne. You may identify who used it and where (Perception+Occult, Difficulty 3), or the exact nature of the magic used (Difficulty 5).

When you are in a Demesne you control, you may add its rating (2 or 4) to:

• Motes regenerated per hour
• Motes regenerated per turn in combat
• All instantaneous checks

Attempting to confront an Exalt within their Manse or Demesne is a very foolish idea.

When you are in a Demense you are attuned to (but do not control), or you are carrying the Hearthstone for your Manse, you receive the motes/hour bonus but no others.

Familiar

You may add your Familiar in dice to:

• Rolls to actively search an area to locate something or someone within it.
• Rolls to track someone.
• Rolls to forage for food in the wilderness.

You must add your Familiar to the Difficulty of:

• All social influence (other than Threaten) in civilised society.

You may leave a Familiar behind somewhere, suspending these effects until you are reunited.

Followers

Each purchase of Followers are experts in a different Ability: choose between Bureaucracy, Craft (Any), Investigation, Larceny, Lore, Medicine, Occult, Performance, Sail, Socialise, and Survival.

You may add your Followers in dice to:

• Any non-instantaneous roll that is made using their expert Ability.

Example: A group of Occultists could help with setting up a ritual. They could not help with aiming a sorcerous spell, as it is an instantaneous check.

You must add your Followers to the Difficulty of:

• Attempts to evade detection.
• Attempts to outrun or outmanoeuvre someone.

You may leave your Followers behind (and often do!), suspending these effects until you are reunited.

Hearthstone

This Merit has been merged into the Demense Merit.

influence

This Merit has been replaced by the Renown Merit.

Manse

This Merit has been merged into the Demense Merit.

Mentor

When you do not know how to accomplish something, you may call upon your Mentor. You may do this a number of times each story equal to your Mentor rating. When they respond, they will explain a good way of accomplishing what you want, as determined by the ST. They will not resolve the problem for you.

Relics

You may add your Relics in dice to:

• Rolls to identify any item or effect.

You must add your Relics to the Difficulty of:

• All Athletics checks (they’re heavy!).
• Attempts to evade detection by magical sources.

You may leave your Relics behind in a laboratory or study, suspending these effects while you are not there.

Renown

When you take Renown, you should specify what you are renowned as. You may gain Renown multiple times, with different flavours.

You may add your Renown in dice to:

• Rolls to inspire people in a way that is directly supported by your reputation
• Rolls to threaten people in a way that is directly supported by your reputation
• Rolls to instil people in a way that is directly supported by your reputation

You must add your Renown to the Difficulty of:

• Attempts to inspire people in a way that directly conflicts with your reputation
• Attempts to threaten people in a way that directly conflicts with your reputation
• Attempts to instil people in a way that directly conflicts with your reputation

Example: Ha Ha Sushi has “Renown (Warlord) OOO”. If they tried to intimidate a guard into letting them into a party, they would receive a bonus from their Renown. If they tried to inspire a sense of camaraderie and good cheer to accomplish the same, they would receive a penalty instead.

Example: Three Word Name has “Renown (Slave Liberator) OOO”. If they tried to intimidate a Guild boss, they would receive a bonus from their Renown. If they tried to intimidate a slave, they would encounter a penalty instead.

Resources

You may add your Resources in dice to:

• All bargain rolls against non-spirit characters.

Retainer

Each Retainer is an expert in a different Ability: choose between Bureaucracy, Craft (Any), Investigation, Larceny, Lore, Medicine, Occult, Performance, Sail, Socialise, and Survival.

Once per session, you may add your Retainer in dice to:

• Any non-instantaneous roll that is made using their expert Ability.

Salary

You may add your Salary in dice to:

• All bargain rolls against spirit characters.

Scars

You have suffered great torment and temptation in your travels, and the burden of your decisions weighs heavily on you. Once per session, you may add your Scars to your Resolve score.

Note: This is a new Story Merit, designed to accomplish two things: one, to give an alternative story reward where an Exalt's actions are noble but deeply unpopular; two, to balance the slight boost to social influence provided by Merit dice.