Post by Phsycodelic on Aug 2, 2016 0:41:36 GMT
General Supernatural Flaws
Bard's Tongue (1 point): You speak the truth, uncannily so. Things you say tend to come true. This is not a facility for blessing and cursing, or an effect that can be ruled by any conscious control. However, at least once per story, an uncomfortable truth or possibility regarding any current situation will appear in your head and through your lips (basically very mild turrets). To avoid speaking prophesy, you must expend a Willpower point and take an unsoakable Lethal Health Level from the strain of resisting (especially if you bite a hole in your tongue).
Beacon of the Unholy (2 point): You radiate palpable evil. Clergy and devout mortals know instinctively that there is something horribly wrong with you, and react accordingly.
Bound (2 or 5 point): For the 2 point version you are blood bound to a Vampire. Your regnant may not necessarily treat you badly, but the fact remains that your will is not entirely your own. The knowledge gnaws at you, even as you find yourself lost in devotion to your Vampiric master (Sabbat vampires cannot take this version of this Flaw). For the 5 point version, you owe some powerful Umbrood, Angel, Demon, Spirit, whatever, and you owe them BIG. This is a Very Bad Thing.
Cast No Shadow or Reflection (1 point): There are many explanations for this phenomenon, and no two agree: You may have attended the legendary Black School, where the Devil who runs the place took the hindmost as payment - in this case, your shadow. Or maybe it got trapped in a mirror or left in a little girl's bedroom somewhere - which is better than the alternative, for some believe if it escapes, it runs around as your evil twin. In any case, you cast either no shadow or reflection (your choice), and this may cause many problems. Especially because this is a common Flaw among Demon worshipers, such as the Nephandi.
Cold Breeze (1 point): A chill wind follows you everywhere you go. While it may make for dramatic entrances, this effect also discomforts mortals (plus 1 difficulty on all appropriate Social rolls) and marks you as obviously supernatural. Cold winds sweeping through executive offices or crowded nightclubs can raise all sorts of questions.
Cursed (1-5 point): You are the recipient of a supernatural curse. The strength and pervasiveness of the curse depend upon how many points you wish to incur. 1 point is minor quirks of fate, 2 points is small but annoying problems, 3 points is chronic misfortune, 4 points is major problems, and 5 points is pervasive bad luck. Examples:
(1 point) If you pass on a secret you were entrusted with, your betrayal will come back to harm you in some way.
(1 point) Technology suffers tiny malfunctions in your presence.
(1 point) People tend to think ill of you.
(2 point) You stutter uncontrollably when you try to describe what you have seen or heard.
(2 point) Things you value for sentimental or functional reasons tend to disappear - mementos, minor magical items, or significant utilitarian items like the keys to your car or your favorite knife.
(2 point) Tires go flat and warning lights go on when you depend upon your car.
(2 point) Expensive clothes wind up ruined by stupid accidents.
(3 point) Tools break or malfunction when you try to use them, always to your own detriment or inconvenience.
(3 point) Children fear you, and will do or say things to get out of your presence.
(3 point) Red lights slow you down whenever you absolutely, positively need to be somewhere on time.
(4 point) People dislike you on principle.
(4 point) You are doomed to make enemies of those whom you most love or admire.
(4 point) Relationships seem to go wrong as soon as you begin to care for someone. This might keep you from establishing good relations with the members of your group.
(4 point) Your greatest plans collapse for no predictable reason.
(4 point) Your bank account keeps suffering unexpected withdrawals from sources that aren't you.
(5 point) At critical moments, you tend to experience catastrophic failures. A magical item doesn't work when you need it most, your gun misfires or jams during combat, or you get stuck while crossing the Gauntlet in an emergency situation. As a significant Flaw, Storytellers should feel free to put you into peril on a frequent basis with this level of Curse.
(5 point) Every one of your accomplishments or triumphs will eventually become soiled or fail in some way.
(5 point) Technology never works the way it's supposed to function.
(5 point) Chronic pain or poor health sap whatever vitality you possess.
Dark Fate (5 point): You are doomed to experience an untimely death or, worse, suffer eternal agony. No matter what you do, you cannot avoid this terrible fate. At some point during the chronicle, your Dark Fate will come upon you. Even more ghastly is the fact that you occasionally have visions of this fate. The malaise these images inspire requires an expenditure of a temporary Willpower point to avoid, or else you lose 1 die from all of your actions for the remainder of the session. It is up to the Storyteller to determine the exact nature of this fate, and when it will occur. This is a difficult Flaw to roleplay; ironically, though it may seem as though it removes all free will, the knowledge of one’s death can be quite liberating.
Deathsight (2 point): Everything appears rotted and decayed to you. The world appears to you as a corpse; mortals look diseased or skeletal, buildings seem decrepit. You are at at a minus 2 difficulty to resist all rolls based on Appearance, but by the same token you are at a plus 2 difficulty on all perception rolls. In addition, you find social interaction difficult and are at a plus 1 difficulty on all social rolls.
Devil’s Mark (1 point): Somewhere along the line, you made a pact with a demon or devil and it tunneled its foul power into you, leaving a mark in the process. This blemish (known as a witch's nipple) is dark and unwholesome looking, but it is insensitive to pain. In ages past, the “witch prickers” of the Inquisition would test these marks with special pins before they burned infernalists at the stake. In the modern day, the puritanical pricks are few and far between, and most people who see this mark will just think it's a birthmark. Despite the name “nipple,” it can grow anywhere on your body. On the plus side, if you have some demonic familiar, your imp can suck Quintessence directly from your third nipple, with the added bonus of it being insensible to pain - a real perk when you have a cat chewing on your tit.
Eerie Presence (2 point): Mortals have an unconscious awareness of your supernatural nature, which makes then anxious and ill at ease in your presence. Because of this, difficulties of all rolls relating to social interaction with mortals are increased by 2.
Geas / Mystical Prohibition or Imperative (1-10 point): There is something you must or must not do, and your life, your luck, your magic and perhaps your very soul depends on it. It may be something that has always been upon you, a geas prophesied by Druids at your birth, a sacred oath or vow you swore, or a promise or bargain you made. Someone (with a capital S) witnessed it and is going to hold you to it. If you disobey, the consequences will be dire, if not deadly. You may have several magical prohibitions or imperatives, and these may come into conflict. In Celtic myth, Cuchulainn had the geas to “Never refuse hospitality” and “Never eat dog meat.” Three hags once offered him roast dog for dinner, and Cuchulainn died soon after. Consequently, most keep their magical prohibitions and imperatives secret, lest they be used against them by their enemies. Storytellers should examine each prohibition or imperative and assign a point value to it, as well as the punishment for avoiding it. Easily avoided circumstances are generally worth 1 point, while more common, or difficult, things are worth 2 points, and particularly drastic or dangerous circumstances are worth 3 (or more) points. A 5 point geas is something that rules your entire life.
(1 point) Easily avoided circumstance or trivial sacrifice: Never break bread with a red-haired man, say your prayers every night, take your vitamins, never harm the king, don't eat ham, keep one small secret.
(2 point) Unlikely circumstance or a small sacrifice: Stop and pet every cat you see, never eat any animal product, never harm a certain type of animal or a certain type of person, never raise your sword in anger.
(3 point) Everyday circumstance or common sacrifice: Never back down from a fight, never tell a secret, never refuse hospitality, never marry, never have children.
(4 point) Almost unavoidable circumstance or significant sacrifice: Remain a virgin, never harm a living creature, never tell a lie.
(5 point) Inevitable circumstance or incredible sacrifice: When you die, if you ever let the sun touch your skin, if you ever allow your feet to touch the earth, if you ever speak another word, if you ever sleep in the same place more than one night, if you do not render aid to everyone in need that you encounter.
Consequences are also worth points as well:
(1 point) Automatically botching the next major supernatural Skill you use.
(2 point) Having bad luck for the rest of your life.
(3 point) Losing all your friends and worldly possessions.
(4 point) A gruesome death.
(5 point) Being deserted by your very soul.
You and your Storyteller may come up with variants of these. Traditionally, there is very little that may be done about geas, which are simply facets of one's destiny, or curses that are devilishly hard to lift (and the Flaw must be bought off if they are or else they are replaced by a separate Flaw of equal value). If you accidentally violate them you may attempt to atone for your crime, fixing whatever you did wrong. For example a witch who has vowed to never eat any red meat, and then suddenly finds beef in her soup, might be able to atone for the trespass by fasting and sending checks to PETA. However, if you violate an oath willingly and with full knowledge - and survive - you become an oathbreaker, one of the foulest epithets among most of supernatural society. Oathbreakers are psychically and spiritually marked, and it is virtually impossible for them to find a tutor or any sort of aid. If you wish to begin as an oathbreaker you should take the Flaw Dark Fate or Cursed, as well as Oathbreaker, which is worth 4 points.
Haunted (3 point): You are haunted by an angry and tormented spirit. This spirit actively attempts to hinder you and does its utmost to vent its anguish upon you and anyone in your presence. The Storyteller determines the exact nature of the spirit, its powers, and whether or not it can eventually be laid to rest.
Magic Susceptibility (2 point): You are especially susceptible to magical rituals and spells of various sorts. The difficulty to cast any such effects upon you is 2 lower than the difficulty to cast the same ritual or spell on another.
Mystical Prohibition or Imperative / Geas (1-10 point): There is something you must or must not do, and your life, your luck, your magic and perhaps your very soul depends on it. It may be something that has always been upon you, a geas prophesied by Druids at your birth, a sacred oath or vow you swore, or a promise or bargain you made. Someone (with a capital S) witnessed it and is going to hold you to it. If you disobey, the consequences will be dire, if not deadly. You may have several magical prohibitions or imperatives, and these may come into conflict. In Celtic myth, Cuchulainn had the geas to “Never refuse hospitality” and “Never eat dog meat.” Three hags once offered him roast dog for dinner, and Cuchulainn died soon after. Consequently, most keep their magical prohibitions and imperatives secret, lest they be used against them by their enemies. Storytellers should examine each prohibition or imperative and assign a point value to it, as well as the punishment for avoiding it. Easily avoided circumstances are generally worth 1 point, while more common, or difficult, things are worth 2 points, and particularly drastic or dangerous circumstances are worth 3 (or more) points. A 5 point geas is something that rules your entire life.
(1 point) Easily avoided circumstance or trivial sacrifice: Never break bread with a red-haired man, say your prayers every night, take your vitamins, never harm the king, don't eat ham, keep one small secret.
(2 point) Unlikely circumstance or a small sacrifice: Stop and pet every cat you see, never eat any animal product, never harm a certain type of animal or a certain type of person, never raise your sword in anger.
(3 point) Everyday circumstance or common sacrifice: Never back down from a fight, never tell a secret, never refuse hospitality, never marry, never have children.
(4 point) Almost unavoidable circumstance or significant sacrifice: Remain a virgin, never harm a living creature, never tell a lie.
(5 point) Inevitable circumstance or incredible sacrifice: When you die, if you ever let the sun touch your skin, if you ever allow your feet to touch the earth, if you ever speak another word, if you ever sleep in the same place more than one night, if you do not render aid to everyone in need that you encounter.
Consequences are also worth points as well:
(1 point) Automatically botching the next major supernatural Skill you use.
(2 point) Having bad luck for the rest of your life.
(3 point) Losing all your friends and worldly possessions.
(4 point) A gruesome death.
(5 point) Being deserted by your very soul.
You and your Storyteller may come up with variants of these. Traditionally, there is very little that may be done about geas, which are simply facets of one's destiny, or curses that are devilishly hard to lift (and the Flaw must be bought off if they are or else they are replaced by a separate Flaw of equal value). If you accidentally violate them you may attempt to atone for your crime, fixing whatever you did wrong. For example a witch who has vowed to never eat any red meat, and then suddenly finds beef in her soup, might be able to atone for the trespass by fasting and sending checks to PETA. However, if you violate an oath willingly and with full knowledge - and survive - you become an oathbreaker, one of the foulest epithets among most of supernatural society. Oathbreakers are psychically and spiritually marked, and it is virtually impossible for them to find a tutor or any sort of aid. If you wish to begin as an oathbreaker you should take the Flaw Dark Fate or Cursed, as well as Oathbreaker, which is worth 4 points.
Offensive to Animals (1 point): For some reason, animals fear you or just don't like you. Add 2 to your difficulty or subtract 2 dice from rolls involving interacting with animals. Obviously, Vampires can't take this Flaw as they naturally have it (though they can take the 1 point Merit Inoffensive to Animals, which reverses the effect of the curse).
Otherworldly Taint (2 point): Something about you just isn't right. You have a physical peculiarity (odd hair / eye color, glowing eyes, etc.), and / or just an odd aura about you which may make you stick out. Perhaps you have white hair at a young age, or you're unusually tall, or you've got eyes that shine slightly silver in the moonlight. Regardless, you've got some feature or mystique that other people consider disturbing, even if they don't know why. To most observers, you're simply uncanny; a person skilled in occult or mystical matters can recognize you for what you are with a successful Perception + Awareness roll at difficulty 7. Some people might find your disquieting presence compelling. Most, however, will give you a lot of breathing room - or a lot of trouble.
Potent Blood (3 point): Your blood, for some reason, is very potent and Vampires will desire to drink it. They will not easily give up the chance to continue using you as a source of Vitae. They gain two blood points for every one drunk. Vampires may not take this Merit.
Psychic Vampire (5 point): The spark of life is dying within you, and you must be continuously fed from outside forces. You are a Psychic Vampire. Plants and insects wither or die in your presence as you feed on their energies, and any person you touch for more than an hour will suffer one Lethal Health Level as you siphon away their life. Those already injured (including those whose Bruised Health Levels have been sucked away) will not heal while in your presence. You can still be in the same building without harming someone, but sharing a bed is not possible unless you want the other person to slowly die. If you do not feed the emptiness within yourself at least once a day, you will begin to die. The rate at which you take wounds follows the progression for natural healing in reverse: you take an unsoakable Health Level after one day, a second in three days, a third in a week, a forth in a month, and finally, one wound every three months.
Spiritually Noticable (3 point): Only those who possess either the Medium or Spirit Sight Merit or a similar power can take this Flaw. Spirits automatically notice that you can always perceive them. Unlike the Spirit Magnet Merit or Flaw, Spiritually Noticeable people are known to be able to interact easily with spirits. While most spirits will ignore you, Wraiths who need aid in the mortal world, nature spirits who are upset with environmental destruction, and odd spirits who merely want to talk to a human will flock to you. These spirits may be annoyed, or they may be honestly friendly, but they all want something from you. While having spirits frequently hitting you up for favors can be annoying, having them do so when you are involved in some potentially hazardous activity can be extremely dangerous. Many with this Flaw either ward their dwellings against spiritual intrusions or make deals with one or more spirits to act as guardians.
Taint of Corruption / Taint of The Wyrm (1 point or 4 point for most, 7 point for Werewolves): For 1 point version plants wither when you approach, and will die if you touch them. It is rumored that Caine himself possesses this Flaw, and only Vampires with Auspex can sense it easily, although other powerful enough Supernatural sights could notice it (other splats are at a plus 2 difficulty to detect the taint at this level). At the 4 point version you are touched by the force of Corruption called the Wyrm by the Garou, and can be detected as a Wyrm creature by any splat. This makes you Werewolf bait, and particularly sucks if you are a Werewolf. You also suffer nightmares and are called by Wyrm-creatures to join its side. Get your ass cleansed if you can (this is going to take quite a quest) or else... and in the mean time, may Heaven help you if a Werewolf sniffs you out. (Of course, all Vampires with Humanity below 7 read as Tainted by others anyways...)
Touch of Frost (1 point): Plants wither at your approach and die at your touch. Your touch is as cold and clammy as a corpse - a refrigerated one at that.
Unlucky (4 point): You've dealt with bad breaks all your life. From the true love who had to move across the country to the struggling internet company you quit two months before it's billion-dollar IPO, you seem always to make the wrong moves at the wrong time. Once per game session, the Storyteller may increase the difficulty of a critical roll you make by 2. If you fail he roll, it's due to some random, hard-luck factor. Your bad luck seems to crop up at the most inconvenient times.
Vulnerability (1-7 point): You possesses a Vulnerability - a substance, element, or power that can harm or even kill you, like Superman's problems with Kryptonite or the Wicked Witch of the West's aversion to cleaning buckets. The level of this Flaw depends on whether his weakness can fatally injure you, or simply weaken you, and on how common the substance is. Damage caused by a Vulnerability cannot be soaked, except by Armor, assuming it's the right sort of Armor (the Wicked Witch of the West would have survived if she were wearing a hazmat suit or just a raincoat and umbrella). A normal, weakening Vulnerability causes 1 Aggravated Health Level of damage per tum of contact. A mortal peril causes 3 Aggravated Health Levels of damage per turn of contact. If the slightest drop of the substance is certain death, instantly bringing your destruction, this Flaw is worth 1 extra point beyond that. If merely being in the presence of the substance causes you damage - being in the same room as the Emperor's perfume or standing in indirect sunlight - or the most infinitesimal drop causes you harm, this Flaw is also worth 1 point more; while if you actually have to be damaged by the substance - stabbed with the Lance of Longinus, beaten with an iron crowbar - this Flaw is worth 1 point less. If taken at the full seven-point level, this Flaw means a single beam of moonlight or the mere sight of a drop of blood can instantly kill you.
(2 point) You can be fatally injured by something that's nearly impossible to acquire (the Holy Lance of Longinus, the perfume of the Emperor of Cathay), or weakened by something very rare (dragon's blood, naphtha, the bite of an Egyptian asp, panther's breath).
(3 point) You can be fatally injured by something very rare (dragon's blood, naphtha, the bite of an Egyptian asp, panther's breath), or weakened by something moderately rare (mistletoe, garlic, the sight of your reflection, silver, magic).
(4 point) You can be fatally injured by something moderately rare (mistletoe, garlic, the sight of your reflection, silver, magic), or weakened by something common (iron, sunlight, fire).
(5 point) You can be fatally injured by something common (iron, sunlight, fire).
Bard's Tongue (1 point): You speak the truth, uncannily so. Things you say tend to come true. This is not a facility for blessing and cursing, or an effect that can be ruled by any conscious control. However, at least once per story, an uncomfortable truth or possibility regarding any current situation will appear in your head and through your lips (basically very mild turrets). To avoid speaking prophesy, you must expend a Willpower point and take an unsoakable Lethal Health Level from the strain of resisting (especially if you bite a hole in your tongue).
Beacon of the Unholy (2 point): You radiate palpable evil. Clergy and devout mortals know instinctively that there is something horribly wrong with you, and react accordingly.
Bound (2 or 5 point): For the 2 point version you are blood bound to a Vampire. Your regnant may not necessarily treat you badly, but the fact remains that your will is not entirely your own. The knowledge gnaws at you, even as you find yourself lost in devotion to your Vampiric master (Sabbat vampires cannot take this version of this Flaw). For the 5 point version, you owe some powerful Umbrood, Angel, Demon, Spirit, whatever, and you owe them BIG. This is a Very Bad Thing.
Cast No Shadow or Reflection (1 point): There are many explanations for this phenomenon, and no two agree: You may have attended the legendary Black School, where the Devil who runs the place took the hindmost as payment - in this case, your shadow. Or maybe it got trapped in a mirror or left in a little girl's bedroom somewhere - which is better than the alternative, for some believe if it escapes, it runs around as your evil twin. In any case, you cast either no shadow or reflection (your choice), and this may cause many problems. Especially because this is a common Flaw among Demon worshipers, such as the Nephandi.
Cold Breeze (1 point): A chill wind follows you everywhere you go. While it may make for dramatic entrances, this effect also discomforts mortals (plus 1 difficulty on all appropriate Social rolls) and marks you as obviously supernatural. Cold winds sweeping through executive offices or crowded nightclubs can raise all sorts of questions.
Cursed (1-5 point): You are the recipient of a supernatural curse. The strength and pervasiveness of the curse depend upon how many points you wish to incur. 1 point is minor quirks of fate, 2 points is small but annoying problems, 3 points is chronic misfortune, 4 points is major problems, and 5 points is pervasive bad luck. Examples:
(1 point) If you pass on a secret you were entrusted with, your betrayal will come back to harm you in some way.
(1 point) Technology suffers tiny malfunctions in your presence.
(1 point) People tend to think ill of you.
(2 point) You stutter uncontrollably when you try to describe what you have seen or heard.
(2 point) Things you value for sentimental or functional reasons tend to disappear - mementos, minor magical items, or significant utilitarian items like the keys to your car or your favorite knife.
(2 point) Tires go flat and warning lights go on when you depend upon your car.
(2 point) Expensive clothes wind up ruined by stupid accidents.
(3 point) Tools break or malfunction when you try to use them, always to your own detriment or inconvenience.
(3 point) Children fear you, and will do or say things to get out of your presence.
(3 point) Red lights slow you down whenever you absolutely, positively need to be somewhere on time.
(4 point) People dislike you on principle.
(4 point) You are doomed to make enemies of those whom you most love or admire.
(4 point) Relationships seem to go wrong as soon as you begin to care for someone. This might keep you from establishing good relations with the members of your group.
(4 point) Your greatest plans collapse for no predictable reason.
(4 point) Your bank account keeps suffering unexpected withdrawals from sources that aren't you.
(5 point) At critical moments, you tend to experience catastrophic failures. A magical item doesn't work when you need it most, your gun misfires or jams during combat, or you get stuck while crossing the Gauntlet in an emergency situation. As a significant Flaw, Storytellers should feel free to put you into peril on a frequent basis with this level of Curse.
(5 point) Every one of your accomplishments or triumphs will eventually become soiled or fail in some way.
(5 point) Technology never works the way it's supposed to function.
(5 point) Chronic pain or poor health sap whatever vitality you possess.
Dark Fate (5 point): You are doomed to experience an untimely death or, worse, suffer eternal agony. No matter what you do, you cannot avoid this terrible fate. At some point during the chronicle, your Dark Fate will come upon you. Even more ghastly is the fact that you occasionally have visions of this fate. The malaise these images inspire requires an expenditure of a temporary Willpower point to avoid, or else you lose 1 die from all of your actions for the remainder of the session. It is up to the Storyteller to determine the exact nature of this fate, and when it will occur. This is a difficult Flaw to roleplay; ironically, though it may seem as though it removes all free will, the knowledge of one’s death can be quite liberating.
Deathsight (2 point): Everything appears rotted and decayed to you. The world appears to you as a corpse; mortals look diseased or skeletal, buildings seem decrepit. You are at at a minus 2 difficulty to resist all rolls based on Appearance, but by the same token you are at a plus 2 difficulty on all perception rolls. In addition, you find social interaction difficult and are at a plus 1 difficulty on all social rolls.
Devil’s Mark (1 point): Somewhere along the line, you made a pact with a demon or devil and it tunneled its foul power into you, leaving a mark in the process. This blemish (known as a witch's nipple) is dark and unwholesome looking, but it is insensitive to pain. In ages past, the “witch prickers” of the Inquisition would test these marks with special pins before they burned infernalists at the stake. In the modern day, the puritanical pricks are few and far between, and most people who see this mark will just think it's a birthmark. Despite the name “nipple,” it can grow anywhere on your body. On the plus side, if you have some demonic familiar, your imp can suck Quintessence directly from your third nipple, with the added bonus of it being insensible to pain - a real perk when you have a cat chewing on your tit.
Eerie Presence (2 point): Mortals have an unconscious awareness of your supernatural nature, which makes then anxious and ill at ease in your presence. Because of this, difficulties of all rolls relating to social interaction with mortals are increased by 2.
Geas / Mystical Prohibition or Imperative (1-10 point): There is something you must or must not do, and your life, your luck, your magic and perhaps your very soul depends on it. It may be something that has always been upon you, a geas prophesied by Druids at your birth, a sacred oath or vow you swore, or a promise or bargain you made. Someone (with a capital S) witnessed it and is going to hold you to it. If you disobey, the consequences will be dire, if not deadly. You may have several magical prohibitions or imperatives, and these may come into conflict. In Celtic myth, Cuchulainn had the geas to “Never refuse hospitality” and “Never eat dog meat.” Three hags once offered him roast dog for dinner, and Cuchulainn died soon after. Consequently, most keep their magical prohibitions and imperatives secret, lest they be used against them by their enemies. Storytellers should examine each prohibition or imperative and assign a point value to it, as well as the punishment for avoiding it. Easily avoided circumstances are generally worth 1 point, while more common, or difficult, things are worth 2 points, and particularly drastic or dangerous circumstances are worth 3 (or more) points. A 5 point geas is something that rules your entire life.
(1 point) Easily avoided circumstance or trivial sacrifice: Never break bread with a red-haired man, say your prayers every night, take your vitamins, never harm the king, don't eat ham, keep one small secret.
(2 point) Unlikely circumstance or a small sacrifice: Stop and pet every cat you see, never eat any animal product, never harm a certain type of animal or a certain type of person, never raise your sword in anger.
(3 point) Everyday circumstance or common sacrifice: Never back down from a fight, never tell a secret, never refuse hospitality, never marry, never have children.
(4 point) Almost unavoidable circumstance or significant sacrifice: Remain a virgin, never harm a living creature, never tell a lie.
(5 point) Inevitable circumstance or incredible sacrifice: When you die, if you ever let the sun touch your skin, if you ever allow your feet to touch the earth, if you ever speak another word, if you ever sleep in the same place more than one night, if you do not render aid to everyone in need that you encounter.
Consequences are also worth points as well:
(1 point) Automatically botching the next major supernatural Skill you use.
(2 point) Having bad luck for the rest of your life.
(3 point) Losing all your friends and worldly possessions.
(4 point) A gruesome death.
(5 point) Being deserted by your very soul.
You and your Storyteller may come up with variants of these. Traditionally, there is very little that may be done about geas, which are simply facets of one's destiny, or curses that are devilishly hard to lift (and the Flaw must be bought off if they are or else they are replaced by a separate Flaw of equal value). If you accidentally violate them you may attempt to atone for your crime, fixing whatever you did wrong. For example a witch who has vowed to never eat any red meat, and then suddenly finds beef in her soup, might be able to atone for the trespass by fasting and sending checks to PETA. However, if you violate an oath willingly and with full knowledge - and survive - you become an oathbreaker, one of the foulest epithets among most of supernatural society. Oathbreakers are psychically and spiritually marked, and it is virtually impossible for them to find a tutor or any sort of aid. If you wish to begin as an oathbreaker you should take the Flaw Dark Fate or Cursed, as well as Oathbreaker, which is worth 4 points.
Haunted (3 point): You are haunted by an angry and tormented spirit. This spirit actively attempts to hinder you and does its utmost to vent its anguish upon you and anyone in your presence. The Storyteller determines the exact nature of the spirit, its powers, and whether or not it can eventually be laid to rest.
Magic Susceptibility (2 point): You are especially susceptible to magical rituals and spells of various sorts. The difficulty to cast any such effects upon you is 2 lower than the difficulty to cast the same ritual or spell on another.
Mystical Prohibition or Imperative / Geas (1-10 point): There is something you must or must not do, and your life, your luck, your magic and perhaps your very soul depends on it. It may be something that has always been upon you, a geas prophesied by Druids at your birth, a sacred oath or vow you swore, or a promise or bargain you made. Someone (with a capital S) witnessed it and is going to hold you to it. If you disobey, the consequences will be dire, if not deadly. You may have several magical prohibitions or imperatives, and these may come into conflict. In Celtic myth, Cuchulainn had the geas to “Never refuse hospitality” and “Never eat dog meat.” Three hags once offered him roast dog for dinner, and Cuchulainn died soon after. Consequently, most keep their magical prohibitions and imperatives secret, lest they be used against them by their enemies. Storytellers should examine each prohibition or imperative and assign a point value to it, as well as the punishment for avoiding it. Easily avoided circumstances are generally worth 1 point, while more common, or difficult, things are worth 2 points, and particularly drastic or dangerous circumstances are worth 3 (or more) points. A 5 point geas is something that rules your entire life.
(1 point) Easily avoided circumstance or trivial sacrifice: Never break bread with a red-haired man, say your prayers every night, take your vitamins, never harm the king, don't eat ham, keep one small secret.
(2 point) Unlikely circumstance or a small sacrifice: Stop and pet every cat you see, never eat any animal product, never harm a certain type of animal or a certain type of person, never raise your sword in anger.
(3 point) Everyday circumstance or common sacrifice: Never back down from a fight, never tell a secret, never refuse hospitality, never marry, never have children.
(4 point) Almost unavoidable circumstance or significant sacrifice: Remain a virgin, never harm a living creature, never tell a lie.
(5 point) Inevitable circumstance or incredible sacrifice: When you die, if you ever let the sun touch your skin, if you ever allow your feet to touch the earth, if you ever speak another word, if you ever sleep in the same place more than one night, if you do not render aid to everyone in need that you encounter.
Consequences are also worth points as well:
(1 point) Automatically botching the next major supernatural Skill you use.
(2 point) Having bad luck for the rest of your life.
(3 point) Losing all your friends and worldly possessions.
(4 point) A gruesome death.
(5 point) Being deserted by your very soul.
You and your Storyteller may come up with variants of these. Traditionally, there is very little that may be done about geas, which are simply facets of one's destiny, or curses that are devilishly hard to lift (and the Flaw must be bought off if they are or else they are replaced by a separate Flaw of equal value). If you accidentally violate them you may attempt to atone for your crime, fixing whatever you did wrong. For example a witch who has vowed to never eat any red meat, and then suddenly finds beef in her soup, might be able to atone for the trespass by fasting and sending checks to PETA. However, if you violate an oath willingly and with full knowledge - and survive - you become an oathbreaker, one of the foulest epithets among most of supernatural society. Oathbreakers are psychically and spiritually marked, and it is virtually impossible for them to find a tutor or any sort of aid. If you wish to begin as an oathbreaker you should take the Flaw Dark Fate or Cursed, as well as Oathbreaker, which is worth 4 points.
Offensive to Animals (1 point): For some reason, animals fear you or just don't like you. Add 2 to your difficulty or subtract 2 dice from rolls involving interacting with animals. Obviously, Vampires can't take this Flaw as they naturally have it (though they can take the 1 point Merit Inoffensive to Animals, which reverses the effect of the curse).
Otherworldly Taint (2 point): Something about you just isn't right. You have a physical peculiarity (odd hair / eye color, glowing eyes, etc.), and / or just an odd aura about you which may make you stick out. Perhaps you have white hair at a young age, or you're unusually tall, or you've got eyes that shine slightly silver in the moonlight. Regardless, you've got some feature or mystique that other people consider disturbing, even if they don't know why. To most observers, you're simply uncanny; a person skilled in occult or mystical matters can recognize you for what you are with a successful Perception + Awareness roll at difficulty 7. Some people might find your disquieting presence compelling. Most, however, will give you a lot of breathing room - or a lot of trouble.
Potent Blood (3 point): Your blood, for some reason, is very potent and Vampires will desire to drink it. They will not easily give up the chance to continue using you as a source of Vitae. They gain two blood points for every one drunk. Vampires may not take this Merit.
Psychic Vampire (5 point): The spark of life is dying within you, and you must be continuously fed from outside forces. You are a Psychic Vampire. Plants and insects wither or die in your presence as you feed on their energies, and any person you touch for more than an hour will suffer one Lethal Health Level as you siphon away their life. Those already injured (including those whose Bruised Health Levels have been sucked away) will not heal while in your presence. You can still be in the same building without harming someone, but sharing a bed is not possible unless you want the other person to slowly die. If you do not feed the emptiness within yourself at least once a day, you will begin to die. The rate at which you take wounds follows the progression for natural healing in reverse: you take an unsoakable Health Level after one day, a second in three days, a third in a week, a forth in a month, and finally, one wound every three months.
Spiritually Noticable (3 point): Only those who possess either the Medium or Spirit Sight Merit or a similar power can take this Flaw. Spirits automatically notice that you can always perceive them. Unlike the Spirit Magnet Merit or Flaw, Spiritually Noticeable people are known to be able to interact easily with spirits. While most spirits will ignore you, Wraiths who need aid in the mortal world, nature spirits who are upset with environmental destruction, and odd spirits who merely want to talk to a human will flock to you. These spirits may be annoyed, or they may be honestly friendly, but they all want something from you. While having spirits frequently hitting you up for favors can be annoying, having them do so when you are involved in some potentially hazardous activity can be extremely dangerous. Many with this Flaw either ward their dwellings against spiritual intrusions or make deals with one or more spirits to act as guardians.
Taint of Corruption / Taint of The Wyrm (1 point or 4 point for most, 7 point for Werewolves): For 1 point version plants wither when you approach, and will die if you touch them. It is rumored that Caine himself possesses this Flaw, and only Vampires with Auspex can sense it easily, although other powerful enough Supernatural sights could notice it (other splats are at a plus 2 difficulty to detect the taint at this level). At the 4 point version you are touched by the force of Corruption called the Wyrm by the Garou, and can be detected as a Wyrm creature by any splat. This makes you Werewolf bait, and particularly sucks if you are a Werewolf. You also suffer nightmares and are called by Wyrm-creatures to join its side. Get your ass cleansed if you can (this is going to take quite a quest) or else... and in the mean time, may Heaven help you if a Werewolf sniffs you out. (Of course, all Vampires with Humanity below 7 read as Tainted by others anyways...)
Touch of Frost (1 point): Plants wither at your approach and die at your touch. Your touch is as cold and clammy as a corpse - a refrigerated one at that.
Unlucky (4 point): You've dealt with bad breaks all your life. From the true love who had to move across the country to the struggling internet company you quit two months before it's billion-dollar IPO, you seem always to make the wrong moves at the wrong time. Once per game session, the Storyteller may increase the difficulty of a critical roll you make by 2. If you fail he roll, it's due to some random, hard-luck factor. Your bad luck seems to crop up at the most inconvenient times.
Vulnerability (1-7 point): You possesses a Vulnerability - a substance, element, or power that can harm or even kill you, like Superman's problems with Kryptonite or the Wicked Witch of the West's aversion to cleaning buckets. The level of this Flaw depends on whether his weakness can fatally injure you, or simply weaken you, and on how common the substance is. Damage caused by a Vulnerability cannot be soaked, except by Armor, assuming it's the right sort of Armor (the Wicked Witch of the West would have survived if she were wearing a hazmat suit or just a raincoat and umbrella). A normal, weakening Vulnerability causes 1 Aggravated Health Level of damage per tum of contact. A mortal peril causes 3 Aggravated Health Levels of damage per turn of contact. If the slightest drop of the substance is certain death, instantly bringing your destruction, this Flaw is worth 1 extra point beyond that. If merely being in the presence of the substance causes you damage - being in the same room as the Emperor's perfume or standing in indirect sunlight - or the most infinitesimal drop causes you harm, this Flaw is also worth 1 point more; while if you actually have to be damaged by the substance - stabbed with the Lance of Longinus, beaten with an iron crowbar - this Flaw is worth 1 point less. If taken at the full seven-point level, this Flaw means a single beam of moonlight or the mere sight of a drop of blood can instantly kill you.
(2 point) You can be fatally injured by something that's nearly impossible to acquire (the Holy Lance of Longinus, the perfume of the Emperor of Cathay), or weakened by something very rare (dragon's blood, naphtha, the bite of an Egyptian asp, panther's breath).
(3 point) You can be fatally injured by something very rare (dragon's blood, naphtha, the bite of an Egyptian asp, panther's breath), or weakened by something moderately rare (mistletoe, garlic, the sight of your reflection, silver, magic).
(4 point) You can be fatally injured by something moderately rare (mistletoe, garlic, the sight of your reflection, silver, magic), or weakened by something common (iron, sunlight, fire).
(5 point) You can be fatally injured by something common (iron, sunlight, fire).
