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How to Make a Character
Character Creation for this game will be following a very different path than is normally the case. In essence, we have altered character creation to focus much more on concept and background, to encourage players to create solid characters. Here's how it works: (there is also a pdf version of all of this available here).
Step One: Concept
The very first thing you should be aware of when coming up with a character concept is that we aren't accepting any characters who've been vampires for more than 75 years, and that only if you win your test; no more than 25 if you lose, or 50 if you tie or don't test at all (see below for details). Why? What it comes down to is that we think that limiting player age better captures the feel of the Sabbat; lots of very young cainites, very few much older cainites.
In terms of clan and bloodline, all of the standard Sabbat bloodlines are available; however, note that we are playing after the destruction of the Tremere antitribu, as well as the disappearance of the Gangrel bloodline of the Ahrimanes, so characters from those two lines will not be allowed. Blood Brothers characters are acceptable, but only with good justification (and realize that you'll be getting maximum "Twink Factor;" see below for details). The Kiasyd and Harbingers of Skulls are both elder bloodlines, which cannot be created under our rules. It also bears mentioning that if you wish to play an embraced Tzimisce revenant, you must buy the merit from the Tzimisce handbook if you wish to retain your revenant disciplines as your in-clans, as opposed to the standard Tzimisce set.
Natures and Demeanors may be selected from any of the available books, though it should fit your concept solidly. Your character may start on any Morality Path (including humanity) out of Laws of the Night: Revised and The Guide to the Sabbat except for the Path of Evil Revelations, the Path of Blood, the Path of Bones, the Path of Typhon, or the Path of Paradox.
If you’d prefer, also, we have several characters that we’d like to see played who will otherwise wind up as NPCs. If you’re interested in taking one of our existing characters, you can ask us about them and pick from what’s available. If you take one of these characters, you can either work within our guidelines to create the character yourself, or we can do it for you. Also note that this isn’t the means to getting “uber-characters;” people who take our NPCs will be more or less the same as everyone else.
Step Two: Submission
At this point, you should write up your character concept and background and send them to the storytellers, along with a basic list of the disciplines, backgrounds, special merits, etc. you wish to take. Based on our assessment of your concept, we will ask for clarification or explanation as necessary, then decide to accept or reject the character.
If your character is accepted, you will be assigned a number of "Levels" (also called "Grades") in the following manner:
- If you have a solid concept, and a decent background, you gain one level. Realize that we’re mostly interested in backgrounds that tell us who a character is, not listings of all his accomplishments.
- You make a test (throw rock-paper-scissors) with the Storytellers; on a win, you gain two levels, one on a tie, none on a loss. You may also choose to waive this test, and instead just take a tie (giving you one level and allowing you to be at most 50 years old).
- Finally, there are three levels which are decided upon based on what we like to call your character's "Twink Factor." This is a measurement of not just how much your character attempts to abuse the rules for your own benefit (in gamer lingo, how "twinkie" your character is), but also how unusual it is, based on both bloodlines and what disciplines and backgrounds you want to take. This Twink Factor is subtracted from the 3 maximum levels to determine how many your character receives. For example, because Blood Brothers are a rare bloodline, they receive a Twink Factor of 3, meaning they receive no levels at this step.
Step 3: Creation
Once you know how many levels your character has, you can actually complete the character creation process! Every level your character has translates into 5 extra freebie points to spend on your character. It also allows you to buy down your generation by one; see below for how this works. So, for example, a character who has earned 3 levels gains 15 bonus freebie points, and can buy up to 3 levels of generation (resulting in a 10th generation vampire) if she so desires.
Here's how the points break down:
Clan or Bloodline Advantage/Flaw
Since many of the antitribu have different clan advantages or flaws, differences between the base clan and its Sabbat form are noted on the various clan pages.
Attributes and Abilities
Any of the attribute traits and abilities from the various Laws of the Night books may be selected; however, be aware that social traits in the Sabbat are a little bit different than normal. For example, callous and cruel are considered positive traits, while empathetic and kind are considered negative. Furthermore, since we don't plan to use adjectival bidding, realize that the traits exist primarily to give your character a distinctive flavor. You also start with 5 lore abilities. We won't be as stringent about lores as some other games have been, but you should still put at least one of these into Sabbat Lore in order to be able to name the rituals, know how the sect works, etc. Also, realize that some lores have the same information, just structured differently, and that the more specific of a lore you pick, the more limited but accurate information it will give you.
Disciplines
You have 18 points which can only be spent on disciplines. You pay the same cost per level as it would take to learn the discipline in play (3/6/9 for in-clan, 4/7/10 for out-of-clan). You must buy at least two levels of in-clan disciplines with these points. Thus, if you wanted to, you could purchase the first 4 levels of a single in clan discipline, both basics of all 3 of your in-clan disciplines, or two basic in-clan disciplines and 12 points worth of out-of-clan. Points left over from this step may be combined with freebies later, but may still only be spent on disciplines.
A Pander character may select as his 3 in-clan disciplines any of the 8 common disciplines (Auspex, Animalism, Celerity, Dominate, Fortitude, Obfuscate, Potence, Presence). He purchases any other disciplines as out-of-clan.
A character with Thaumaturgy as an in-clan discipline MUST select his primary path from the set of approved primary paths for his bloodline (see the individual clan pages for lists). Furthermore, in addition to the restrictions imposed in the books about learning thaumaturgy, only the primary path is purchased as an in-clan discipline; further paths must be purchased as out-of-clan.
Characters with Necromancy and Thaumaturgy get one free ritual for each level of their primary path. Raising secondary paths does not provide free rituals in this way.
Backgrounds
Sabbat characters don't start with any backgrounds, and thus must purchase any desired ones with freebie points. However, if you read the City History, you'll notice that Sabbat in Detroit are abnormally prone to picking up influences and backgrounds, so it is highly recommended that you spend at least a few points on them. You need not pay for status you gain for being the priest or ductus of your pack, or the status gained from having a high morality rating on a path other than Humanity (at morality 3, 4, and 5, a Sabbat vampire gains one of Blessed, Devoted, and Enlightened; thus, a character with 3 traits gets one of choice, one with 4 gets two of choice, and a character with 5 gets all three).
Generation is a special case. Because of the fact that buying generation would also normally raise your starting willpower, we have altered the cost accordingly, essencially forcing you to pay for the amount of willpower you get more than a 13th gen character in addition to the cost of the background. Also remember that you may only buy a number of points in generation equal to your Levels.
Freebies
You may spend freebies as follows:
You may get up to an additional 7 freebie points by taking flaws, derangements, or lowering morality; negative traits may not be taken.
Final Submission and Approval
Submit your finished version of the character to the storytellers for review. We'll contact you about revisions, rejections, questions, etc. Once you're approved, you're ready to play!