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House Rules and Clarifications

Pg 127: Fearful Journey:
House Rule: This Vice does not give you a permanent Trauma, it just gives you a fear of travel, plus the Hard (8) difficulty test to avoid taking Trauma if forced to travel.

Pg 129: Red Rage:
Clarification: The Offensive Maneuvers used with Red Rage do NOT reduce damage as if they were Defensive Maneuvers. They operate in the same way as Voracity: Rampage (See below). You cannot use this Preeminence in conjunction with Shepherd.

Pg 132: Burden:
House Rule: For Immoral characters, this Vice also causes an extra Trauma when you are subjected to the Virtuous Techniques of Bliss or Pure Judgement. For Moral characters, Pure Judgement in the hands of an Immoral character can cause the extra Trauma.

Pg 145: Devoted Zeal Vs Adversity Zeal:
Clarification: Devoted Zeal can be used in place of Adversity Zeal in certain specific circumstances ONLY. The main ones are: to extend the duration of Techniques, to fuel certain Preeminences like Zealot, or on a case-by case basis by Storyguide Fiat. These are the exception, not the rule.

Pgs 145 and 232: Cinematic Points and Adversity Zeal:
House Rule: Blocking Transgressions through the use of either Cinematic Points or Zeal is not permitted.
Clarification: Gaining a temporary Transgression through the expenditure of an Adversity Zeal plus a Cinematic Point requires that the use of the Transgression be sufficiently Cinematic.

Pg 150: Maneuvers:
Clarification: Dramatic maneuvers are like all other maneuvers. They can be used once per foe per combat scene.

Pg 160: Chapter VII - Trauma:
House Rule: Dying the Hollow Death and visiting Purgatory causes an automatic Trauma. A Trauma test is made to determine whether or not the Trauma in question is permanent or not. The difficulty of this test depends on how personal/impersonal the event was, determined at the Storyguide's discretion. For example, dying the Hollow Death in an accident or as part of a building collapse or car crash might result in a difficulty of 2. Dying in a fight with someone (facing your killer) might be a difficulty of 5. Being tortured to death by a hated rival would be a difficulty of 8.
House Rule: Therapist can be used for personal Rehabilitation instead of Artist, but at a reduced effect. The rank of your Profession is divided by two, rounding down.
House Rule: Technically, Prohibited Acts cannot be even attempted unless you first spend the appropriate Zeal, and some Acts cannot be attempted at all by certain Moralities. Instead, we are allowing any character to perform any Act, as the player deems fit. However, if you do not make the appropriate Zeal expenditure, then the Trauma from violating your Morality is AUTOMATIC, without a test. For example, by the rules, an Innocent cannot perform a Questionable act under any circumstances. In our game, an Innocent may choose to perform a Questionable act, but MUST take a Trauma from doing so.
Clarification: A character can be forced to take only 1 Trauma in a given month (not counting temporary Trauma from Techniques and such). However, you can take more Trauma voluntarily. Anything that has Trauma as an effect of gaining a bonus (see Approbation and Covetous) count as voluntary. Likewise, taking Trauma for performing Prohibited Acts is considered voluntary.

Pg 171: Challenging the Manifestation:
House Rule: In the book, you may either spend one adversity zeal or take one traumatic wound. Due to the fact that this can occur at any time after the Technique was used, our House Rule is that only a traumatic wound is sufficient, adversity zeal may NOT be spent in this fashion.
Clarification: The manifestation of a Technique may be reduced by only one rank, no matter how this is done. You cannot stack Absolution with Challenging the Manifestation, for example. This means that an Inconspicuous Technique cannot be reduced to Conspicuous manifestation.

Pg 171: Resisting:
House Rule: In the book, Resisting a Technique costs one Adversity Zeal or Traumatic Wound per rank of the Technique being Resisted. Our House Rule is that at least one Trauma MUST be taken. The additional ranks can be resisted by Adversity Zeal as normal. In other words, if you want to Resist a Pure Technique, you must take 1 Trauma, and then spend an additional two Zeal. If you have no Zeal, you would take three Trauma, as normal. You cannot simply spend 3 Zeal.
Clarification: If you possess the Technique being used, you may subtract your ranks in the Technique from the number of Zeal/Trauma that must be spent, to a minimum of 1. This means that, if you have 2 or more ranks of Enslave (for example), you only need to take a single Trauma to Resist.

Pg 178: True Voice:
House Rule: Instead of varying the difficulty to extremes in order to extend the range, all True Voice challenges will occur at a difficulty of 2. The ranges will be determined by your Rank: at Meek, only the immediate area (Medium combat range) can be examined; at Moderate, the range is 1 block (Long combat range); at Pure, several blocks may be examined (Extreme combat range).

Pg 180: Absolution:
House Rule: To clarify, Absolution can remove the effects of the following Techniques and no others: Accordance, Approbation, Corruption, Covetous, Detestation, Dispensation, Enslave, Harrowing, Infestation, Judgement, Perversion, Pillowtalk, and Slumber.

Pg 181: Accordance:
Clarification: There are 3 effects muddled together in this technique. The first is that Accordance allows simple commands to be issued. The second allows the character to bind their opponent into an agreement. The third is to distract an opponent in combat for a round. It is only the second effect that can be ignored by taking a single Trauma. The first effect requires taking one Trauma per rank of Accordance being used. The other effect can only be Resisted in the usual manner.

Pg 182: Approbation:
House Rule: At Pure, this Technique does not allow you to cause Trauma. Instead, having Pure Approbation allows you to stack two of your re-rolls on a single test. In other words, if the target uses one re-roll granted by Approbation, and still fails the test, they can then use a second re-roll to try again. Only two attempts may be made... the third re-roll may not be stacked in this fashion, even at Pure.

Pg 190: Covetous:
Clarification: The points gained can be either Adversity Zeal or Cinematic Points in any combination, and the choice can be made AS they are being spent.

Pg 190: New Technique - Deny (Envy)

Sarim and Nithiel faced each other, pausing from their brutal fight. Reaching deep within himself, Sarim called upon his inner glory, the Sovereign right of the Faithful. Charged with power, he raised his sword to strike down his Envious foe. "Stop that," Nithiel hissed, "Why should you be allowed to exult in God's gifts while others suffer? Why should you be chosen over me? It is not right! It ends now."
Sarim felt the glory subside, his Sovereignty stolen away by his opponent.

Focus: Influential----Manifest: Inconspicuous----Contention: Challenge
Duration: Lasting-----Execution: Interrupt-------Prowess: Resolve

(Note: Manifestation is Conspicuous to the target)

Description: This Technique allows the wielder to rob another fallen of the strengths and bonuses they draw from their Techniques, or from the Techniques that others have used to aid them. The benefits from Approbation, Bless, Covetous, Foretelling, Indulge, Infestation, Ravage, and Sovereign can all be countered by this Technique. The target must be in direct conflict with the user, and within conversational distance.

The contention is a Fixed Challenge of a set Difficulty based on the difference between the ranks of Deny possessed by the user, and the rank of the Technique being countered:

If Deny is possessed at a lower rank, then the Difficulty of the challenge is High (8).
If Deny is possessed at an equal rank, then the Difficulty of the challenge is Medium (5).
If Deny is possessed at a higher rank, then the Difficulty of the challenge is Low (2).

If the challenge is successful, then the benefits from the countered Technique cannot be used for the duration of that scene. Techniques with limited uses are considered "used" regardless of whether Deny was successful or not. Penalties associated with the use of Techniques do not apply while the Technique is Denied (such as the Hindrance from Sovereign).

Meek: As above.
Moderate: As above.
Pure: As above. In addition, a wielder of this Technique may, up to once per scene, enter into a Resolve challenge with their target (not a Fixed challenge) in order to Deny the use of Adversity Zeal or Cinematic Points for a single round.

Example:
Sarim attempts to use his pure Sovereign against Nithiel. Nithiel uses Pure Deny. He succeeds at a difficulty 5 Resolve challenge and Denies Sarim the use of Sovereign for the rest of the scene. Sarim spent one rank of his Sovereign, and so may only attempt two additional uses of Sovereign for that day. However, he does not suffer the Hindrance from Sovereign in the following round.

Sarim is not going to take this lying down. Later in the night, he attacks Nithiel from surprise. Losing the initial roll, his sneak attack fails. However, Sarim has been granted one re-roll due to the use of Pure Approbation by Timurg. He attempts to use this re-roll against Nithiel, who counters with Deny. Nithiel succeeds at a difficulty 5 Resolve challenge. Sarim therefore does not get his re-roll, and the Approbation is considered used up. Even though Sarim spent his last re-roll from Pure approbation, he does not take a Trauma from the use of it.


Pg 192: Dispensation:
House Rule: The action forced by Dispensation must be a general Sinful act (a Lustful act, or a Gluttonous act, and so forth). The affected player decides how they act is to be carried out; however, if there is an obvious opportunity that is not against the character's nature, that opportunity MUST be taken. Example: If you are offered an alcoholic drink, and Dispensation is used (Gluttonous act), unless this character has never taken (and WOULD never take) a drink in their life, the obvious act (drinking it) must be taken.

Pg 196: Harmony:
Clarification: The maneuvers removed from your opponent by the Moderate rank of this Technique are lost AFTER the resolution of the attack. Example: If you hit someone who has only 1 Defensive Maneuver, and name "Defensive Maneuvers" as the type to be lost, the victim can still spend their last Maneuver to reduce damage before the loss occurs.

Pg 197: Harrowing:
Clarification: This technique must be used in conversation. You must openly ask the question before you can steal the answer from your victim. This must be done in private.

Pg 198: Impartation:
House Rule: At Pure, Impartation can cause a single Severe wound, instead of only Surface wounds.

Pg 200: Infestation:
Clarification: Healing trauma with this technique occurs for Immoral characters only. Moral characters cannot choose to do a Questionable or Heinous act in order to heal Trauma.
House Rule: Trauma inflicted through the use of this technique are considered Immoral Trauma.

Pg 202: Inner Silence:
House Rule: When Inner Silence is used to mask one's "aura", an opponent with equal or higher True Voice and higher Intuition does not automatically see through the disguise. Instead, they get an Intuition test to see through the disguise.

Pg 203: Inquisition:
House Rule: Stalking with Inquistion MUST be undertaken alone.
Clarification: Using the Technique as written does not require a downtime action.
House Rule: Using this Technique as part of a Hunt action in downtime does not inflict a Trauma.

Pg 204: Judgement
House Rule: In addition to causing 1 Traumatic wound per Rank of Judgement, the user can cause additional wounds to the victim by spending 1 adversity zeal and performing an additional Resolve challenge per additional Traumatic wound. Up to a maximum of 3 additional wounds may be caused in this fashion. Once a Resolve challenge is lost, no further Trauma may be inflicted. The Hindrances gained from Judgement are determined after these additional wounds are inflicted.

Pg 213: Shepherd:
House Rule: Defensive maneuvers can only be used to aid someone who is within Close combat range.

Pg 214: Slay:
House Rule: We are changing the Dramatic Maneuver for Pure Slay to the following:

Venom: The Envious Fallen makes an attack as normal, which causes normal damage, modified by Offensive and Defensive Maneuvers as usual. If successful, then on the following combat round the target takes one additional damage, which cannot be reduced or prevented in any way, and is considered to have no source for the purposes of Recure or Impartation. An Offensive Maneuver cannot be used to increase this additional damage.

Pg 215: Slumber:
Clarification: Pure Slumber can be used as an Interrupt action if used as the first action of a combat scene.

Pg 220: Venom:
House Rule: This power has been replaced by the Technique Deny (See above).

Pg 221: Voracity:
Clarification: The use of the Offensive Maneuver from Rampage causes 1 damage to the opponent during the resolution phase whether the Gluttonous Fallen succeeds in that combat round or not. If they win the round, they cause their base damage, plus 1 from Rampage and may spend an additional Offensive maneuver. If they lose the round, they cause 1 damage to their opponent but cannot spend a Defensive maneuver. You cannot use this power in conjunction with Shepherd.