Merits and Flaws These rules are were adapted from Vampire: The Masquerade and incorporate Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 Edition rule styles. There are many permanent bonuses here that will cause players to use more math when creating their characters. Take this into consideration when deciding if you will use these rules or not. During character creation, the DM gets to decide how many points players get to spend on merits. Taking flaws always grants some points based on how major the flaw is. These points can be spent on other merits or even feats and skills. Of course, the latter are much more expensive and may require many flaws to be taken to grant them. Some of these merits and flaws will require roleplay for them from both the DM and the players. If your group is more about the number crunching and power-leveling, then consider that these rules may not be the best for them. To get right into it, use this table below to determine how many points the players should have. Merits and Flaws Points Points Difficulty of Campaign 3 very hard 5 hard 7 medium 10 easy 12 very easy Don't forget that the more points you give your players, the more uniqueness they can acquire for their characters. Like I said, if your players care more about the numbers and not the roleplay aspect of the game, then these rules probably aren’t a good fit as they can be abused quite easily. Merits and Flaws are divided into four categories: physical, mental, social, and magical. Some have major effects and others have minor, it’s all dependent on how many points they cost. As an optional rule, you can also allow your players to spend points on other things, such as feats or skill points. Refer to the table below if you wish to use this rule. Optional Points Cost Reward 5 proficiency with one weapon 5 bonus point in any skill 10 proficiency in a tool or instrument 15 proficiency in a skill 20 1 additional feat Merits and flaws Physical Acute Sense 1-6 point Merit One of the five basic senses is very sharp, making it easier to succeed at tasks involving that particular sense. All perception checks involving this sense gain a permanent +1 bonus. Additional points can be spent on this merit to increase the bonus by each point spent, up to 6 points. Ambidextrous 6 points Merit You are skilled at using both of your hand equally. Whenever you are dual wielding melee weapons, you gain a +1 bonus to attacking. Cat-Like Balance 1 point Merit You have a great knack for balance. Whenever you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, you can cause the check to be done with advantage. This can only be done a number of times equal to you Dexterity modifier, minimum 1. Healthy 2 point Merit You are naturally a healthy person and have great bodily constitution. You gain a permanent +1 bonus to Constitution checks and saving throws. Enchanting Voice 3 point Merit your voice contains a certain quality that seems to command attention from all who hear you. All Charisma checks gain a permanent +2 bonus. Daredevil 3 point Merit You are exceptionally good at taking dangerous risks and surviving. Whenever the DC of a Acrobatics or Athletics check is higher then 17, you gain a +2 to the check. Efficient Digestion 3 point Merit Whenever you are eating during a short or long rest and spend hit dice to recover health, you gain an additional 1d6 hit points. If you are not spending hit dice, then you gain 1d6 temporary hit points that last for 4 hours. Huge Size 11 point Merit In order to take this feet, you must be a medium sized creature. You were born as a much larger specimen of your race. You are considered a large creature and your height must be 8 to 10 feet tall.

Naturally Strong 2-4 point Merit You are gifted with a natural strength. If you take the 2 point option, you gain a permanent +1 bonus to all Strength checks. If you take the 4 point option, you additionally gain +1 to damage when you hit with a melee weapon. Blind as a Bat 5-10 point Merit You have such acute senses that you can see even if you are blind. When you spend 5 points for this Merit, you gain blind sense for 10 feet. Each additional point you spend increases the distance of your blind sense by 5 feet to a maximum of 5 additional points. This does not stack with any other effects that give you blind sense. Smell of the Grave 2 point Flaw You smell of dirt, and mossy air, that no amount of cologne or perfume will cover. Charisma checks gain a permanent -1. This does not include saving throws. Short 3 point Flaw In order to take this feet, you must be a medium sized creature. You now become a small creature and your running speed is cut in half. Your height cannot be above 4 feet. Hard of Hearing 1 point Flaw you cannot hear very well, all Perception rolls involving hearing are done with a permanent -2. Bad Sight 1 or 3 point Flaw Your sight is bad. If you took the flaw as a 1 pointer, you gain a permanent -1 to Perception checks that rely on sight but the condition can be corrected with the use of glasses. If you took it as a 3 pointer, You gain a permanent -3 to Perception checks that rely on sight and the condition is to bad to even be corrected by any conventional means. One Eye 6 point Flaw You have an eye of your choice missing. All Perception checks and combat rolls are done with disadvantage. Disfigured 5 point Flaw You have a disfigurement that makes you both frightening and memorable. Strength or Dexterity checks and saving throws (your choice based on the disfigurement) are done with disadvantage. Child 12 point Flaw You are a child of your race. Your height and weight must match what a child of your race would be. Your age cannot exceed 15 years for any race. Your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution gain a permanent -5 (minimum of 5) to the scores and not the modifiers. Deformity 3 point Flaw you have a deformity, a Muscle defect, Scar tissue,etc. You gain a permanent -2 to all Charisma checks. This does not incude saving throws. Lame 4 point Flaw Your legs no longer work like they used to and you have minimal use of them to the point where you use a cane, or wear leg braces. Your walking speed is 1/4 of normal speed, and running or taking the Dash action is impossible. Monstrous 5 point Flaw Some of your body proportions are monstrously large and look very scary to people that don't know you very well. You have disadvantage on all Charisma checks but advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks. This does not include saving throws. Permanent Wound 3 point Flaw You were injured very badly at some point in your life and for some very odd reason your body never seemed to heal it properly. Because of this, you take 1d6 points of damage when you finish a long rest. This damage cannot lower you past 1. The regeneration spell can cure this for 24 hous but then it reverts back. Slow Healing 3 point Flaw You have trouble healing as quickly as the others. Whenever you receive healing of any kind, the amount is cut in half. Addiction 5 point Flaw You are addicted to some substance and you must have it no matter what. When you consume this substance, you gain a +1 bonus to all checks, saving throws, and combat rolls for 1 hour after consumption but you also permanently lose 1d10 hit points for the 1 hour. This damage cannot be healed through magic or natural means and it cannot take you past 1 hit point. If you go for 1 full day without having what you are addicted to, you gain disadvantage on all checks, saving throws, and combat rolls until you have the substance again. If you go for 60 days straight without having the substance, the negative effects go away and you are cured of the addiciton. Whenever you see the substance you are addicted to after this, you gain disadvantage on any check that involves resisting or not consuming the substance. If you do consume the substance again, then the negative effects come back and it is like you have started all over again. Mute 5 point Flaw You cannot speak, you may communicate with the Dungeon Master as usual, but you must not speak to the other players, unless it is through hand written messages or sign language. Spells or abilities that have a verbal component cannot be used.

Disease Carrier 4 point Flaw You carry a disease that lies in dormant within your body. Whenever you roll a 1, a diseas (chosen by the DM out of the Dungeon Master's Guide) will become active and you will need to save versus its effects. This disease can be spread through saliva, blood, or semen. Deaf 4 point Flaw You can no longer hear anything at all. Perception checks that rely on hearing are impossible and if someone talks to you and you are not directly looking at them then you will not hear anything they have said to you. You also gain disadvantage on your Passive Perception. Flesh of the corpse 5 point Flaw Your flesh no longer heals itself, and retains all scars, scratches, cuts, etc. you may receive in your story. Depending on how bad your flesh is, you could have major trouble interacting socially. You can still heal all wounds, the wounds just don't go away. The regeneration spell can cure these affects. You gain permanent disadvantage on Charisma checks but advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks. Blind 8 point Flaw Whether you were born this way or it happened by accident, you permanently have the blind status effect on you. Mental Common Sense 1 point Merit You have a significant amount of practical, everyday wisdom. Whenever the character is about to act in a way contrary to common sense, the Dungeon Master can make suggestions or warnings about the implications of said action. This is a very useful Merit to give the beginning players unfamiliar with the game. Concentration 5 point Merit You have the ability to focus your mind and shut out any distractions or annoyances. Whenever you must make a Concentration check, you gain a permanent +2 to the check. Time Sense 1 point Merit You have an innate sense of time and are able to estimate the passage of time accurately without using anything. Code of Honor 4 point Merit You have a personal code of ethics to which you adhere. The specifics or this code must be worked out with the DM prior to play, and the character must follow it strictly. Characters with this Merit gain advantage on rolls when acting in accordance with their code (e.g., defending the helpless) or when attempting to avoid situations that might force them to violate their code. Eidetic Memory 2 point Merit You remember, with perfect detail, things that you have seen and heard. Documents, photographs, conversations, etc., can be committed to memory with only minor concentration. Under stressful conditions involving numerous distractions, you must make a Concentration check to summon enough concentration to absorb what your senses detect. Light Sleeper 2 point Merit You can awaken instantly at any sign of trouble or danger, and do so without any sleepiness or hesitation. You cannot be surprised while you are asleep Natural Linguist 2 point Merit You have a flair for languages. You know 2 additional languages at character creation. Calm Heart 3 point Merit You are naturally calm and do not easily fly off the handle. You cannot become panicked or enraged by outside affects during an encounter. Iron Will 3 point Merit When you are determined and your mind is set, nothing can thwart you from your goals. When you are effected by a mind altering affect, you gain advantage to resist it. Deep Sleeper 1 point Flaw When you sleep, it is very difficult for you to awaken. Creatures have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to sneak up on you while you are sleeping. Nightmares 1 point Flaw You experience horrendous nightmares every time you sleep, and memories of them haunt you during your waking hours. While sleeping, you are constantly thrashing about and making noises. Upon awakening, you have disdvantage on all Wisdom checks and saving throws for 1 hour. Phobia 1 point Flaw You have an overpowering fear or something. Spiders, snakes, crowds and heights are examples of common phobias. You must make a Wisdom saving throw whenever you see or are near your phobia. On a failure, you are now frightened by what you saw and must spend your turn getting as far away from it as possible. On a success, you do not try to get away from it but you cannot get closer to your phobia.

Shy 1 point Flaw You are distinctly ill at ease when dealing with people and try to avoid social situations whenever possible. If you fail a contested Charisma-based skill check, you must make a Charisma saving throw and the DC is set by the Dm depending on the situation. If you fail that check, you are not freightened and must get away from all of the creatures involved in the encounter. Soft-Hearted 3 point Flaw You cannot stand to watch others suffer. You avoid any situation that involves causing someone physical or emotional pain, unless you make a Wisdom saving throw (DC is 15). If you fail your saving throw, you gain disadvantage on checks involved in the situation if you are still a part of it. Speech Impediment 1 point Flaw You have a stammer or other speech impediment that hampers verbal communication. You must roleplay this Flaw whenever possible. Short Fuse 2 point Flaw You are easily angered and can be prone to violent actions. If you fail any check that involves a d20, you must make a Wisdom saving throw. The DC is set by the DM depending on the situation. If you fail, you become enraged and begin attacking the nearest creature, whether it's friend or foe. This lasts for 5 minutes. Vengeful 2 point Flaw You have a score to settle, incurred either against you or your loved ones. You are obsessed with taking your revenge on an individual or group, and it is your overriding priority in any situation where you encounter the object of your revenge. You may temporarily resist your need for vengeance by succeeding on a Wisdom saving throw. The DC is set by the DM based on the situation. Amnesia 4 point Flaw You are unable to remember anything about your past, yourself or your family, though your past might well come back to haunt you. Your origins and the circumstances behind your amnesia are for the Dungeon Master to determine, and she is encouraged to make it as interesting as possible. Lunacy 2, 4, or 8 point Flaw If you choose to to take the 2 point option, you are affected by a short term madness (DMG page 259) whenever there is a full moon. If you take the 4 point option, you are affected by long-term madness for 10 days after a full moon. If you take the 8 point option, you are permanently affected by an indefinite madness. Which madness you have can either be chosen or rolled by you or the Dungeon Master. Weak-Willed 6 point Flaw You are highly susceptible to spells that either charm or dominate you. Whenever you make a Wisdom saving throw to resist a spell, you gain a -2 to the saving throw. Canibal 6 point Flaw During a long rest, you must consume the flesh of a creature that is the same race as you. If you do not, you do not gain the benefits of the long rest. Social Prestigious Teacher 1 point Merit Your mentor has or had great status in her sect or clan, and this has accorded you with a certain amount of prestige. Though your teacher may no longer have any dealings with you, the simple fact of your ancestry has marked you forever. This prestige might aid you greatly in dealing with your elders or other people, or it might engender jealousy or contempt. Natural Leader 1 point Merit You are gifted with a certain magnetism to which others naturally defer. You gain a +1 bonus to Charisma skill checks. You must have a Charisma score of 14 or greater to purchase this Merit. Debt of Gratitude 1-3 point Merit An elder, noble, or other person in power owes you gratitude because of something either you or your family did for them. The depth of the gratitude this person owes depends on how many points the player wishes to spend. One point might mean the they owe the character a favor; three points might mean that she owes the character her life. Dark Secret 1 point Flaw You have some sort of secret that, if uncovered, would be of immense embarrassment to you and would make you a unwanted in most societies. This could you murdered a holy man or something much worse. Infamous Sire 1 point Flaw Your mentor was, and perhaps still is, distrusted and disliked by many people. As a result, you are distrusted and disliked as well. Mistaken Identity 1-4 point Flaw You look similar to descriptions of another creature, which cause cases of mistaken identity. This can prompt numerous awkward or even dangerous situations, especially if your "twin" has a terrible reputation or is wanted for some crime. The status of your "twin" is determined by how many points you choose to take for this flaw.

Mentor's Resentment 2 point Flaw Your mentor dislikes you and wishes you ill. Given the smallest opportunity, she will actively seek to do you harm. Your sire's allies also work against you, and many people of power who are connected to you mentor may resent you. Enemy 1-5 point Flaw You have an enemy, or perhaps a group of enemies, who seek to harm you. The power of the enemy depends upon how many points the player wishes to spend. This enemy may not be seeking you out, but if you should run across them, there will be trouble. Hunted 4 point Flaw You are pursued by a fanatical humanoid who believes (perhaps correctly) that you are a danger to humanity. All those with whom you associate may be hunted as well. Probationary faction Member 4 point Flaw You are a defector. You turned traitor to a faction and you still have much to prove before you are accepted by the faction you have defected to. leaders and follower's alike treat you with distrust and even hostility, and your reputation might even sully those whom you regularly associate with. Magical Medium 2 point Merit You possess the natural affinity to sense and hear spirits, ghosts, and shades. Though you cannot see them, you can sense them, speak to them and, through pleading or cajoling, draw them to your presence. You may call upon them for aid or advice, but there will always be a price. Magic Resistance 12 point Merit You were born with a very weak connection to magic and this allows you to both resist it and not be able to use it. Whenever you make a saving throw to resist a spell effect or any other magical effect, you gain advantage on the check. Additionally, you cannot cast spells or use magic items that replicate the casting of spells. Oracular Ability 3 point Merit You can see and interpret signs and omens. You are able to draw advice from these omens, for their provide hints of the future and warnings of the present. When the DM feels that you are in a position to see an omen, you will be required to make a Wisdom roll, with the difficulty relative to how well the omen is concealed. If successful you may then roll an Intelligence check to interpret what you have seen, the difficulty again relative to the complexity of the omen. Spirit Mentor 5 point Merit You have a ghostly companion and guide. The identity and exact powers of this spirit are up to the Dungeon Master, but it can be called upon in difficult situations for help and guidance. Lucky 8 point Merit You were born lucky -- or else a god is looking after you. Whenever you roll a natural 1, you may make it a 20 instead. This can only be done once every day. True Love 6 point Merit You have discovered, perhaps too late, a true love. He or she is the center of your existence, and inspires you to keep going in a world of darkness and despair. Whenever you suffer, the thought of your true love gives you the strength to persevere. This Merit grants you one automatic success on a Wisdom saving throw once per day, which can be negated only by a natural 1. This can be a great gift and also a hindrance, for your true love may require protection and occasionally rescue. Nine Lives 7 point Merit Fate has granted you the opportunity to come as close to death as anyone can get and still survive. If you are currently rolling death saving throw dice, you can choose to make one failure a success. True Faith 5 point Merit You have a deep-seated faith and love for a god. You begin the game with one point of True Faith, which gives you a +1 bonus to your Wisdom score. Per the Dungeon Master, you can gain additional True Faith for completing things in the name of your chosen deity as long as it coincides with the tenants of that deity. Alternatively, you can lose True Faith by going against your deity in any way. In this manner, you cannot gain negative True Faith points. If you fully denounce your deity, your Wisdom is permanently lowered by 2 points. Touch of Frost 1 point Flaw Plants wither as you approach and die at your touch. Your touch leeches heat from living beings, as though you are made of ice.