Homebrew Supernatural Merits

[Tessie]

There's probably one thread about this already, but I didn't find one on the first page.

I was thinking this could be a thread for sharing and critiquing homebrew Supernatural Merits.

For example I'd like some critique and suggestions for a Merit of my own (based on Medium, CofD p.57, and inspired by a campaign where we use the Advanced and Styled Merits of this thread):

Channeler (• to •••••)
Prerequisites: Occult ••, Medium (•••)
Effect: The medium is able to strike a bargain with an ephemeral entity. By providing the entity with protection from Essence bleed the medium gains access to its powers. In mechanical terms when the medium or the entity has provided the Open Condition on the medium, she can apply a version of the Fetter Manifestation (regardless if the entity knows that Manifestation) on herself using the rules for the Medium Merit, thereby becoming a fetter for the entity. In addition she gains access to a number of the entity's Numina equal to the dots in this Merit. The Power + Finesse roll to activate Numina is substituted by ??? + Occult. Any Essence cost is payed using Willpower points. Ending the Manifestation can be done if the entity has the Unfetter Manifestation or if the medium performs a ritual (can be as simple as a meditation session) and succeeds with a Wits + Occult roll, contested by Resistance + Rank should the entity be unwilling.
Drawback: The medium gains the Urged Condition, meaning she is susceptible to mind reading, Influences and urges by the entity, as described by that Condition.

[GibberingEloquence]

The CoD book says that summoning and exorcism for mortals mostly consists of creating and eliminating the necessary Conditions for an entity to Manifest. What if there was a Supernatural Merit that enhances your ability to summon and exorcise?

[Vent0]

The CoD book says that summoning and exorcism for mortals mostly consists of creating and eliminating the necessary Conditions for an entity to Manifest. What if there was a Supernatural Merit that enhances your ability to summon and exorcise?

Isn't that what Medium does?

[Tessie]

Basically. General summoning and exorcism of entities requires several Int + Occult rolls to research the individual entity, often penalized due to lack of research material or just the general obscurity of the entity. Then you have to find very specific materials and set up a ritual that is unique per entity. This temporarily increases or suppresses one or more conditions tagged to the entity depending on how good your ritual is. (Some of this is extrapolated since there's a lot of text but a glaring lack of actual rules on the subject.)

The Medium Merit, on the other hand, allows you to increase the conditions tagged to any ephemeral entity with a single Wits + Occult roll per step and the ritual can be as simple as just meditating. No need to research any individual entities (unless the ST gives you bonus dice, but the roll isn't normally penalized so not much use for that.) The conditions increased are indefinite in duration and can be canceled by spending a point of Willpower. There's no way to suppress preexisting conditions with the Merit, though.

Edit: I wonder if exorcism or abjuration would be the most fitting to base an Exorcist Merit on. Or if abjuration already fills the same function that the Medium Merit dors for summoning.

[GibberingEloquence]

So there was a thread about adapting the X-Men into the CoD as a micro template, and some people said it would be easier to just give them Supernatural Merits reskinned as mutations. That inspired me create Supernatural Merits that could represent Wolverine's signature powers, but also other powers with a similar flavor. I have the claws and healing factor so far. Feedback is appreciated.

Conjured Weapon (••, ••• or ••••)
Effect: The character possesses a melee weapon that he may summon or dismiss reflexively. The nature of the weapon can be anything from beastly claws and tentacles to shadowy knives and metallic fists. The weapon deals lethal damage and has Armor Piercing equal to the Merit's rating - 1. Depending on the weapon’s type, it may be use either Brawl or Weaponry, and benefit from appropriate Fighting Styles. The weapon does not cause Initiative or Speed penalties.
Drawback: The character suffers 1 lethal damage to summon the weapon (but not to dismiss it). If dismissed, the cost must be paid again to summon it. This may be downgraded to a number of bashing damage equal to the Merit's rating - 1 by spending a willpower point.

Conjured Weapon (Advanced, •• or •••)
Prerequisites: Conjured Weapon ••
Effect: With the 2 dot version, the weapon now has 9 Again. With the 3 dot version, it has 8 Again. Furthermore, once the cost has been paid, the weapon may be summoned and dismissed freely for the rest of the scene.

Conjured Weapon (Epic, •••••)
Prerequisites: Advanced Conjured Weapon ••
Effect: When summoned, the weapon's Damage Bonus may be changed to +0A, thus ignoring all Durability and mundane Armor.
Drawback: If this option is chosen, the character suffers one aggravated damage to summon the weapon (as per the Advanced version, this cost only needs to be paid once per scene). This can be downgraded to 1 lethal damage by spending 1 willpower point.

Regeneration (•• or ••••)
Effect: Your character heals at an accelerated rate. With the 2 dot version, 1 bashing damage heals every minute and 1 lethal heals every day. With the 4 dot version, 2 lethal damage heals per day and 1 aggravated heals every 4 days. Limbs and organs lost to injuries (as represented by Tilts) do not come back.

Regeneration (Advanced, •• or •••)
Prerequisites: Regeneration ••••
Effect: With the 2 dot version, lost limbs and organs now return once the damage associated with the injuries is healed, as long as the damage was lethal. With the 3 dot version, aggravated damage is also covered.

Regeneration (Epic, •••, •••• or •••••)
Prerequisites: Advanced Regeneration •••
Effect: With the 3 dot version, you heal 1 lethal every hour and 1 aggravated every 2 days. With the 4 dot version, you heal 1 lethal every minute and 1 aggravated every day. With the 5 dot version, you reflexively heal your last health box each turn, as long as it is filled with lethal or bashing.

[Wormwood]

So there was a thread about adapting the X-Men into the CoD as a micro template, and some people said it would be easier to just give them Supernatural Merits reskinned as mutations. That inspired me create Supernatural Merits that could represent Wolverine's signature powers, but also other powers with a similar flavor. I have the claws and healing factor so far. Feedback is appreciated.

Conjured Weapon (•• or ••••)
Effect: The character possesses a melee weapon that he may summon or dismiss reflexively. The nature of the weapon can be anything from beastly claws and tentacles to shadowy knives and metallic fists. The 2 dot version deals +1L, while the 4 dot version deals +2L. Depending on the weapon’s type, it may be use either Brawl or Weaponry, and benefit from appropriate Fighting Styles. The weapon does not cause Initiative or Speed penalties.
Drawback: The character suffers one lethal damage to summon the weapon (but not to dismiss it). If dismissed, the cost must be paid again to summon it. This may be downgraded to one bashing wound by spending 1 willpower point.

Conjured Weapon (Advanced, ••)
Prerequisites: Conjured Weapon ••••
Effect: The weapon now has 9 Again. This stacks with other sources of 9 Again to become 8 Again. Furthermore, once the cost has been paid, the weapon may be summoned and dismissed freely for the rest of the scene.

Conjured Weapon (Epic, ••• or •••••)
Prerequisites: Advanced Conjured Weapon
Effect: With the 3 dot version, the weapon bypasses all Durability and mundane Armor. With the 5 dot version, it has Armor Piercing 2 against supernatural Armor.
Drawback: The character now suffers one aggravated damage to summon the weapon (as per the Advanced version, this cost only needs to be paid once per scene). This can be downgraded to one lethal damage by spending 1 willpower point.

Regeneration (•• or ••••)
Effect: Your character heals at an accelerated rate. With the 2 dot version, 1 bashing damage heals every minute and 1 lethal heals every day. With the 4 dot version, 2 lethal damage heals per day and 1 aggravated heals every 4 days. Limbs and organs lost to injuries (as represented by Tilts) do not come back.

Regeneration (Advanced, •• or •••)
Prerequisites: Regeneration ••••
Effect: With the 2 dot version, lost limbs and organs now return once the damage associated with the injuries is healed, as long as the damage was lethal. With the 3 dot version, aggravated damage is also covered

Regeneration (Epic, •••, •••• or •••••)
Prerequisites: Advanced Regeneration •••
Effect: With the 3 dot version, you heal 1 lethal every hour and 1 aggravated every 2 days. With the 4 dot version, you heal 1 lethal every minute and 1 aggravated every day. With the 5 dot version, you reflexively heal your last health box each turn, as long as it is filled with lethal or bashing.

I like it. Might bump up the bashing heal rate a bit together with the rest, but otherwise this looks like a fair representation!

Would you make one for Nightcrawler's Teleportation and Collossus Metal Form? =D

[Necrophear]

A one-dot rating halves all healing times for the Infected. A three-dot rating allows the character to heal one point of lethal damage a scene, up to his Stamina in a day. A five-dot rating means that the character regenerates aggravated damage at the same rate as lethal damage.
Drawback:[summarizes as a penalty to social rolls around witnesses]

Compared to the printed material, you've got something healing with blinding speed. I'd suggest a more severe drawback, or at least more lethal options/forms of damage that can't regenerate. Not quite the same as Wolverine or Deadpool, but they're the six/seven dot versions: they're supposed to be the best possible version, a PC has to have something that keeps them fallible.

[Lord Jub-Jub]

I like it. Might bump up the bashing heal rate a bit together with the rest, but otherwise this looks like a fair representation!

Would you make one for Nightcrawler's Teleportation and Collossus Metal Form? =D

Apportation and sojourner from Hurt Locker?

[Vent0]

Stolen Memories (•••)
Prerequisite: Skin-Thief
Effect: When creating a skin, you can store some of the creature's memory and skill in it. This grants at least passing familiarity with its territory, events of the past day, and major events of its life. Additionally, one skill (generally, the being's highest) can be used instead of the Skin-Thief's own while wearing the skin. For Ephemeral beings, instead add their former rating in Influence to applicable rolls.

Animate Skin (••••)
Prerequisite: Skin-Thief
Effect: As long as you are in sensory range of one of you skins, you can spend a point of Willpower to animate it for a Scene. It retains its physical Attributes, but has minimal mental and social ability, being merely an automaton animated by your will. Animate skins can follow simple order (usually of no more than 5 words) spoken in the Skin-Thief's native language, obeying their animator without question or hesitation. The animation can be extended past the current Scene by investing additional Willpower points - each point extends the skin's activity by one Scene/hour. Once animation ceases, the skin collapses in on itself wherever it currently is.

Enduring Thrall (••• or •••••)
Prerequisites: Animate Skin, Occult 3+
Effect: You can now infuse and animate your skins with their a piece of your mind, granting them their own volition. By spending one Willpower dot when animating a skin, it gains a degree of will and ability to act upon its own, while enduring for as long as the skin does. At 3 dots, the Skin can be used as a 3 dot Retainer. At 5 dots, it becomes its own character, though you must spend your own Experiences to improve its statistics.
Drawback: The skin now has a mind of its own. While it is general obedient to the Skin-Thief who gave it "life", drastic circumstances can cause it to act against their creator's interests.

Life-Thief (•••)
Prerequisite: Skin-Thief
Effect: By expending a Willpower dot,you can make the current skin you are wearing your natural form. Your old body replaces it as a skin, though you must complete the normal Skin-Thieving ritual to ensure it lasts past the current day. Skin-Thieves are well advised to use this ability only upon permanent skins, lest they desire to live life on a timer - if their natural form decays, they die unless they are in another skin.

[Arcanist]

Some Skin-Thief ones. I'll edit them out to be actual write-up when I have more time, later.

• Stolen Memories - can use some of the skin’s memories and skills. (Skills for physical skins, Influence toward relevant rolls for ephemeral skins)
• Animate Skin - can give the skin independent life/animation, albeit at zombie/automaton-like intelligence.
• Harvest Essence - once per day (per skin), you can gather essence in the same way the ephemeral would.
• Life-Thief - by spending a Willpower Dot, you can make a permanent skin your (new) true form.

I'd probably look at the Residual Memory Merit from Promethean for the first. For Animate Skin, maybe treat the Skin as a Retainer with a dot rating equal to half the dots you've dedicated to the Merit rounded up?

Also, I'm pretty sure what you're describing under Harvest Essence is a default rule of having an Ephemeral Being as a skin.

[Tessie]

Psychometry (Advanced, ••• or •••••)
Prerequisites: Resolve •••, Psychometry (•••) Effect: While the average practitioner of psychometry can read the obvious imprints left on an object the experienced practitioner can probe for deeper information. By spending one point of Willpower and succeeding a Wits + Occult roll the character can then ask one question and receive an in depth answer about a subject's history or current state, most often in the form of a vision.
The three dot version allows the character to ask questions about the current situation or location. The five dot version allows the character to ask questions about a specific object.
Drawback: A Dramatic Failure grants the character two questions. One is answered truthfully while the other is answered with a lie. The drawback from Psychometry (•••) also applies.

This is based on Auspex 1 and 3 from VtR.

Psychometric Mastery (Style, • to ••••)
Prerequisite: Resolve •••, Occult ••, Psychometry (•••)
Seer (•): The character gains bonus dice on Psychometry activation rolls equal to the dots in this Merit.
Focused Seer (••): Once per scene the character may regain one point of Willpower when rolling an Exceptional Success on the Psychometry activation roll.
Tempered Seer (•••): The first use of a Psychometry power per target in a scene has no Willpower cost.
Swift Seer (••••): The character has honed her power to the point where she may activate Psychometry as a reflexive action.

I'd like for a fifth dot, but I've yet to come up with anything.

[Vent0]

Hmm. Maybe some integration between Psychometry and Clairvoyance, to enable someone to "travel" to the past for observational purposes?

I'd probably look at the Residual Memory Merit from Promethean for the first. For Animate Skin, maybe treat the Skin as a Retainer with a dot rating equal to half the dots you've dedicated to the Merit rounded up?

The inherent point was for quick tasks, or even combat. A more permanent servitor upgrade might let you keep one as a Retainer/Familiar. I'm also thinking about one where you invest a Willpower Dot (spent, or kept in reserve) to give the animate skin volition as a new being - you'd then enhance it by spending your XP.

Also, I'm pretty sure what you're describing under Harvest Essence is a default rule of having an Ephemeral Being as a skin.

So it is. I remembered the 3 Willpower to 1 Essence, but forgot the previous line.

[GibberingEloquence]

Psychometry (Advanced, ••• or •••••)
Prerequisites: Resolve •••, Psychometry (•••) Effect: While the average practitioner of psychometry can read the obvious imprints left on an object the experienced practitioner can probe for deeper information. By spending one point of Willpower and succeeding a Wits + Occult roll the character can then ask one question and receive an in depth answer about a subject's history or current state, most often in the form of a vision.
The three dot version allows the character to ask questions about the current situation or location. The five dot version allows the character to ask questions about a specific object.
Drawback: A Dramatic Failure grants the character two questions. One is answered truthfully while the other is answered with a lie. The drawback from Psychometry (•••) also applies.

This is based on Auspex 1 and 3 from VtR.

Psychometric Mastery (Style, • to ••••)
Prerequisite: Resolve •••, Occult ••, Psychometry (•••)
Seer (•): The character gains bonus dice on Psychometry activation rolls equal to the dots in this Merit.
Focused Seer (••): Once per scene the character may regain one point of Willpower when rolling an Exceptional Success on the Psychometry activation roll.
Tempered Seer (•••): The first use of a Psychometry power per target in a scene has no Willpower cost.
Swift Seer (••••): The character has honed her power to the point where she may activate Psychometry as a reflexive action.

I'd like for a fifth dot, but I've yet to come up with anything.

Maybe the fifth dot of Psychometry Mastery lets you achieve an Exceptional Success with 3 Successes?

Also, how about this?

Super Speed (• to •••••)
Prerequisite: Stamina 2, Occult 1
Effect: Spend 1 Willpower point and roll Stamina + Occult. You must apply a penalty to this roll up to your dots in this Merit. If you get a Success, your rating in this Merit is applied as a penalty against ranged attacks and your Speed is multiplied by [Total Penalty] + 1 for a number of turns equal to Stamina (for a maximum multiplier of 6). You may pay the cost again without rolling to maintain the effect. An Exceptional Success makes the improved Speed last for the whole Scene. This Merit may Clash with powers like Celerity or certain Arcana.
Drawback: You suffer the Drained Condition (Vampire: The Requiem 2ED, page 303) when the effect ends, which must be Resolved through at least four hours of rest.

Super Speed (Advanced, • to •••••)
Prerequisite: Stamina 3, Occult 2, Super Speed Equal Or Higher Level
Effect: You gain a bonus to your activation roll equal to your rating in this Merit. Also, you increase your Defense and Initiative by your rating in this Merit/2 round up (minimum 1) while the effect lasts. Lastly, you may reflexively run to any location you can see up to your improved Speed away in meters a number of times per scene equal to [your rating in this Merit + Stamina].
Drawback: Same as the basic version.

Super Speed (Epic, • to •••••)
Prerequisite: Stamina 4, Occult 3, Advanced Super Speed Equal Or Higher Level
Effect: You achieve an Exceptional Success on the activation roll with 3 Successes. Any Clashes Of Wills you enter now receive 8 Again. You Dodge reflexively and may perform a number of Instant Physical or Mental Actions as if they were reflexive equal to [your rating in this Merit + Stamina] per scene.
Drawback: Same as the basic and Advanced versions, but if you turned Instant Actions into Reflexive ones, you roll Stamina + Resolve – number of times used at the end of the scene. Failure inflicts a Tilt such as Leg Wrack or Sick, while Dramatic Failure inflicts a more serious version.

[Vent0]

Maybe the fifth dot of Psychometry Mastery lets you achieve an Exceptional Success with 3 Successes?

Also, how about this?

Super Speed (• to •••••)
Prerequisite: Stamina 2, Occult 1
Effect: Spend 1 Willpower point and roll Stamina + Occult. You must apply a penalty to this roll up to your dots in this Merit. If you get a Success, your rating in this Merit is applied as a penalty against ranged attacks and your Speed is multiplied by [Total Penalty] + 1 for a number of turns equal to Stamina (for a maximum multiplier of 6). You may pay the cost again without rolling to maintain the effect. An Exceptional Success makes the improved Speed last for the whole Scene. This Merit may Clash with powers like Celerity or certain Arcana.
Drawback: You suffer the Drained Condition (Vampire: The Requiem 2ED, page 303) when the effect ends, which must be Resolved through at least four hours of rest.

Super Speed (Advanced, • to •••••)
Prerequisite: Stamina 3, Occult 2, Super Speed Equal Or Higher Level
Effect: You gain a bonus to your activation roll equal to your rating in this Merit. Also, you increase your Defense and Initiative by your rating in this Merit/2 round up (minimum 1) while the effect lasts. Lastly, you may reflexively run to any location you can see up to your improved Speed away in meters a number of times per scene equal to [your rating in this Merit + Stamina].
Drawback: Same as the basic version.

Super Speed (Epic, • to •••••)
Prerequisite: Stamina 4, Occult 3, Advanced Super Speed Equal Or Higher Level
Effect: You achieve an Exceptional Success on the activation roll with 3 Successes. Any Clashes Of Wills you enter now receive 8 Again. You Dodge reflexively and may perform a number of Instant Physical or Mental Actions as if they were reflexive equal to [your rating in this Merit + Stamina] per scene.
Drawback: Same as the basic and Advanced versions, but if you turned Instant Actions into Reflexive ones, you roll Stamina + Resolve – number of times used at the end of the scene. Failure inflicts a Tilt such as Leg Wrack or Sick, while Dramatic Failure inflicts a more serious version.

Seems a bit complicated for an essentially simple idea. Any way to streamline it? Also, despite being Supernatural, I'd say use Athletics instead of Occult. And some version should grant Defense vs Firearms.

For Psychometry, a nice idea might be the ability to "chain" activations - scrying the past of object A, then scrying the past of object B you saw in visions of A.

[Tessie]

Maybe the fifth dot of Psychometry Mastery lets you achieve an Exceptional Success with 3 Successes?

It's a good idea, but not for us since we already have that as a Condition for achieving Exceptionals on Psychometry (and Auspex when we play Vampire).

Super Speed (• to •••••)
Prerequisite: Stamina 2, Occult 1
Effect: Spend 1 Willpower point and roll Stamina + Occult. You must apply a penalty to this roll up to your dots in this Merit. If you get a Success, your rating in this Merit is applied as a penalty against ranged attacks and your Speed is multiplied by [Total Penalty] + 1 for a number of turns equal to Stamina (for a maximum multiplier of 6). You may pay the cost again without rolling to maintain the effect. An Exceptional Success makes the improved Speed last for the whole Scene. This Merit may Clash with powers like Celerity or certain Arcana.
Drawback: You suffer the Drained Condition (Vampire: The Requiem 2ED, page 303) when the effect ends, which must be Resolved through at least four hours of rest.

I'm not sure I like the variable penalty, but it's certainly an interesting mechanic. Also, when would this Merit enter a Clash of Wills against Celerity? Is it a passive defense against the interrupt part of Celerity? If that's the case you should specify it, and specify the Clash of Wills dice pool.
I also suggest taking one point of bashing damage per extra turn rather than paying more Willpower points. I know that Supernatural Merits tend to be expensive in terms of Willpower, but I personally don't like it. Hence why Psychometry (Advanced) grants several questions, and two out of four dots in Mastery is about Willpower points.

Super Speed (Advanced, • to •••••)
Prerequisite: Stamina 3, Occult 2, Super Speed Equal Or Higher Level
Effect: You gain a bonus to your activation roll equal to your rating in this Merit. Also, you increase your Defense and Initiative by your rating in this Merit/2 round up (minimum 1) while the effect lasts. Lastly, you may reflexively run to any location you can see up to your improved Speed away in meters a number of times per scene equal to [your rating in this Merit + Stamina].
Drawback: Same as the basic version.

Why not add full Merit rating to Defense and Initiative? Also, you could remove the ranged penalty from the previous Merit and have the Defense granted from this one apply to ranged Defense as well. I.e. someone with 4 regular Defense and 3 dots in this Merit would, after activation, have 7 Defense against melee attacks, and 3 Defense against ranged attacks.