Storypath for CoD

[Graylion]

I have been planning on using Storypath for Chronicles of Darkness (Vampire the Requiem, Mage the Awakening, Werewolf the Forsaken). If this plan works out then I may move on to Exalted, we will see.

Some of my reasons are the number of dice a CoD splat can throw around, it becomes more about dice and less about the story. For example a BP 2 or 3 vampire using Physical Intensity and a fighting style merit to sac his defense and add it all to his attack. Not counting frenzy and other items become a game of Rollplaying instead of Roleplaying. I love the concept of Exalted however I am not a fan of the loads of dice you are throwing to make it happen.

My approach will be the start with the basic character building, add on templates and then see how to make those templates work. I am open to feedback and collaborative assistance. What I am not open to is "why would you do that", or "that is a terrible idea", or "you can't do that because".

Best regards

[Graylion]

Character Creation

1. Character Concept
   • Name
   • Concept Phrase
   • Template and Setting Specifics
     • Mage: Supernal Path & Arcane Order
     • Scion: Divine Patron & Genesis
     • Trinity: Psi Order & Aptitude
     • Vampire: Clan & Covenant
     • Werewolf: Auspice & Tribe
2. Paths (3)
   • Origin Path: Background, life choices, formative experiences
   • Role Path: Occupation, profession, area of expertise
   • Society Path: Debts, factions, groups, organization, relationships
     • Setting Specific
       • Allegiances (Psions)
       • Supernal Path & Arcane Order (Mage)
       • Auspice & Tribe (Werewolf)
       • Clan & Covenant (Vampire)
       • Pantheons (Scions)
   • Select three Skills per path (with storyguide approval)
3. Skills (18)
   • Prioritize your Paths as primary, secondary, and tertiary
   • Path Skills each receive …
     • Primary: 3 dots (max 5 dots)
     • Secondary: 2 dots (max 5 dots)
     • Tertiary: 1 dots (max 5 dots)
   • These dots are cumulative for Skills associated with multiple paths.
   • Any Skill over 5 dots must be redistributed to another Path Skill
   • Specialties: Pick a specialty for any Skills at 3 dots or more
   • Skill Tricks: (Trinity)
4. Attributes (21)
   • Each of the nine Attributes starts at 1 dot
   • Prioritize your Attribute Arenas (Mental, Physical, and Social) as primary, secondary, and tertiary.
   • Distribute points among your Attribute Arena
     • Primary: 5 dots
     • Secondary: 4 dots
     • Tertiary: 3 dots
   • Variant Scion: Distribute points among your Attribute Arena
     • Primary: 6 dots
     • Secondary: 4 dots
     • Tertiary: 2 dots
5. Apply Template
   • See Template Sections
6. Edges (Merits)
   • You may gain access to unique Edges (Merits) based on your Template
7. Finishing Touches
   • Bonus Traits
     • Apply 5 extra Skill dots
   • Defense
   • Health
   • Integrity?
   • Speed: 2x Athletics Dice Pool in meters ?
   • Aspirations (Deeds)
     • Long Term (1): Path goals across arcs representing growth and change
     • Short Term (2): Goals within an Episode or Session

[Graylion]

Ok here is my base character creation using a combination of CoD and Storypath. Please give feedback and let me know what you think I have in error or missing. I have some VtR, WtF, and MtA items I will post once we iron out some of this.

Best regards

[wyrdhamster]

Myself, I using elements of Storypath in our Werewolf game - like 'first decide Skill' and 'use Milestones in Extended Actions' - just to test waters before our planned Scion game, later this year. It work good for now. But I did not use complex new Storypath mechanics - like Complications or Enchantments. Have idea how this two would translate, in context of CoD mechanics using those?

[Graylion]

Jumping to to number 7 where some of my CoD / SP start to divert.
* Bonus Attribute: Can anyone tell me is it Scion and Trinity? Makes sense for VtR Clan Attribute, MtA Resilience Attribute, WtF does not get a free Attribute so we need to consider if we want to give one based on Auspice maybe to bring them in line.
* Do mortals of Trinity/Scion gain this free Attribute? I was hoping to list it in the Template section for each VtR, MtA, WtF, Scion, Trinity.
* Maybe mortal gets its own Template/Un-Template.
* Defense as SP, even though I have not yet embraced it.
* Health as SP, will be extra work moving for Templates, Powers/Disciplines/Gifts etc.
* Speed will be range bands as in SP which was already in the works with Hurt Locker/Exalted. Formula if something specific is needed.
* Aspirations/Deeds are easy as SP.
* Integrity is going to be an immediate challenge as it ties deeply into every splat of CoD and in so many different ways.
* I prefer the MtA three tiers approach and started using this for VtR and WtF. Really appreciate any feedback and ideas on making this SP friendly.
* What else? Feedback?

Best regards

[Graylion]

I figure with Integrity (Humanity, Harmony, Wisdom, Clarity, ...) I have a few options

1. Use the CoD as is, least desirable.
2. Use SP Integrity Skill, I don't think that will play to the multi-splat importance.
3. Something new, blend of MtA three tiers, and SP simplicity. Maybe a scales of 1-5 ,1 being the worst and 5 a saint. Maybe the CoD 0-10 can flatten to a new 0-5 or 1-5.

Feedback welcome

Best regards

[Graylion]

So here is how VtR2's Humanity is scaled.


Here's how the chart works. If your Humanity is greater than or equal to where the breaking point is listed, you make a Detachment check. Roll the number of dice in the parenthesis, and if you even score one success, you don't lose Humanity. These are several ways to gain bonuses and penalties to Detachment checks, with the most important being touchstones.

Humanity 10 (Five Dice)
• One night without human contact.
• Lying in defense of the Masquerade.
• Spending more than one Vitae in a night.

Humanity 9 (Five Dice)
• Watching humans eat a meal. 
• Committing a superhuman feat of physical prowess. 
• Feeding from the unwilling or unknowing. 
• Urging another’s behavior with a Discipline. 
• Spending an hour in the sun. 

Humanity 8 (Four Dice)
• Creating a ghoul. 
• Rejected by a human. 
• Riding the wave of frenzy. 
• Depriving another of consent with a Discipline.
• Spending most of a day in the sun. 

Humanity 7 (Four Dice)
• One week active without human contact. 
• Surviving something that would hospitalize a human. 
• Injuring someone over blood. 

Humanity 6 (Three Dice)
• Falling into torpor. 
• Feeding from a child. 
• Reading your own obituary. 
• Experiencing a car crash or other immense physical trauma.

Humanity 5 (Three Dice)
• Two weeks active without human contact.
• Reaching Blood Potency 3.
• Death of a mortal family member.
• Joining a covenant to the point of gaining Status for it. 

Humanity 4 (Two Dice)
• Learning a dot of Crúac.
• Impassioned violence.
• Spending a year or more in torpor.
• Surviving a century.
• Accidentally killing. 

Humanity 3 (Two Dice)
• One month active without human contact.
• Reaching Blood Potency 6.
• Death of a mortal spouse or child.
• Impassioned killing. 

Humanity 2 (One Die)
• One year active without human contact.
• Premeditated killing.
• Seeing a culture that didn’t exist when you were alive.
• Surviving 500 years.
• Creating a revenant. 

Humanity 1 (Zero Dice)
• One decade active without human contact.
• Heinous, spree, or mass murder.
• Killing your Touchstone. 

Zero dice means rolling a chance die. A chance die, in Masquerade terms, is a dice pool of 1 at difficulty 10. Rolling a 1 on a chance die results in a Dramatic Failure (or botch in Masquerade).

A Touchstone is someone or something that means something to a vampire, and reminds him of his Humanity. In game terms, Touchstones provide bonuses to Detachment rolls. They can also talk a vampire out of Frenzy much easier than other characters. Several Conditions (status effects) can be mitigated or even removed by spending some quality time with your Touchstone.

Other Breaking Points

Diablerie is not included in the chart in the book, but was confirmed to be a Humanity 1 breaking point by the developers. It is no longer an automatic Humanity loss. However, creating a new vampire now results in an automatic Humanity loss.

Integrity System

All splats in the CoD have an Integrity system.
• Mortals/Hunters - Morality (1e)/Integrity (2e)
• Vampires - Humanity
• Mages - Wisdom
• Werewolf - Harmony
• Prometheans - Humanity
• Changelings - Clarity
• Sin-Eaters - Synergy
• Mummies - Memory
• Demons - Cover
• Beasts - Satiety

[Graylion]

There are minor Social modifiers listed. These modifiers apply to rolls relating to humans. Manipulating humans for food with Subterfuge or frightening them with Intimidation are not affected; but trying to understand a human’s emotional cues with the Empathy Skill would be affected.

Humanity Scale
• Ascetic (Humanity 9-10) (Social +2d)
• Humane (Humanity 7-8)
• Balanced (Humanity 5-6) (Social -1d)
• Weathered (Humanity 4) (Social -2d)
• Callous (Humanity 3) (Social -3d)
• Monstrous (Humanity 2) (Social -5d)
• Animalistic (Humanity 1) ,(Social Chance Die)
• Draugr (Humanity 0) (Social NA)

Best Regards

[Graylion]

There are minor Social modifiers listed. These modifiers apply to rolls relating to humans. Manipulating humans for food with Subterfuge or frightening them with Intimidation are not affected; but trying to understand a human’s emotional cues with the Empathy Skill would be affected.

Humanity Scale
• Ascetic (Humanity 9-10) (Social +2d)
• Humane (Humanity 7-8)
• Balanced (Humanity 5-6) (Social -1d)
• Weathered (Humanity 4) (Social -2d)
• Callous (Humanity 3) (Social -3d)
• Monstrous (Humanity 2) (Social -5d)
• Animalistic (Humanity 1) ,(Social Chance Die)
• Draugr (Humanity 0) (Social NA)

Best Regards

So the revised MtA/Storypath version I would start to work with is as follows.


Humanity Scale (0-5)
• Ascetic (Humanity 5) (5d | Social +2e)
• Balanced (Humanity 4) (4d | default new vampire)
• Weathered (Humanity 3) (3d | Social +1c)
• Callous (Humanity 2) (2d | Social +2c)
• Monstrous (Humanity 1) (1d | Social +3c)
• Lost (Humanity 0) (Social NA)

Touchstones
One (+1e)
More (+2e)

Level of Breaking Point
5 (+0) (previously 9-10)
4 (+1) (previously 7-8)
3 (+2) (previously 5-6)
2 (+3) (previously 3-4)
1 (+4) (previously 1-2)

Difficulty = 1 + Breaking Point mod above

Ok that was off the cuff, now I will consider, review the mortal breaking points as I think they will weave in easily.

Any feedback is welcome

Notes: 2-3d = 1 change in diffculty or +1 enhancement (rough CoD to SP conversion)

Best regards

[Graylion]

So example time

New vampire Humanity 4 and one touchstone.
* 4d +1e for detachment rolls

Vampire frenzies from hunger and accidentally kills during feeding.
* New = Breaking Point 2 = difficulty 4 (1 + 3 difficulty) [4% success - opps]
* VtR = Breaking Point 4 = 4d (2d + 2d touchstone) [77% success]

Vampire walks away from a car crash
* New = Breaking Point 3 = difficulty 3 (1 + 2 difficulty) [17% success - opps]
* VtR = Breaking Point 6 = 5d (3d + 2d touchstone) [84% success]

My knee jerk reaction is I need to drop the breaking point mod by 1 as it seems to high.
Ok, ya I ran the number and time to rethink.

Best regards

[Graylion]

So the revised MtA/Storypath version I would start to work with is as follows.


Humanity Scale (0-5)
• Ascetic (Humanity 5) (Social +2e)
• Balanced (Humanity 4) (Social +0e)
default new vampire
• Weathered (Humanity 3) (Social +1c)
• Callous (Humanity 2) (Social +2c)
• Monstrous (Humanity 1) (Social +3c)
• Lost (Humanity 0) (Social NA)

Touchstones
One (+1e)
More (+2e)

Level of Breaking Point
5 (5d) (previously BP 9-10)
4 (4d) (previously BP 7-8)
3 (3d) (previously BP 5-6)
2 (2d) (previously BP 3-4)
1 (1d) (previously BP 1-2)

Difficulty = 1

Any feedback is welcome

Notes: 2-3d = 1 change in diffculty or +1 enhancement (rough CoD to SP conversion)

Best regards

Revised the Breaking Point mods

[Graylion]

Ok now to rerun the example ...
Ok I need to rethink this whole process I like the breaking points being 1-5 which is the number of dice to roll but what difficulty and how do touchstones help?


So example time

New vampire Humanity 4 and one touchstone.
* +1e for detachment rolls

Vampire frenzies and slaughters a biker gang
* New = Breaking Point 1
1d [30% success]
* VtR = Breaking Point 1
2d (0d +2 touchstone)

Vampire frenzies from hunger and accidentally kills during feeding.
* New = Breaking Point 2
2d
* VtR = Breaking Point 4
4d (2d + 2d touchstone) [77% success]

Vampire walks away from a car crash
* New = Breaking Point 3
3d +1e touchstone
* VtR = Breaking Point 6
5d (3d + 2d touchstone) [84% success]

Vampire injures victim while feeding
* New = Breaking Point 4
4d
* VtR = Breaking Point 7
6d (4d + 2d touchstone)

Vampire attends a dinner watching everyone eat
* New = Breaking Point 5
No need to roll as it's above the vampires humanity
* VtR = Breaking Point 9
No need to roll as it's above the vampires humanity

[worldscoolestloser]

I'm not super sure about the numbers, but thematically I think it works better. Instead of being a purely binary pass or fail now youre likely to pass but with some complications, which seems to me like what the experience narratively is what its been told as. Like yes you pull through with your humanity(or integrety or..) intact but your shaken by it. I don't think I know the storypath system well enough to be much help, but I've been trying to do the same thing for my games. Maybe after Scion comes out I can teach myself it, either way I'll be keeping a close eye on your progress. Keep up the Great work!

[Graylion]

Here is a One Weapon & Armor Matrix that I was using with CoD and now I need to see if it can play into Storypath and how.

Would love any feedback.

Best regards

[Graylion]

OK I am ready to post my first run at CoD to Storypath conversions. These are on the fly based off previous version I tweaked just to get a discussion going.

File links are here.