Mind's Eye Theatre - Vampire The Requiem.pdf - RoseRed

lood potency • merits • haven
brought on by the Embrace. While the Mind’s Eye Theatre rulebook describes Merits in
greater detail and provides lists of examples, vampires are removed somewhat from mortal
society and often require unique or specialized Merits.
What follows are traits designed solely for vampires, allowing players to further distinguish
their characters from ordinary mortals and other nonhuman beings. These Merits are available
at character creation and during the course of the chronicle. The fi rst instance assumes
that your vampire character is already Embraced at the beginning of play or is Embraced very
soon afterward. (It’s not possible for a strictly mortal character to have the following traits
as presented here.)
HAVEN (• TO •••••; SPECIAL)
Effect: A haven is a place where a vampire sleeps, protected from the sun during the deadly
daylight hours. Legends tell of vampires in dark, twisted citadels on high mountain peaks,
complete with labyrinthine catacombs, but the reality is far less grandiose. In truth, a haven
can be as simple as a sewer or an abandoned warehouse or a crate in a forgotten storage closet,
as long as it is undisturbed between dawn and dusk.
All havens are not created equal. A warehouse might have plenty of space and proximity
to a signifi cant amount of prey, but it might not be secure against unwanted visitors. An
abandoned subway car in a long-forgotten tunnel has space and adequate security, but it
might be so far out of the way that fi nding prey is diffi cult. Great time and effort is spent
fi nding suitable havens, and their value is represented by three factors — location, size and
security. Players who choose this Merit must also choose how to allocate these three factors
when spending points. For instance, two points may be spent on Haven Location, with a
third spent on Haven Security.
A good Haven Location makes it easier for a vampire to feed. A haven with many dots
in this category might be close to several nightclubs or bars that do considerable nighttime
business, while one with few dots might simply be close to a bus or train station that brings
travelers on a regular basis. Each dot of Haven Location grants a +1 bonus on hunting draws
for the character who controls it and any whom she allows in. Havens without any dots in
Location are suffi ciently secluded so as to not provide any bonus.
Haven Size is important to characters who need a place to safely store their possessions and
valuables. A haven with no dots in Haven Size is just large enough for its owner and perhaps
a single companion, with minimal if any storage capacity — the aforementioned crate in the
forgotten storage closet, or a cramped apartment. By spending points to increase a haven’s
size, a player allows for accoutrements and personal effects. Larger havens can be anything
from mansions to mountain hideaways to vast subterranean catacombs. Note, however, that
havens of considerable size are not necessarily easy to maintain.
• A small apartment or underground chamber; 1-2 rooms
•• A large apartment or small family home; 3-4 rooms
••• A warehouse, church or large home; 5-8 rooms, or large enclosure
•••• A abandoned mansion or network of subway tunnels; equivalent of 9-15
rooms or chambers
••••• A sprawling estate or vast network of tunnels; countless rooms or chambers
Of course, Haven Location and Haven Size do not prevent rival vampires from attempting
to fi nd and steal choice havens, nor do they prevent intrusion by mortals (police, criminal
organizations, social workers). Players of characters who wish to ensure privacy and safety may
choose to spend points on Haven Security, thus making it diffi cult for others to gain entrance.
Havens with no dots in Haven Security can be found by those intent enough to look, and offer
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