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

A character must have at least a single dot of Covenant Status in order to gain the benefi ts
of any special abilities of that covenant. In other words, a character must have at least one
dot of Covenant Status (Lancea Sanctum) in order to learn Theban Sorcery. Or a character
must have at least one dot of Covenant Status (Invictus) to take advantage of the experience
point break on the Herd, Mentor, Resources and Retainer Merits. If a character leaves a
covenant after learning some of its secrets, he does not lose any of those traits for which he
paid experience points, but he may not learn additional dots of those traits (or additional
dots at that particular price break, as with the Invictus and the Carthians). See p. 116 for the
complete list of which covenants grant which benefi ts.
Covenant Status is unique in that a character may, on occasion, have more than one form
of it. This occurs almost exclusively at low levels, where a character is beneath the notice of
most other members of his covenants. A character may never have more than three dots
total in Covenant Status among multiple covenants. A double-agent, for example, might take
two dots worth of Covenant Status (Carthians) and a single dot of Covenant Status (Lancea
Sanctum), representing the character’s true allegiance to the Carthians as well as the fact that
he’s in on the ground fl oor of the Lancea Sanctum so that he can feed information back
to his Carthian fellows. A character may even have a single dot of Covenant Status in three
different covenants. Perhaps he’s somewhat accomplished in each, but has yet to determine
where his true loyalties lie. Naturally, a character with Status in only one Covenant is not
beholden to the three-dot limit.
A character with dots in Covenant Status through multiple factions does indeed gain access
to those covenants’ special benefi ts. Covenants expect certain contributions of their members,
however, and if other Kindred fi nd out that the vampire in question is playing multiple sides
against the middle, he might see that Status vanish in a single night when he’s called upon to
account for his treacheries. Such is also the reason that cumulative Covenant Status is limited
to three dots. By the time a character gains a certain degree of Status in a single covenant, he
sticks out like a sore thumb if he turns up among another covenant’s members. (An exception
to this might occur if a character is truly some sort of deep-cover agent or other mole,
but that circumstance is best handled at the Storyteller’s discretion).
Like Clan Status, Covenant Status is not so specifi cally tied to certain titles. It is more a
notion of an individual’s accomplishments. A Lancea Sanctum Priest, for example, has a
greater title than, say, a noted ethicist of the covenant, but that ethicist might have written
numerous treatises on the state of undeath and the soul, according her more esteem among
her peers than the Priest who rides solely on the weight of her title.
• The character is known to a select subset of the clan/covenant — a spy
network, perhaps.
•• The majority of the clan/covenant in the city recognizes the character’s
face and can recall her exploits.
••• The character’s deeds are known to all in the local covenant, even in other
nearby cities; many members of other covenants recognize her face.
•••• Word of the character’s exploits has traveled far, and her name is known
in cities around the country.
••••• The character’s name and face are synonymous with her clan/covenant;
her exploits are taught to new members of the clan/covenant.
Status can serve as a mixed blessing, however. Those who enjoy the most might be able
to use it to their advantage, but they are also visible targets for their enemies. High levels of
Status make it almost impossible to pass unnoticed by those even remotely familiar with a
particular group, even while they open doors that would otherwise remain closed.
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chapter two: character