Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbour

A One World By Night Chronicle

House Rules



BALTIMORE BY NIGHT HOUSE RULES

Last Updated Dec 23, 2006

Download the House Rules in PDF format

1) All house rules are at the discretion of the Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor Storyteller staff.

2) No running, nudity, inappropriate clothing (see nudity), or horseplay.

3) It is the player's responsibility to display noticeable flaws (i.e. touch of frost, eerie presence, chill wind, etc.) or unusual features (i.e. appearance related traits above 3, feral features, etc). Badge holders will not be supplied by the game.

4) Character Folder maintenance is the responsibility of the player of the character. The Storytellers will responsible for storing the character folders and bringing them to game. XP tracking, expenditure and other changes to the material in the folder is the responsibility of the player. All changes to the folder require approval by the character's Storyteller. The character documentation in the folder is the official documentation for the character. If a character or player is inactive for a period of three months is will become inactive and be moved to a manila envelope (hereafter called “body bagging”) and stored for later use. When a character dies or retires it will be body bagged.

5) All combat requires a Storyteller to be present.

CHARACTER CREATION AND MAINTENANCE
1) Character creation shall be done as the One World by Night bylaws excepting the following restrictions:

a) Backgrounds for the character must be turned in within 3 months of the characters creation. After this point the anything in the character background must conform to the standard learning times and in game restrictions. If turned in before the 3 months grace period build XP of 1-5 may be awarded not to exceed the 30 max built per One World by Night bylaws.
b) Haven descriptions for the character must be turned in within 3 months of the character creation. After this point the anything in the haven descriptions must conform to the standard learning times and in game restriction. If turned in before the 3 months grace period build XP of 1-5 may be awarded not to exceed the 30 max built per One World by Night bylaws.
c) All characters created in Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor will be granted three build points to be spent on the following abilities: clan lore, sect lore, and kindred lore.

2) Transfers into or out of Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor need prior approval of the Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor Storyteller Staff. Transferred material into or out of the game must go through appropriate Storyteller channels.

3) Shelving Characters:

a) Each player may have one active and one shelved character in Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor. If the situation arises where a player would have two shelved characters one character must be transferred to another game or retired.
b) If a player voluntarily shelves a character the minimum time it must be shelved is 3 months.
c) A shelved character is considered in stasis and needs approval from the Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor Storyteller Staff to interact with One World by Night.
d) Active Pursuit: It is the opinion of the Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor game that characters may not shelf to avoid in character consequences of the game. If a player decides to shelve a character other players have until the end of those characters following game to declare Active Pursuit. To declare Active Pursuit the characters doing so must have a legitimate starting point to pursue the fleeing character and must maintain a physical pursuit with their characters. Once the pursuit is ended the character is shelved. During this time the player of the pursued character may actively play another character in the game, while the players pursing may not. To be moderated by Storyteller's discretion.
e) It is within the purview of the Storytellers to pull characters off of the shelf.
f) If you have an active Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor character you must play that character unless you have permission from the Storytellers.

4) The following City officers of Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor: Prince, Seneschal, Harpy, Sheriff, Scourge, and Keeper of Elysium must be based in Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor. It is also preferred that the Primogen are be based in our game.

5) Anything that might involve PC or NPC death requires a Storyteller to be physically present.

6) You must play 3 different clans before you can play the same clan again. This applies to characters played in other One World by Night chronicles.

7) Willpower traits and influence you possess renew at the beginning of each Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor game.

8) The merit Ability Aptitude may be purchased, but applies only to non-combat abilities, and may not be used in combat situation.

DISCIPLINES:
1) Out of clan disciplines require the following learning times: Basic 2 weeks, Intermediate 4 weeks, and Advanced 6 weeks.

2) You cannot learn disciplines from your trunk monkeys.

3) You must have an in clan advanced before learning an out of clan advanced.

4) If you do not have Blood Magic in clan you cannot teach Blood Magic.

5) Animalism:
a) Feral Whispers: When a vampire is in subsume or shape of the beast they may be understood by others with Feral Whispers.
b) Subsume the Spirit: Obfuscate may used with the expenditure of 3 mental traits. Sympathetic damage is converted to lethal.

6) Auspex:
a) Telepathy: Line of sight is required for all uses of telepathy.
b) Psychic Projection: May not use Blood Magic, or any blood expenditures.
c) Obfuscate vs. Auspex vs. Chimestry: When both individuals are using contrasting powers the parties may add their levels of the discipline to their traits.

7) Chimestry:
a) All uses of Chimestry require a Storyteller to be present.
b) Obfuscate vs. Auspex vs. Chimestry: When both individuals are using contrasting powers the parties may add their levels of the discipline to their traits.

8) Dementation:
a) All uses of dementation require a Storyteller to be present.

9) Dominate:
a) Forgetful Mind: Requires a Storyteller to be present and a signed item card.
b) Mesmerism: Requires a Storyteller to be present and a signed item card.
c) Possession: Obfuscate may used with the expenditure of 3 mental traits. Sympathetic damage is converted to lethal.

10) Fortitude:
a) Aegis: To prevent staking, you must blow aegis before you throw the two simple challenges. Aegis gives you ties on testing down damage.

11) Melpominee:
a) All uses require a Storyteller to be present.

12) Obeah:
a) All uses require a Storyteller to be present.

13) Obfuscate:
a) Obfuscate vs. Auspex vs. Chimestry: When both individuals are using contrasting powers the parties may add their levels of the discipline to their traits.
b) Obfuscate does not trick technology barring merits.
c) Mask of 1000 faces allows you to change your clothing as well as your physical features.
d) Vanish from the Minds Eye requires a declaration to the Storyteller/s at the beginning of the round.

14) Obtenebration:
a) All Obtenebration effects happen at the end of the round.
b) Arms of the Abyss: The number of arms you can have is your levels in Obtenebration and Occult divided by two and rounded down.
c) Black Metamorphosis: This is not a shape changing power.

15) Potence:
a) Prowess: Refreshes all physical traits.
b) Might is your last retest. Not the last retest for the challenge.
c) Puissance causes an additional lethal damage.

16) Presence:
a) Awe gives you eye contact in combat only.
b) You cannot be summoned back into combat

17) Protean:
a) Earth Meld: You cannot be summoned from Earth Meld.
b) Shape of the Beast: Gangrel use the optional rules on pg. 69 of the Revised Gangrel Clan book.

18) Serpentis:
a) Form of the Cobra is run out of Faith and Fire.
"You can complete the transformation begun by Skin of the Adder, becoming a giant black and gold cobra. Expend a Blood Trait- it takes three full turns to transform into a cobra. As a cobra, you have all of the advantages of the Skin of the Adder, you can fit through even tighter spaces and you get a free retest in all grappling challenges. Finally your bite is poisonous to mortals, causing seven levels of aggravated damage. This form last until dawn or you decide to discard it. It takes three turns to return to human shape."

19) Thanatosis:
a) All uses of this discipline require a Storyteller.

20) Vicissitude:
a) All uses of this discipline require a Storyteller.
b) Horrid Form: This is a physical manifestation of your inner famori. It cannot be changed to look like something else. The extra level of damage, per the book, is only inflicted in brawling combat.

BLOOD MAGIC:
1) All uses of Blood Magic require a Storyteller to be present.

2) All uses of Blood Magic require blood expenditure.

3) All uses of Blood Magic require both verbal and somatic components.

4) Any and all Blood Magic not found in a Minds Eye Theater Book must be present at game to be used. It is highly suggested that you bring a write up with you.

5) Homegrown paths and rituals are subject to Storyteller review and discretion.

6) Blood Magic will not affect beings on other planes of existence by default. There are some paths that are obvious exceptions to this rule.

7) Unless otherwise noted in the power description, all uses of Blood Magic require a full round. The effect goes off on your action.

8) The following rituals do not work in Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor:

9) Weapons can only have one enhancement placed on them. For example: You cannot have a warded weapon with a spirit bound into it using Entrap Ephemera.

COMBINATION DISCIPLINES:
1) All combo disciplines require Storyteller approval. They require a learning time of 3 months and a player character teacher.

2) The following chart shows the available combination disciplines that are clan restricted.

Name Source Clan(s)
Burning Wrath Clan book: Brujah (p 66) Brujah
Iron Heart Clan book: Brujah (p 66) Brujah
Pulse of Undeath Clan book: Brujah (p 66) Any
Thaumaturgical Sight Clan book: Tremere (p 47) Any with Thaum in Clan
Forced March Clan book: Assamite (p 71) Any
Shadow Feint Clan book: Assamite (p 72) Any
Shroud of Absence Clan book: Lasombra (p 72) Lasombra
Sympathetic Agony Clan book: Ravnos (p 67) Ravnos
Hearts Desire Clan book: Ravnos (p 68) Ravnos
Mask of Cathay Clan book: Ravnos (p 68) Any
Bliss Clan book: Toreador (p 73) Toreador
Soul Painting Clan book: Toreador (p 74) Toreador
Double Talk Clan book: Toreador (p 75) Any
Soul Decoration Clan book: Tzimisce (p 72) Tzimisce
Pater Szlachta Clan book: Tzimisce (p 72) Tzimisce
Denial of Aphrodite's Favor Clan book: Ventrue (p 77) Ventrue
Lifesong Clan book: Ventrue (p 77) Any
True Love's Face Clan book: Setite (p 69) Any
Typhonic Beast Clan book: Setite (p 69) Setite Bloodline
Weigh the Heart Clan book: Setite (p 70) Follower of Set
Claw Immunity Clan book: Gangrel (p 72) Any
Flesh Wound Clan book: Gangrel (p 72) Any
See the Reflected Form Clan book: Gangrel (p 72) Gangrel

3) Combination Disciplines from the Anarch Guide and Archons and Templars are not clan specific.

4) Combination Disciplines from any other sources are subject to Storyteller review and discretion.

5) Dark Ages combination disciplines are not allowed in Baltimore by Night: Dark Harbor.

Influence Rules



BALTIMORE BY NIGHT INFLUENCE RULES

Last Updated Oct 13, 2007

Download the Influence Rules in PDF format
Download the Influence Actions Sheet in PDF format

BBN:DH uses Dark Epics Influence Rules. A list of what each level of a type of influence can achieve can be found in LotN and in Dark Epics. We've put together an abbreviated list and descriptions of the Influence Actions & Modifiers below for ease of reference.

Influence actions must be turned in on the form.

Attack, Conceal, Defense, Follow, Growth, Trace and Watch are resolved at the next game. All other actions can be resolved at the time of use (i.e. using Media to squash a news story to prevent a Masquerade Breach), but must still be turned in or reported to our Influence ST (Kris).

ATTACK
In order to attack someone's influence, you must first have found it using Trace. Assign a number of influence traits and that becomes your attack level. If your level is higher than your target's level, they lose a level in that influence.

(E.g. Sally assigns 3 levels of Bureaucracy to Attack Jim's influence. Jim only has 2 levels of Bureaucracy, so he loses 1 bureaucracy influence trait.)

BLOCK
You can use your influence to block actions. Any action from LotN can be blocked provided you have enough influence to make the action you wish to block. Your block level is equal to the number of influence traits you assign to it. The block affects all attempts at the blocked action. Blocks are not stackable, when several blocks are placed on one type of influence, the highest block level applies. You can use Boost to overcome a Block.

(E.g. Jane has Legal x4, allowing her to parole inmates. Because she has that ability, she can place a block on that action. She assigns 2 levels to Block, which means anybody attempting to parole an inmate will need to spend two or more additional traits to be successful in their action i.e. 6 or more traits)

BOOST
Boost just means that you are using additional traits to perform an influence action, in case someone has put up a block. If the traits spent on boost, equal or better the block level, the action is successful. Successfully beating the block does not mean it goes away. It is still in effect.

(E.g. Matt makes a level 1 Health block on getting mortal blood. Kate has Health x4, and tries to use 1 level of Health to get a blood trait. The ST informs her that there is a shortage of blood in the city (due to a block) and that her action fails. Kate tries again using 1 trait for the action and her last 2 traits to Boost. Since her second action cost 3 traits, and the block is 1 trait, her action is successful).

COMBINE
Combine is for helping your fellow vampires in their Influence actions. Every two traits you assign to Combine to someone make an action, translates to 1 additional influence level for them. Influences loaned by Allies and Mentors work this way too.

(E.g. Lynn has Politics x4. She wants to enact minor legislation, which is a level 4 action. She already spent 1 level this month, so she needs another level to make her action. Steve has Politics x2, so he uses both for Combine, giving Lynn 1 level to add to her remaining 3, and Lynn now has the 4 traits needed.)

CONCEAL
Conceal is used for hiding your influence from people attempting to trace it. This is not something you can do when informed you've already been traced as a defensive action. This is for when you hear through the grapevine that someone might be looking for you. The number of traits you spend towards Conceal is your Conceal level which anybody tracing you must overcome in order to successfully Trace your influence.

(E.g. Chris has University x4, and heard that Tim was going to try to trace his University Influence. So, Chris spends all of his University Influence for three games, hoping that Tim will lose interest. Tim would have to spend University x5 to overcome the Conceal in order to successfully Trace Chris’s influence.)

DEFEND
Defend is used when you think someone's going to Attack you. You assign a number of traits as your defense level. Someone attacking you will need to use enough traits to exceed (your influence level + your defense level) in order to Attack you.

(E.g. Eric thinks someone's going to attack his Underworld influence. He uses 3 of his 4 Underworld traits as Defense. Anybody attacking him must now use at least 8 traits to be successful.)

FOLLOW
So you already traced someone's influence, and now you want to see what they do with it? Assign a number of traits to Follow, and all actions made by the target's influence will be revealed to you unless they are hidden by an equal or higher level of Stealth. NOTE: Follow works on 1 type of Influence only, not all of the Target's Influence.

(E.g. Jean used her Occult x3 to Trace Toby's Occult influence months ago. She's wondering what Toby's up to, so she spends all 3 levels to Follow Toby's Occult actions. She finds out that Toby tried to acquire a minor magical item. If Toby had used three or more levels of Stealth on the action, Jean would not have seen it)

GROWTH
If you want to increase your influence, you must grow it! If you want to get the next level, you must spend three times your current level in Grow. Unlike other actions – Growth actions are "banked" until you reach the level you need.

(E.g. Tracy has Street x3, and wants to buy Street x4. In the first 2 weeks, she uses Street x3 to Grow. (3 banked), the next 2 weeks she uses Street x3 to Grow again (6 banked), the next 2 weeks she uses Street x3 to Grow (9 banked) which is 3 times her Street x3, and so she can buy Street x4. IN BBN:DH YOU MUST SPEND THE XP ON THE INFLUENCE TRAIT)

STEALTH
Stealth is used against Follow and Watch. If the number of traits used on Stealth equal or exceed the level of the Follow or Watch, your action is undetected. Stealth can be used on any of your regular actions, as well as Attack, Block, Follow, Growth or Watch.

(E.g. Donny has Finance x5 and wants to purchase a small business, but doesn't want anybody to know about it. He uses Finance x2 to buy the business, and Finance x3 to Stealth. Anybody with a Watch or Follow action of 3 or less, will not see what Donny's up to.)

TRACE
If you have come into contact with someone's influence by:

... You can Trace them. You can't just guess what someone has, and try to Trace it. If the number of traits you use to Trace exceeds their level of Conceal or Stealth, you are successful. Success tells you:

You can't tell someone enough from a Trace for them to Attack, but you can tell them enough for them to make their own Trace action.

(E.g. Paul has Police x4. His attempt to access confiscated weapons was recently blocked by Carl's Level 2 Block. Their influence having made contact, Paul decides to Trace the influence. He uses Police x4 to Trace. Carl has Police x5, and uses Police x2 to Block again this month, and because he starts worrying that people are going to Trace him (being blocked is irritating!) he uses Police x3 to Conceal. Because Paul's Trace (4) exceeds Carl's Conceal (3), he finds out that his influence action was blocked last month by Carl, and that he has more influence than he does, and a general description of his Influence.)

WATCH
Watch is used for when you want to know what's going on in a particular Influence. You must have enough influence to make the actions you’re trying to watch. Watch lets you know when and how often that action is attempted in the City. You can also use Watch to look for: Attack, Block, Follow (only those targeting you), Growth and Watch. Your Watch level is equal to the number of traits you use for it.

(E.g. Mark has Church x5, and uses 1 trait to Watch for people attempting to contact church-associated Hunter groups. Mark's pretty paranoid, so he puts up a second Watch with 2 traits, to see if anybody else is doing the same thing he is. His first watch reveals nothing, his second Watch (on the Watch action) notices his Watch, and reveals that someone else is using Watch to notice anyone attempting to view general church records.)