Character Creation

This is a guide to help you, the player, create a quick-sheet for a character and nothing more. This guide does not deal in the in-depth character creation that can (and should) be found within the books. There are only a few guidelines:

• You start with 150xp if you are a new player and 160xp if you are a returning player.
• You start with Resources 2, Haven Location 1, Haven Security 1, and Haven Size 1.
• You can purchase Clan and Covenant Status up to 2 with back story for why you have some standing in the group
• You cannot purchase Corporation Status, but you will receive 1 dot of Corporation Status for free once you have been acknowledged by the Division Head.
• Please check the House Rules page for additional rulings.

HTML Form Character Sheet

Step 1: Concept & Name
Step 2: Background Information
Step 3: Virtue & Vice
Step 4: Covenant & Clan
Step 5: Attributes & Skills
Step 6: Disciplines
Step 7: Merits & Flaws
Step 8: Size, Defense, Initiative, Speed, Health & Willpower

Concept
Forget your stats, forget your name, forget your clan and covenant. You need a concept to be able to start fleshing out your character. What are you wanting to make? What should your character be?

A few good examples of this would be: Cocaine-Pusher, Bored Socialite, Jaded Fledgeling, Rogue Ghoul, etc.

Name
What’s in a name? Well, a lot of things if you ask me. A name should be something believable for your character as well as for the World of Darkness. While Gandalf Stormcrow is a great name and all, it’s not really something you should name your Gangrel asskicker.

With that being said, I’ve put together a few rather lengthy lists of names for some of you to glance over if you feel so inclined. Each will open in a separate window.

4,955 Female Names
3,902 Male Names
37,036 Surnames

 
Background Information
Generally, it is a good idea to start with a concept and a background before you start throwing on points. I assist with a background creation, I recommend you answer the Character Questions. You get a bonus for sending them to me anyway.

Virtue & Vice
You happen to have to pick one of the seven vices and virtues for your character. This is an aspect of character creation that some find surprisingly difficult.

Virtues

Virtues are the strength of your character. Everyone has his or her personal strength of character, and this is it. When you are choosing one of the seven Virtues (Charity, Faith, Fortitude, Hope, Justice, Prudence and Temperance) try to think of what would fit your character’s thought process the best.

Is your character a thinker who likes to mull over things before he decides on them? Prudence would definitely fit that bill. Does your character have a constructed belief system which, even under the worst conditions, he still stays the course? Fortitude will be your bet there.

Vices
Let’s be honest, vices are fun. This is what gives the flavor to the forbidden fruit, the scent to the enticer’s perfume and the raw animalistic impulses to the predator. Everyone has at least one vice, and coupled with the nature of the opposing virtue, it can make for an interesting play-time. Choose one of the seven vices that best suits your character (Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Pride, Sloth and Wrath).

When confronted with someone who is just being a stubborn prat, would your character rather just slug them in the head than bother with trying to talk it out? Wrath is a good one for you, buddy. Does your character find himself always looking at other’s accomplishments, regardless of her own, and wanting them for herself? Envy would probably be your best choice.

While this guide seems to simplify the process of selecting Vices and Virtues, it is anything but. Remember, your character is not a two-dimensional figure with two modes; it is a cosmopolitan mix of emotions, reactions and history. Choose your virtues and vices carefully, but remember, they are only the main strengths and weaknesses of your character, not all of them.

Covenant
There are five player-character covenants and the unaligned for you to choose from for your vampire character. Naturally, there are other covenants, but they are primarily non-playing-character covenants and won’t be detailed here. You may find more detailed information on covenants in the respective covenant section of ordodracul.com.

Carthian Movement
The freelance thinkers of the Kindred. They are your modern anarchs, libertarians, wall-busters and politically motivated status-quo questioners all meshed together in one covenant. If there's anything in common about all of them, it's their desire for change.
Covenant Bonus: Half-cost XP for Allies, Contacts, Haven and Herd

Circle of the Crone
A covenant of Kindred who highly prize the ability to overcome obstacles by testing themselves physically, mentally and most importantly spiritually. Sometimes Crones are persecuted by other Kindred due to some of their rituals and practices being considered by others as ‘barbaric’.
Covenant Bonus: Cruác

The Invictus
The aristocracy of the damned. A hodgepodge of new money, old money, socialites, dukes, gangland hotshots and elitists. You can count on the Invictus to uphold the laws of the Kindred to the fullest extent – after all, someone has to make sure that the system of checks and balances for the Danse Macabre isn’t offset by a juvenile Kindred.
Covenant Bonus: Half-cost XP for Herd, Mentor, Resources and Retainer.

Lancea Sanctum
The religious and moral backbone of the Kindred. They are your self-appointed priests and deacons, but also your inquisitors and heretic hunters. This covenant expects respect and punishes heresy. They are often confused for zealots because they have no qualms (though it is not usually their first choice) with bloodshed as an acceptable means of conversion.
Covenant Bonus: Theban Sorcery

Ordo Dracul

Perhaps the youngest, most misunderstood, untrusted and secretive covenant of the five. In truth, the covenant is simply devoted to it’s principal belief that nothing is permanent and anything, even the vampiric existence, can be overcome given time and study. Of any covenant, the Ordo Dracul is rumored to punish those who attempt to leave the worst. It’s secrets are not to be shared with others, and it makes sure of that.
Covenant Bonus: Coils of the Dragon

Clan
There are five clans which your vampire could have been sired from. Each clan has the ability to mesh with any of the covenants, though naturally, some are more inclined to join one type of covenant than the other. You may find more detailed information on clans in the respective clans section of ordodracul.com

Daeva
The Daeva are your sensuous political force, your charismatic self-centered assclowns, but they are nothing if not predators. Not to be confused with being simply lustful sex-driven maniacs, a goodly portion of the Daeva are too dead inside to really care for passion. Sadly the masks they portray are just that, masks for the missing soul-food that these creatures are cursed with. Their signature discipline is not to be trifled with, even wary Kindred have been sucked in by a Daeva who wields the emotional control of the discipline like a scalpel.
Clan Favored Attributes: Dexterity or Manipulation
Clan Nickname: Succubi
Clan Disciplines: Celerity, Majesty, Vigor

Gangrel
Savages amongst savages, predators amongst predators. If there is a feral clan in the Requiem, the Gangrel fit it to the tee. No other clan is so intimately familiar with their inner beast, and many Gangrel seem to have a peculiar insight into the Kindred condition. While it would seem that the Gangrel would just be populated by blood-crazed vampires, this isn’t true, and a surprising number of Gangrel are scholars or philosophers, giving a strange nickname to them at times in ‘Noble Savages’. While the Daeva are feared for their cunning and speed in combat, the Gangrel are feared for something else: their ability to grow claws and take punishment like a masochist.
Clan Favored Attributes: Composure or Stamina
Clan Nickname: Savages
Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Protean, Resilience

Mekhet
If there is one fear of mortals that is predominant at any age, any sex and any creed, it is the fear of darkness. This clan embodies it moreso than any other. It embraces it. The Mekhet are known for their abilities as knowledge collectors and spies, but this is not the case. The Mekhet are composed from more backgrounds than any other clan, arguably. So while you may see the typical skulking information-seller, you may also just as well come across as a philosopher-aristocrat or a Prince’s sheriff who relies not on brute force but finesse and the application thereof.
Clan Favored Attributes: Intelligence or Wits
Clan Nickname: Shadows
Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Obfuscate

Nosferatu
The spine tingling sensation, the cold chill or the quickening of your breath are all products of fear... or coming across a Nosferatu. All Nosferatu are uncomfortable to be around, and generally outcast and shunned by mortal society (and Kindred too, just not to their faces). The Nosferatu have many strengths, outside of this, and one of them is their terrible physical strength and another is their extremely tuned abilities of stealth.
Clan Favored Attributes: Composure or Strength
Clan Nickname: Haunts
Clan Disciplines: Nightmare, Obfuscate, Vigor

Ventrue
The aristocracy of the aristocracy. These are your leaders who boast just as much. They were born, bred and made to lead - and who is anyone to tell them otherwise? This clan is of a feudalistic nature and it’s efforts go into winning. There is no defeats for them, nor will they acknowledge them. It’s not surprising, then, that you will undoubtedly find Ventrue within the upper echelons of a city, nor is it surprising that the special task you were sent in to do was owned and operated by a Ventrue after all. The thirst for power is on the tip of every Ventrue’s tongue, and all too late do some Ventrue realize the downside of it...
Clan Favored Attributes: Presence or Resolve
Clan Nickname: Lords
Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Dominate, Resilience

Attributes
The basic capabilities that every human or vampire has are represented in his Attributes. They are the foundation of everything this character can accomplish or do. Mental attributes describe how intelligent, sharp or stalwart your character is. Social describe how well your character can interact with others; how noticeable they are, how well the character can convince others or how well your character can remain poised.

It is highly warned to overpower yourself in one stat, as you may find quickly that your character will be severely, and potentially devastatingly, lacking in another. When creating a character, you get 5 points to spend in your primary Attribute group, 4 points in your secondary and 3 points in your tertiary. All Attributes start at level 1.

Mental Attributes: Intelligence, Wits, Resolve
Physical Attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina
Social Attributes: Presence, Manipulation, Composure

Skills
While attributes may describe the base abilities of your character, skills define what traits your character would have ‘picked-up’, learned or has been trained in over the course of her life. They reflect his origins and interests.

Naturally, not everyone is as good at one thing as someone else, nor is anyone good at everything. The dot spread from 1-5 is fairly important with skills, as it’s highly unlikely you’d be able to find a gangbanger with the Firearms 5 ability, but it’s very possible that you would find a military firearms specialist with that rating. The difference is, the gangbanger knows the ins and outs of street survival, while the military firearms specialist would be forced to rely on basic training.

1 - Novice, 2 - Practitioner, 3 - Professional, 4 - Expert, 5 - Master

When creating a character, you get 11 points to put into your primary Skill set, 7 for your secondary and 4 for your tertiary.

Specialties.
Specialties in Skills are available. You do not need a high target number in a skill to select a specialty, you only need a minimum of 1. A character who is well versed in academia could have a specialization, perhaps as a historian. A professional driver may be licensed to drive most vehicles, but is more comfortable with a sharp-handling sports car. Your character starts the game with three skill specialties.

Disciplines
Disciplines are the signature powers of the damned. Each discipline has it’s pros and cons, but no one denies their inherent usefulness at any level.

There are some disciplines that only one clan in particular wields (referred to as Clan Specific) and there are others that are shared amongst clans (referred to as Common).

Clan Specific Disciplines: Auspex (Mekhet), Dominate (Ventrue), Majesty (Daeva), Nightmare (Nosferatu), Protean (Gangrel)
Common Disciplines: Animalism, Celerity, Obfuscate, Resilience, Vigor

Merits
Merits are special capabilities or knacks that add individuality to your character. They?e purchased during character creation or with experience points over the course of your chronicle.

The Merits in this chapter are organized alphabetically into three broad categories: Physical, Mental and Social. Some apply to your character? basic traits to enhance them in particular situations. Some have prerequisites that must be met before they can be purchased. For example, a character with the Gunslinger Merit must have a Dexterity of 3 and Firearms of 3 or higher to be able to accurately fire two weapons at the same time. By the same token, some Merits apply drawbacks that balance out their inherent advantages. A character with the Fame Merit, for example, is treated like a star wherever he goes ? but has a hard time blending into the crowd when he wants to.

Each Merit has a number of dots (? associated with it. These dots represent the number of points that must be spent to purchase the Merit. Some Merits allow for a range of dots (say, to ??. These allow you to purchase a low rating if it? appropriate to your character concept, or you can start with a low level and increase it over time with experience points.

A character is born with some Merits or develops them early in life, while others can be acquired through trail and error, training and effort later in life. The first kind can be acquired at character creation only and are labeled as such (in the list below, they are marked with an *). The second kind can be acquired during play with experience points. Merit dots must be purchased sequentially with experience points. You have to buy and then ? before your character can have ? or more.

Remember, all employees of Venture receive 2 free points of Resources to reflect their salaries. You can also purchase the Staff merit, which gives you 10 normal employees per dot spent. They can perform simple actions (basic research, driving, construction, etc.) Additionally, you can purchase a 2 point merit to have your sire be a member of a bloodline. If you purchase this and spend 3 points to up your blood potency to 2, you can start as a bloodline clan.

When creating a character, you get 7 points of Merits for free.

Flaws
Flaws in the World of Darkness and Vampire the Requiem are optional. Once a session, if the flaw hinders a character adversely, the Storyteller can choose to award one extra experience point for that session.

Size
Size is how big your character is. Generally, all starting characters have a size rating of 5. Merits and Flaws can alter this.

Defense
Defense is an integral part of your character. After all, you can’t die if you don’t get hit, right? Figuring out your base Defense is simple: it is the lowest of Dexterity or Wits.

Initiative
Initiative (or usually referred to as Inits) is how quick your character is able to react to a situation, generally in combat. To find your Inits rating, add your Dexterity + Composure dots. Some merits alter this score.

Speed
Speed is how quick your character can move. To determine your Speed, add your Strength + Dexterity then add 5. Some merits alter this score.

Health
Health is how many levels of damage your character can take before they are killed or torpored. To find your Health rating add your Stamina + Size. Some merits alter your size rating, and by proxy, alter your Health rating as well.

Willpower
Willpower is integral to a character. It is the measure of how much spine or backbone a character has. Willpower is determined by Resolve + Composure.