Backgrounds

Backgrounds can't be bought with experience/after launch. To get a background in game, you must work with the STs to determine the how best to do so. This may involve rolling downtime or other quests, write ups, or methods of justification.

At character creation, you may not have backgrounds that exceed dot 3 without proper justification! Most players will not be allowed to start with an influence background higher than 3 (if they are allowed to start with one at all) due to the fact that most characters are new arrivals in the bay area!

All backgrounds require justifications. If you can justify it, we'll probably give it to you (we're not that mean).

= Basic/Common Backgrounds =

Allies
Background goes by V20 rules (e.g. by the book). All allies at (and post) creation require justification. Work with your ST to determine what allies would be best, who these allies are, etc. Some allies may require a writeup depending on the ally.

Contacts
Background goes by V20 rules (e.g. by the book). All contacts at (and post) creation require justification. Your ST will work with you to determine what contacts you have/which would be best, who those contacts are, etc. Some contacts may require a short writeup depending on the contact.

Fame
(Adapted from V20 Fame background & Philly by Night's Fame Background)

You enjoy widespread recognition in mortal society as an entertainer, musician, performer, etc. This gives you all manner of privileges when moving in mortal society, but can also attract an unwanted amount of attention now that you’re no longer alive. The greatest weapon fame has to offer is the ability to sway public opinion - as modern media constantly proves.

This Background is obviously a mixed blessing. You can certainly enjoy the privileges of your prestige - getting the best seats, being invited to events you’d otherwise miss, getting appointments with the elite - but you’re also often recognized when you’d rather not be. However, your enemies can’t just make you disappear without causing an undue stir, and you find it much easier to hunt in populated areas as people flock to you (adding one dice per dot to hunting pools.). Additionally, your Storyteller might permit you to reduce difficulties of Social rolls against particularly starstruck or impressionable people.

At ST discretion, your Fame might also add onto your Influence dice pool, dice pool for Social rolls when interacting with fans and add hunting pools. Fame might also be able to be add on to your Influence rolls in the appropriate spheres.

On SF by Night, Fame is mostly used for Bands/Band members, television hosts, comedians, performers, etc. that are actively making money from their ventures, usually via some form of performance. (E.g. working to make money using fame. Getting money via bribes because you're a 'famous' mafia boss doesn't apply here (that's what the Reputation background is for!)). We had to make a distinction between fame and Reputation (see below) because of the number of musician and artist characters on this server, and because gaining more fame is linked to performances/gigs instead of simple downtime rolls. Your ST will work with you to determine which background is better for your character.

Note: The flavor text below is just that, flavor text. The meaning of each fame dot changes a bit depending on how exactly your character is gaining fame.

Note 2: Fame can be acquired/grown via downtime


 * ● You’re known to a select subculture of the city or have just begun growing your fame. Pays $500 per month.
 * ●● A good number of the local populace recognizes your face; you’re a local celebrity such as a news anchor or musician. Pays $2,000 per month.
 * ●●● You have city/area wide fame: Perhaps you are a musician or actor gaining quite good local acclaim. Pays $10,000 per month.
 * ●●●● State wide fame and growing national recognition. Pays $30000 per month.
 * ●●●●● Nation wide fame with international recognition. Pays $50000 per month.

Haven
(Adapted from Communal Haven/Base of Operations)

A Haven is a secure location, your fortress and sanctuary from the turmoil of the world of darkness. Havens can be owned by just one, miserly, kindred. Or a coterie or pack. It is a very versatile background which allows you to fully customize how you want your little slice of peace to be. A Haven could be as simple as an unfurnished apartment, as flashy as a mafioso’s penthouse, or as complex as a military base.

Note that this Background is different from the Domain and Resources Backgrounds. Typically, Domain is “turf,” while this is an actual Haven (which may can sometimes even stand on contested domain).

Players who elect to purchase this Background must divide their points among three different categories, described below.

Note: the STs will work with you individually for each haven and any haven upgrades, including the cost of upgrades or how many resource dots you may be required to have in order to justify your haven. Some categories below do have a generally price range outline, to be used for reference.

Note 2: Non-vampire characters can purchase the haven backgrounds for their home/base of operations. It's literally the same thing except you just take out all the vampire flavor text

Luxury
Luxury is a measure of the quality of appointments inside the haven. The level of Luxury ranges from spare to opulent, corresponding closely to a Resources Background of equal value.


 * • What passes for furniture probably fell off the back of a truck or was liberated from a dumpster. ($50-$500)
 * •• The place has been decorated and outfitted modestly. It has the basics expected of modern First World lifestyles (where appropriate). ($1000-$5000)
 * ••• The haven offers relative comfort, with a host of amenities. ($10,000-$25,000)
 * •••• The haven is a luxurious oasis in the midst of the Jyhad, unique in both design and appearance. ($50,000-$100,000)
 * ••••• Only the extremely wealthy or celebrities usually enjoy the opulence of a place like this. ($500,000 and up)

Size
Size represents the amount of living space in the Communal. While the following breakdown gives suggested sizes and room counts, players are encouraged to be creative if they so wish — imagine an open warehouse layout of no true “rooms,” or a network of “under repair “blacked-out skywalks that have access points to various locations downtown.


 * • A small apartment or underground chamber: 1 to 2 rooms.
 * •• A large apartment or small family home; 3 to 4 rooms.
 * ••• A warehouse, church, or large home; 5 to 8 rooms, or a large enclosure.
 * •••• A mansion or network of tunnels; 9-15 rooms or chambers.
 * ••••• A sprawling estate or vast network of subway tunnels; 20+ rooms.

Security
Security represents how tough it is to breach the haven. Each dot of Security either adds one to the difficulty of any roll made to penetrate the haven or adds one to the number of successes required to gain access. (Players and Storytellers should agree on this function before the story begins.)


 * • Cheap locks on the doors, but not much else.
 * •• You’ve reinforced every door and barred the windows, or you may have a dog that barks to warn you when someone comes too close to the haven. The place is relatively secure from commonplace threats.
 * ••• The haven is secure but not impenetrable, relying on a modern set of locks, physical protection such as bars over the windows, electronic security measures such as alarm systems, and standard electronic monitoring such as security cameras. It may be remote or accessed only by protected routes, such as a high-rise with a security guard who watches the elevator.
 * •••• Your haven is protected by all of the security features for the previous level and then some. On par with restricted governmental buildings or even prisons, your haven has reinforced walls, sectionalized access throttles, and perhaps even several panic rooms or hidden chambers. You have invested a considerable about of time and effort to keep people out of your base.
 * ••••• Your base is protected by all of the security features offered by the previous levels. Additionally, it is protected by one or more unique features, such as being far off the beaten path, incorporating a geographical boundary like being built on an island, and/or possible occult protections, like being visible only to Kindred. (Players and Storytellers should come to an agreement on the nature of such one-of-a-kind protections.)

Influence
(Adapted from the Philly by Night Influence Background)

Influence. The most daunting, confusing, convoluted, and interesting background. Some people will never touch this, others will build characters specifically to play this glorified minigame. For those we've stolen from Philadelphia by Night, our system will be very familiar. However, because SF by Night has multiple cities/regions covered in game, we've broken down and specified influence a bit more.

STs will work with you at creation to determine which influences work best, what your pools are, etc. Same goes for if you are building influence IC. Most people are not allowed to start with high levels of influence in a city (the usual starting cap is 3, but we're hesitant to give you even that much) because most characters are newcomers to the Bay Area and haven't built up a local reputation. But fear not! Influence can all be (and usually is) built up IC via downtime.

Below is a basic overview of what influence will get you. However, to understand this fully and get a full tutorial, you will need to read about how our downtime works.

Influence is broken down first by sphere, then by city. Influence must be bought/built separately per type for each city. You must buy/build dots separately for each influence type in each city!

For example: Bob the Brujah allocates 3 dots to street influence (oakland) and 1 to street influence (San Francisco) at creation. He then builds street influence (Berkeley) in game via downtime.

Spheres of Influence
There are 15 spheres of influence, each representing a different area of influence. What does "Example Roll" mean?

This is an example of what a attribute+ability (pool) you will use to increase your influence/use your influence via downtime. Example roll is just that, an example, and roll pools are tailored to your character. (see downtime for more information)


 * Bureaucracy: represents your character’s sway over mortal government institutions on a city level and allows you to do things such as trace utility bills, acquire fake documentation such as driver’s licenses, passports, etc., and even get small areas of the city rezoned. Example Roll: Manipulation + Law
 * Church: influence represents the pull your character has over the religious institutions of the city and allows you to do things such as pass as a member of the clergy, trace regular church members, open or close a church, obtain access to the records and archives of a church, manipulate regional branches of the church and even get access to ancient secrets and knowledges of the church. Example Roll: Manipulation + Academics
 * Finance: influence represents the amount of power your character has over the financial institutions of the city and allows you to do things such as raise capital, trace account activity, and even ruin business’ credit ratings. Example Roll: Intelligence + Finance
 * Health: influence represents your character’s sway over the health institutions of the city and allows you to do things such as obtain blood bags, get medical records faked or erased, access patient information and even get people hired (or fired). Example Roll: Intelligence + Medicine
 * High Society: influence represents your character’s pull over the higher echelons of society - celebrities, old money families like the Rockefellers and even new money families all fill this niche. High Society influence allows you to do things like gain access to exclusive events, gain access to locations, and even score tickets. Example Roll: Charisma + Etiquette
 * Industry: influence represents the amount of power your character holds over the industrial side of things in the city and allows you to do things such as arrange small accidents or sabotage, organize minor strikes, and close down or revitalize small plants. Example Roll: Charisma + Expression
 * Legal: influence represents your character’s sway over the legal proceedings in the city and allows you to do things such as get free representation, have minor charges dropped, manipulate civil cases, issue subpoenas and have deportation proceedings held against someone. Example Roll: Intelligence + Law
 * Media: influence represents your character’s pull over the news sources of the city and allows you to do things such as learn about stories early, suppress small articles or reports, ground stories and projects, boost or erode someone’s fame background and spread fake news locally. Example Roll: Charisma + Expression
 * Occult: influence represents your character’s pull in the occult subculture of the city, both the real and the pretenders and allows you to do things such as make use of the practices of local occult groups, access resources for most rituals and rites, access common occult tomes and writings and research rituals from your sect. Example Roll: Perception + Occult
 * Police: influence represents the amount of pull your character has over the local police forces and allows you to do things such as avoid traffic stops, access minor evidence that “goes missing”, get copies of an investigation report, access confiscated weapons or contraband, and arrange a setup. Example Roll: Intelligence + Law
 * Political: influence represents the amount of sway your character has over the political goings-on of the city and allows you to do things such as lobby a politician, garner inside information on processes, sway or alter local political projects, and enact legislation. Example Roll: Charisma + Politics
 * Street: influence represents the pull your character has over gangs and the homeless and allows you to do things such as identify most gangs and their turf, access contraband, arrange services from street people, mobilize groups of homeless people, and arrange an impressive protest by street people. Example Roll: Wits + Streetwise
 * Transportation: influence represents your character’s sway over the transportation system of the city and allows you to do things such as travel locally quickly and freely, track an unwary target using public transportation, avoid most supernatural dangers while traveling, shut down some aspect of public transportation, and smuggle locally with impunity. Example Roll: Wits + Academics/Streetwise
 * Underworld: influence represents your character’s pull within the criminal society and allows you to do things such as locate contraband and illicit activities, obtain untraceable guns, drugs, stolen cars, etc., arrange a minor hit, arrange gangland assassinations, and supply sizable drug needs for the city. Example Roll: Wits + Streetwise
 * University: influence represents your character’s sway within the university of the city and allows you to do things such as get records up to the highschool level, fake highschool records, change a student’s grades, organize student rallies and protests and falsify an undergraduate degree. Example Roll: Intelligence + Academics/Science

Cities of Influence
There are (currently) three cities in which you can have influence. Just because you have 1 dot of street influence in Berkeley, doesn't mean you have that influence in Oakland.


 * San Francisco
 * Oakland
 * Berkeley

Examples of What Influence can Get You
The below lists are intended to be used as a general frame of reference for what you can use each level of influence can accomplish and by no means represent a comprehensive list.

Bureaucracy


 * 1) Trace utility bills or other such “red tape”
 * 2) Fake a low level government document, photo ID, birth certificate etc…, Shut down utilities to a single family dwelling, Close a small road, park or similar low level government service, Get public aid ($250)
 * 3) Fake a mid level government document, death certificate, passport or green card, Shut down a small business on a violation, Close a public school for a single day
 * 4) Fake land deeds, Initiate a department wide investigation in a low level government organization, Shut down a public school for a week
 * 5) Start, stop or alter city wide program or policy, Shut down a big business on a violation, Rezone small areas of the city, Obliterate all city or county records of a person

Church


 * 1) Identify most secular members of a given faith in the local area, Pass as a member of the clergy, Peruse church records
 * 2) Identify higher church members, Track regular church members, Suspend lay members
 * 3) Open or close a single church, Dip into the collection plate ($250), Access private information and archives of a church
 * 4) Discredit or suspend high-level church members, Manipulate regional branches of the church
 * 5) Organize major protects, Access ancient church lore and knowledge

Finance


 * 1) Learn about major transactions and local financial events, Raise capital ($1000), Learn about general economic trends, Learn the real motivations for many financial actions of others
 * 2) Trace an unsecured small account’s activity, Raise capital ($3000)
 * 3) Raise capital ($5000)
 * 4) Manipulate local banking, Ruin a small business’ credit rating
 * 5) Control an aspect of city wide banking, Ruin a large business’ credit rating, Raise capital ($7500)

Health


 * 1) Obtain a small amount (5-10) of blood bags, gain access to morgues "off the record", pass as a morgue attendant
 * 2) Identify prominent doctors, open or close a small clinic, get medical records faked or erased
 * 3) Pass as a resident, dip into donations ($200), get nurses discredited or suspended
 * 4) Get nurses hired or fired, get doctors discredited or suspended, gain access to unsealed medical records
 * 5) Get doctors hired or fired, gain access to medical records and facilities

High Society


 * 1) Get tickets to exclusive events
 * 2) Get complimentary tickets to concerts and events, get invites to galas and auctions
 * 3) Throw charity events and galas, get early exclusive access to locations, boost or degrade someone's fame slightly
 * 4) At least a passing acquaintance with most notable members of high society, gain access to more exclusive events
 * 5) Get tickets to premiers and red carpet events, after parties and things of the sort, boost or degrade someone's fame significantly

Industry


 * 1) Learn about industrial projects and movements
 * 2) Have minor projects performed, Dip into funds ($250), Arrange small accidents or sabotage
 * 3) Organize minor strikes, Appropriate machinery for a couple days
 * 4) Close down a small plant, Revitalize a small plant
 * 5) Manipulate large local industry

Legal


 * 1) Get free representation for minor cases
 * 2) Avoid bail for some charge, Have minor charges dropped
 * 3) Manipulate legal procedures for civil matters, Access public court funds ($250), Get free representation in most cases
 * 4) Issue subpoenas, Initiate phone surveillance, Tie up court cases with continuances Have most legal charges dropped, Cancel or arrange parole in most cases
 * 5) Close down all but the most serious investigations, Have deportation proceedings held against someone

Media


 * 1) Learn about stories early, Submit small articles for consideration
 * 2) Suppress, but not stop, small articles or reports; Have social media searched for information; Have a piece of information either disseminated or pulled from social media
 * 3) Initiate local news investigations or reports, Ground but not kill stories and projects
 * 4) Have a social media account block or banned, Boost or erode someone’s fame background
 * 5) Broadcast fake news locally, Kill small articles or projects completely

Occult


 * 1) Contact, make use and learn the local practices of occult groups, Know some of the more visible occult figures
 * 2) Know and contact some of the more obscure occult figures, Access resources for most rituals and rites
 * 3) Know the general vicinity of certain supernatural creatures, Contact the more visible members of supernatural societies
 * 4) Access vitae or rare materials for rite and rituals, Milk impressionable wannabes for bucks ($250), Access common occult tomes and writings, Research a basic ritual from your sect
 * 5) Research an intermediate ritual from your sect Access minor magic items for a short time, Unearth an advanced ritual from your sect, Learn about some of the more hidden aspects of a supernatural sect or society

Police


 * 1) Learn police procedures and policies, Hear police information and rumors, Avoid traffic stops
 * 2) Have license plates checked, Avoid minor charges the first time, Get “inside” information from a precinct, Access to minor evidence that “goes missing”
 * 3) Get copies of an investigation report, Have police hassle, detain or harass someone, Get someone reassigned or hired to the force
 * 4) Access confiscated weapons or contraband, Have some serious charges dropped, Start an investigation, Misuse appropriations ($1000)
 * 5) Start major case investigations, Arrange a setup, Instigate federal investigations, Have officers fired

Political


 * 1) Lobby a local politician, Identify real platforms of politicians and parties, Be in the know
 * 2) Meet minor city officials, Garner inside information on processes, laws and the like, Raise funds ($1000)
 * 3) Sway or alter local political projects, local parks, renovations, small construction
 * 4) Enact minor legislation, Dash careers of minor politicians
 * 5) Get your candidate in a minor office, Enact encompassing legislature

Street


 * 1) Keep an ear on the street, Identify most gangs and know their turfs and habits
 * 2) Live mostly without fear on the underside of society, Street people trust you and tell you things, Access small contraband
 * 3) Get an insight into other areas of influence, Arrange some service from street people or gangs, Get pistols or uncommon melee weapons
 * 4) Mobilize groups of homeless people, Panhandle or hold a collection for a good cause—you ($250), Get a rifle, shotgun or smg, Have a word in almost all aspects of one of Chicago’s gangs
 * 5) Control a single medium sized gang, Arrange impressive protest from street people

Transportation


 * 1) Know what goes when, where, how and why, Travel locally quickly and freely
 * 2) Track an unwary target using public transportation, Arrange concealed passage safe from mundane threats
 * 3) Seriously hamper travel using public transportation, Avoid most supernatural dangers while traveling
 * 4) Shut down some aspect of public transportation, Route money your way ($500)
 * 5) Reroute major aspects of public travel, Smuggle with impunity locally

Underworld


 * 1) Locate minor contraband and illicit activities
 * 2) Obtain untraceable handguns, serious drugs, stolen cars etc...; You know mortal thugs willing to rough someone up for you; Fence stolen loot; Prove that crime pays ($1000)
 * 3) Obtain a high powered rifle, shotgun or smg, Arrange a minor “hit”, Meet someone in “the family”
 * 4) Make white collar crime connections; Arrange gangland assassinations; You know a mortal demolition man willing to torch places for you
 * 5) Supply drug needs for a sizable portion of Chicago

University


 * 1) Know the layout and policy of local schools, Have access to low-level university resources. Get records up to the high school level
 * 2) Get short term access to someone with specialize abilities, Have minor access to facilities, Fake high school records, Obtain college transcripts
 * 3) Call in faculty favors, Cancel a class; Change a student’s grades, Discredit a student or get them thrown out for various infractions
 * 4) Organize student protests and rallies, Discredit faculty members
 * 5) Falsify an undergraduate degree

Misc. Rules
This is a section for players and deals with misc. mechanics and issues. New players/those new to influence, don't worry about this area! It's for people more advanced and deals with nitty gritty mechanics.

Influence Pool
We've written a whole blurb on it, which you can also find here

Specialties
You do NOT apply specialties from your attributes/abilities to your influence pool! Instead, you gain a specialty at dot 4 of your influence, and a second specialty at dot 5 which relate to how you gain your influence.

Influence Downtime Actions vs Other Cities
Sometimes, players want to use their influence in one city for downtime actions in another city. It's unrealistic to completely ban this, but it's also unrealistic to use your street influence in one city for actions in another without some for of penalty.

In the end, it's up to ST discretion as to what influence downtime action you can use in a different city. It may make sense for bob the brujah to be able to roll an investigation action in oakland using his SF law  influence, but it wouldn't make sense for his street influence to apply as easily because it's such a community oriented influence.

Mechanics
These mechanics are mostly for ST reference!

Players gain a rough dice pool penalty of:

8- dots in influence

diff increases by 2 for people with dots 1-3 in influence, and only increases by 1 for people with dots 4-5 in influence. No diff increase for 6 and greater in influence.

Information Network
(Adapted partially from the Philly by Night Information Network background)

It's basically what it sounds like. You've got an info network. Whether it's the city's hobos, local gossiping old women, or a secret system of listening devices- you've got a network, that brings you info.

When buying dots of info network at creation/building dots via downtime, you need to justify them and tell the ST what kind of network you are building. Is it a network of of hobos, or of gossiping teens? If you want to have multiple types of networks, you may need to get this background multiple times and build the networks separately (see downtime for more info).

NOTE: Information network does NOT cover a network of animals. For that, please see Animal Connections (see below)

Mechanically, info network does three things;

1.) The number of dots you have in information network can be added to some investigation pools, be added to some influence and downtime rolls, can sometimes be rolled to pull information on some rumor or tidbit.

2.) Whenever a player is searching for/digging up information on someone or something, they may add their dots in info network to their roll (if applicable, so long as you can justifiably get it via your info network).

3.) At the beginning of each cycle, you roll a pool of dice equal to the dots in the background at diff 8. If you succeed, the ST will give you a random rumor (one that could feasibly be gotten from the way you get your info) that you've acquired from your little network.

Mentor
(Same as V20 Mentor background with added clarification based on Philly by Night's mentor background)

Flavor text is exactly the same as that in the V20 CRB. We've put the dots below just as added clarification for what each dot means in game (they need not have each example in the dots below. Those are simply a vague guide of what a mentor with a particular trait may require in dots). We've also added additional clarification on what mentor can be used for/get you mechanically.

Example: Kathy is a kiasyd who had a Cappadocian mentor that survived the purge. This mentor would likely be dot 3 or 4, because they are skilled in their area of expertise, a rare clan, and have mild influence.


 * ● little influence, ancilla, common clan. Ductus or pack priest.
 * ●● elder, highly decorated veteran, medium influence, respected, and/or common clan
 * ●●● rarer clan, heavily influential, very old. Primogen or bishop.
 * ●●●● great deal of power over the city or renown in your sect. or very very old, or very skilled, or of extremely rare clan
 * ●●●●● extremely rare clan, extraordinary circumstance, extremely skilled. Judiciar or Cardinal

In game, you must first and foremost have justification for your mentor. You cannot just take dot 5 of mentor and magically expect the STs to let you have sascha vykos mentoring your neonate ventrue in vicissitude. On a similar note, you may be required to take dots in mentor to justify having learned a rare discipline from someone in your backstory. You must also be able to justify how you are learning things from this mentor. E.g. you may have gotten Vykos justified as your Ventrue's mentor, but if vykos is currently in Norway fist fighting vikings and you are in SF, you need to be able to justify how you're visiting them to learn new disciplines or get tutoring.

Mentors are, in the end, NPCs that help your character locally, or from afar (which may require more justification), who give the character advice, act as a sounding board for ideas, share knowledge, tutor the character, and or sometimes help the character.

Nitty Gritty Mechanics:

You and the ST will work to build a mentor according to what justifiably fits. The ST ultimately has control over your mentor and will play your mentor for the purposes of RP (if you are in contact with then in RP). STs may make a mentor sheet and have ultimate control over what disciplines, combo disciplines, etc. that your mentor may possess. This is to prevent players from power gaming and giving hank the dot 4 brujah mentor 5 dots in every discipline and knowledge.

What can your mentor do:


 * teach/justify lores, knowledges, and combo-disciplines
 * act as a teacher for the purpose of learning time and justifying disciplines
 * act as a teacher for certain crafts
 * give advice
 * sometimes bail you out of jail

What they Cannot Do:


 * give you higher/free influence ratings, resources, fame, reputation or homes
 * give you a pass for being an asshole just because Vykos is your mentor

What Mentors can teach:

A mentor has a rating equal to the number of background dots invested in them. Mechanically, this rating influences how much they can teach your character.

Note: If you have a canonical NPC/in game NPC as your mentor, they may have more or less combo disciplines, lores, or clan/bloodline lores than the rules below state. (e.g. vykos will have as many lore dots in tzimisce lore as her sheet says, which supersedes what the rules below say)


 * Mentors can teach their rating x3 of Lore Dots (this prevents you from learning every dot of lore that Vykos possesses. Which, would basically be the entire lore sheet)
 * Mentos can teach Rank 1 and 2 Lores up to their Rating
 * Mentors can teach Rank 3 Lores up to 3 Dots
 * A mentor possesses lore of their clan/bloodline up to their mentor rating, and can teach you this lore up to their rating.
 * A mentor can teach Combo-Disciplines at their Mentor Rating x2 (Combo-disciplines are valued at the highest level of discipline requirement needed to obtain the combo) (e.g. the highest level combo discipline dot 2 mentor can teach are combo disciplines whose discipline with the highest dot requirement is 4)
 * A mentor can teach any other knowledge [Computer, Academics, Occult, etc.] up to their rating.
 * Mentor can be used as a teacher for a discipline they possess (see teaching rules)

Reputation
You enjoy widespread recognition in mortal society, perhaps as a crime lord, public figurehead, famous businessman, professor, etc. This gives you all manner of privileges when moving in mortal society, but can also attract an unwanted amount of attention now that you’re no longer alive. The greatest weapon reputation has to offer is the ability to sway public opinion - as modern media constantly proves.

This Background is obviously a mixed blessing. You can certainly enjoy the privileges of your prestige - getting the best seats, being invited to events you’d otherwise miss, forcing through deals and gaining contacts, terrifying anyone who sees you, getting appointments with the elite - but you’re also often recognized when you’d rather not be. However, your enemies can’t just make you disappear without causing an undue stir. Your ST may reduce the difficulty of social rolls in circumstances where your reputation may come into play. They may also allow you to add to social pool rolls (equal to the number of dots in the background) in certain situations. You may also be allowed to add reputation dots to your influence pool, use for influence rolls in appropriate spheres.

On SF by Night, Reputation is for people who are openly renown for certain things. Reputation is a homebrew background created for people who want to gain some form of recognition and renown for something (usually a profession) but are not actively gaining money from this renown. (e.g. if you have a band and make money from it, you will take the Fame background. If you have a multi-million dollar cat training business, you would take Reputation)

Example: Gerb the Gangrel is a crime lord in San Francisco with 5 dots in underworld influence, and is supposed to be a well known underworld kingpin. Gerb would want to take dots in Reputation to signify the fact that he carries a terrifying reputation and recognition for being a crime lord. This is because, on our system, you can have 5 dots in a certain sphere of influence and not be widely known (e.g. Remmy the Ravnos also has 5 in underworld influence, but he stays behind the scenes and isn't a publicly known figure).

As previously stated, sometimes you can use your dots in reputation for certain social pools. Let's say Bob the Brujah is a well known, and rather shady, lawyer trying to get his client out of jail. He may be allowed to add his dots in reputation to convince/intimidate the poor district attorney into letting his client go early.

Note: Like Fame, Reputation can be grown/acquired IC via downtime


 * ● You’re known to a select subculture of the city or have just begun growing your Renown. Examples; promising young dealer, local record store owner
 * ●● A good number of the local populace recognizes your face. Examples; Town drunk, the guy who owns the local, well known local dealer
 * ●●● You have city/area wide Renown. Examples; The Doodler(famous bay area killer), The city's weed kingpin, Owner of a locally famous business
 * ●●●● State wide Renown and growing national recognition. Examples; The Golden State Killer, The state's weed kingpin
 * ●●●●● Nation wide Renown with international recognition. Examples; John Wayne Gacy, Donald Trump, Lucky Luciano

Resources
(Special thanks to the Philly by Night server for this glorious resource system)

This Background describes your personal financial resources, or your access to such. A high Resources rating doesn’t necessarily reflect your liquid assets; this Background describes your standard of “living,” your possessions and your buying power. No dots in Resources is just that: You have no permanent haven and no possessions save a few clothes and possibly a weapon or a pocketful of coins.

You receive a basic allowance each month based on your rating. You can sell your less liquid resources if you need the cash, but this will take you down one or more Resources levels and gaining it back isn’t as easy as you might think.

You may purchase Resources up to level 5 in Character Creation, however once in game this Background ignores your Generation maximum and may be increased up to level 8 via downtime rolls

At creation, you may be required to have a certain level of resources to justify having things such as a large haven, or other lifestyle expenses.


 * Level 1: Grants $1,000 as an allowance per month and everything your character owns is worth $10,000.
 * Level 2: Grants $5,000 as an allowance per month and everything your character owns is worth $100,000.
 * Level 3: Grants $15,000 as an allowance per month and everything your character owns is worth $1,000,000.
 * Level 4: Grants $30,000 as an allowance per month and everything your character owns is worth 5,000,000.
 * Level 5: Grants $45,000 as an allowance per month and everything your character owns is worth 12,000,000.
 * Level 6: Grants $60,000 as an allowance per month and everything your character owns is worth 25,000,000.
 * Level 7: Grants 100,000 as an allowance per month and everything your character owns is worth 50,000,000.
 * Level 8: Grants 250,000 as an allowance per month and everything your character owns is worth 100,000,000.

= Uncommon Backgrounds =

Alternate Identity
(Adapted from the V20 Alternate Identity background)

Alt identity requires justification. If you have, for example, a dot 5 alt identity as a famous doctor, you need to make sure you either have the medical knowledge to back it up- or, the charisma and manipulation to fake it. The STs will work with you to determine what dot of alt identity best fits what you're going for. Most higher level Alt identities are assumed to have basic certification to back them up, but your ST may require you to get certification separately for this alt identity under some circumstances. The ST may also require you to grab additional allies, contacts, influences, etc. to justify a particularly unusual or high level alt identity.

You are allowed to have (with justification) more than one alternative identity. For example, you can have two dot 1 alt identities.

Note: If you do not take dots in alternative identity at creation, you can build an alternative identity in game via downtime.


 * ● You are new at this identity game. Sometimes you slip and forget your other persona. You possess rudimentary papers and a driver's license that might pass a traffic stop but won't hold up to any serious scrutiny.
 * ●● You are well grounded in your alternate identity. You are convincing enough to play the part of a doctor, lawyer, funeral salesman, drug-smuggler or a capable spy. You possess a driver's license and possibly a passport that can withstand a casual check but won't hold up to any serious scrutiny.
 * ●●● You have a fair reputation as your alternate persona and get name-recognition in the area where you have infiltrated. You possess a driver's license and a passport that will pass through a casual background check and possibly a social security number that will stand up to a casual check but doesn't actually exist and will not stand up to any serious scrutiny.
 * ●●●● Your alternate identity has respect and trust within your area of infiltration. Your license, passport and social security number are solidly backed and will stand up to most investigations and background checks below the federal level.
 * ●●●●● You command respect in your area of infiltration, and you may even have accumulated a bit of status. You have the trust (or at least the recognition) of many powerful individuals within your area. Your license, passport and social security number are almost fool-proof and can withstand even the strongest scrutiny.

Armory
(Mechanics still being picked over)

Certification
(Adapted from Philly by Night's Certification Background)

Certification is exactly what it sounds like. It's justification for licenses, permits, or any other supporting documentation which is gonna give you special permission in mortal society. Do you need this background to drive a car? No. Do you need it to be able to go duck hunting? No. Do you need this background to build a building? Technically no! But, do you need to be able to have this background to do those things legally? Yes! Yes you do.

Jokes aside, you do not need certification to do things such as go duck hunting, drive a car, or own a firearm, but you do need them if you wish to do said activities legally. For example, If you don't have a concealed carry permit and are arrested with a firearm, you will be prosecuted accordingly.

However, for professional, special, unusual, or noteworthy certification such as a medical license or ordination, you need to have this background. If your character is a doctor, teacher, businessman, or owns particularly dangerous weapons, they must have dots in this background to justify it. If you don't take dots in certification and say you're a practicing lawyer, we will not treat you as such unless you've got the background dots to justify your law license.

Also note, that you can take several dots in the same level of certification to justify multiple licenses/certificates of that same dot. (E.g. if i want a hunting license and passport, I'll take two of certification dot 1).

One more thing; if your character is from a foreign country and wants an American license, or is extremely old and would not feasibly have a passport or documentation that matches their apparent age, you need to take 1 dot in certification if you want to legally exist as a person. We encourage that you at least get dot 1 if you want to legally exist and aren't a fledgling.

Note: If you do not take dots in certification at creation, you can gain the license/documentation you need via downtime, or by paying someone to get it for you using their downtime! (See downtime for details)


 * ●Hunting license, daycare permit, legal ID+paper work (includes ID, birth certificate, and any basic documents on your existence from one country if taken at creation), passport from an open country(besides the one you've got an ID in), drivers license
 * ●● Teaching certificate, security officer firearm's permit, bail bondsman, CPA, trucker's license, notary public, concealed carry permit
 * ●●● hazardous waste disposal, church-ordained priest or minister.
 * ●●●●Class-C weapons license, board-certified doctor or lawyer, commercial airline pilot's license, legal narcotics pass
 * ●●●●● Diplomatic immunity, license to kill (Running down the street and shooting people will still get you arrested. It could help you in smaller, contained cases however).

Library/Occult Library
(Adapted from the Philly by Night Occult Library merit)

Library
Gained over the years via study, inheritance, treasure, blabla. Library need not be printed, it can be a digital library (appropriate to the time period of game), recordings, or even in brail.

Whatever form the library takes, it can be used to aid characters in conundrums and research. Whenever a character needs to make rolls involving a particular knowledge, and the character has opportunity to consult said library, they may use this background to help. The background does not apply to rolls if you do not have access to your library. The mundane version of this merit (Library) is often used for those who have a great knowledge in a particular mundane field (such as medicine, literature, history, or even master crafting). Though this background likely won't be used by most kindred, it is a good option to always have out there. As an ST, I could see the mundane version of this merit (Library) used for characters with a medical background (especially psychiatrists or mental health professionals) who can use their libraries to help diagnose and decrease difficulty of making treatment plans.

Note: again, I am going to warn you, this represents a library. Rolls only apply when you're at your library able to use your books. Otherwise, you cannot use these dice pools in the field!


 * ● A few books: +1 die to [Knowledge] dice pools
 * ●● A modest collection: +1 die to [Knowledge] dice pools, -1 to [Knowledge] difficulties
 * ●●● Many noteworthy titles: +2 dice to [Knowledge] dice pools, -1 to [Knowledge] difficulties
 * ●●●● A wide variety of lore: +2 dice to [Knowledge] dice pools, -2 to [Knowledge] difficulties
 * ●●●●● A veritable magical encyclopedia: +3 dice to [Knowledge] dice pools, -2 to [Knowledge] difficulties

Occult Library
Gained over the years via study, inheritance, treasure, blabla. Library need not be printed, it can be a digital library (appropriate to the time period of game), recordings, or even in brail.

Whatever form the library takes, it can be used to aid characters in mystical conundrums and research. Whenever a character needs to make rolls involving a occult knowledge, and the character has opportunity to consult said library, they may use this background to help. The background does not apply to rolls if you do not have access to your library. The arcane version of this merit (occult library) is often used for those who have a great knowledge in the occult and by proficient casters. This background most often is going to be used for any sort of arcane research, development, or, most commonly, going to be used to help out with ritual rolls.

Note: again, I am going to warn you, this represents a library. Rolls only apply when you're at your library able to use your books. Otherwise, you cannot use these dice pools in the field!


 * ● A few books: +1 die to Occult dice pools
 * ●● A modest collection: +1 die to Occult dice pools, -1 to Occult difficulties
 * ●●● Many noteworthy titles: +2 dice to Occult dice pools, -1 to Occult difficulties
 * ●●●● A wide variety of lore: +2 dice to Occult dice pools, -2 to Occult difficulties
 * ●●●●● A veritable magical encyclopedia: +3 dice to Occult dice pools, -2 to Occult difficulties

= VtM Specific Backgrounds =

Animal Connections
Some people get to know the animals in their area and even use them for small tasks and to get info. However, this doesn't fall under influence or info network because of the wibbly grey area animals fall in. Animals can get you info, sure, but the info may be incomplete or unusual. Animals can help get you items or acquisitions, but it will be very difference than those you can get with most humans via influence. Because of this, we've taken a leaf out of Philly by Night's book, and put animal connections into its own category.

Note: You must have at least Animalism 1 to purchase/grow this background.

Note 2: This background can also be gained/grown IC after character creation via downtime.


 * ● You’re known to all the animals of your specified type in a particular neighborhood.
 * ●● You're known to all the animals of your specified type in two neighborhoods.
 * ●●● At least half of the animals of your specified type in the city are familiar with you and are willing to do favors for you.
 * ●●●● Three fourths of all the animals of your specified type in the city are familiar with you and are willing to do favors for you.
 * ●●●●● All the animals of your specified type in the city are familiar with you and are willing to do favors for you.

Domain
(Adapted from V20 and Philly by Night's Domain background)

Domain is physical territory controlled by your character or granted to them for the purpose of hunting. It can be anything from a small as a night club, to a hotel, to a full city block. The dot rating of the Domain doesn't always signify its size, but instead most often signifies the ease and safety of hunting there. For example, a particularly popular night club, such as Razor's Edge, may have a higher domain rating than a big uncontrolled neighborhood.

This background is often required of those purchasing a business or club for the purposes of feeding.

Note: Domain can be grown/acquired via downtime


 * ● small bar or alley; -1 to hunting diff
 * ●● medium bar, moderately controlled club, small street; -2 to hunting diff
 * ●●● large bar, night club, neighborhood, bed and breakfast; -3 to hunting diff
 * ●●●● red light district, vampire owned brothel or location where guests won't fight back, hotel; -4 to hunting diff
 * ●●●●● extremely popular large venue, huge hotel, huge section of a city; -5 to hunting diff

Herd
Herd are a group humans that a vampire often hunts on. This background often signifies things such as; regulars at a nightclub, a squad of ghouls, a herd of cattle, or basically any other thing you can justify when poking at this with an ST.

Herd can be used in one of two ways; to either add dice to your pool for hunting (e.g. a group you hunt from) or you can use a herd to farm blood bags from for storage (explanations and requirements below).

Note: The herd owner may allow others to hunt from their herd.

Note 2: Herd may be built/grown IC after launch via downtime

Hunting Herd
This is generally a group of people at a night club, a herd of animals, a group of ghouls, etc. Basically, anything either freed or chained in your basement that you roll to feed on. This version of the background is often taken by club owners to signify that their club has a group to feed off of, and to help add to feeding pools. Dots in Hunting Herd determine how many vessels you have to feed from.


 * ● 3 vessels
 * ●● 7 vessels
 * ●●● 15 vessels
 * ●●●● 30 vessels
 * ●●●●● 60 vessels
 * ●●●●●● 90 vessels
 * ●●●●●●● 120 vessels
 * ●●●●●●●● 150 vessels

Harvesting Herd
The darker side of the herd background, this is most often a group of kine, animals, or ghouls that you have chained in your basement and draw blood from for storage. Or, worse still, you some how run a red cross van and get blood from gullible people, you sick and twisted bastard. Or perhaps you own a slaughter house which nets 7 bags of blood each cycle. Though this may seem a some how kinder way to feed, the justifications for somehow getting 60 blood bags a week is often much darker than you'd imagine... Dots in harvesting herd represent how many blood bags you can package, store, and viably cell each cycle. Blood bags can not be stockpiled over cycles without thaumaturgy or koldunic rituals, so the number of blood bags you have available re-sets each cycle to the number determined by the dot rating below. If you're smart, you'll sell off all your blood bags before each cycle change over to get the most bang for your buck. You will work with the STs to determine how many vessels/blood dolls you probably have locked up to justify the amount of blood you get each month.

Note: not to be confused with medical influence, which can also be used to get blood bags. Harvesting herd is most often a group of captive blood sources that nets high quantities of blood, where as medical influence)


 * ● 3 bags/cycle
 * ●● 7 bags/cycle
 * ●●● 15 bags/cycle
 * ●●●● 30 bags/cycle
 * ●●●●● 60 bags/cycle
 * ●●●●●● 90 bags/cycle
 * ●●●●●●● 120 bags/cycle
 * ●●●●●●●● 150 bags/cycle

Memento de Morte
(Adapted from the Saligia Wiki. This background is such a cool idea and our Gio ST demanded we use it!)

Certain objects, relics, or areas resonate heavily with the necrotic energies of death. Whether it's the floorboards in a room where a family was slaughtered, a serial killer's childhood toy, or books wrapped in flesh, such items and locations are prized by necromancers and used to amplify their dark arts. The more death, horror, and connection to the macabre an item, location, or relic has, the more powerful it will be.

This background gives you one or more of these deathly mementos, allowing necromancers to benefit from latent necrotic energies. Alternatively, this background can be used to justify/have a location which is particularly steeped in blood and death.

You must either have/be in the presence of your relic(s) or be in the resonant location in order to benefit from the necromancy rolls. Lower levels of this background are used to get necrotically resonant objects, where as higher dots are most often used to reap benefits from living in a particularly gruesome location. The STs will work with you at creation to determine the object/location and or how you got this object/location. Because you often will need to have a historical artifact or have acquired a historical property, you may need to have dots in haven, domain, resources, etc. to justify your dots in this background. Not all objects are portable, and the more powerful the object, the more justification it needs. Most necromancers have special havens or locations set aside with the resonant relics just because of how precious they are.

However, you may purchase this background multiple times, to signify having perhaps a small portable relic, and a large location with extreme necrotic resonance. E.g. Art the Maeghar has dot 1 in this background to justify the tooth of a murderer he keeps in his pocket. He also has this same background but up to dot 3 for the bedroom he owns where two babies were slaughtered!


 * • You have one minor relic. OR a place with a slightly sinister reputation; +1 bonus die to Necromancy rolls.
 * •• You have a relic of middling power or two minor ones. OR an old hospital, an average graveyard, slaughter house, a room where someone died under suspicious circumstances; +2 bonus dice to Necromancy rolls.
 * ••• You have a few reasonably powerful relics. OR mass suicide location, the site of a murder; +3 bonus dice to Necromancy rolls.
 * •••• You have a very powerful relic, or a couple of less powerful items. OR a serial killer's home, Abandoned Insane Asylum with horrible reputation; +4 bonus dice to Necromancy rolls.
 * ••••• You have an incredibly powerful relic, or a couple of powerful items. OR the Winchester Mansion, Alcatraz, +5 bonus dice to Necromancy rolls.

Oubliette
(Adapted from Dark Ages and Saligia Wiki)

This background is not awarded to players we do not trust. If you are not allowed to use this, I'm sorry. But the background is extremely OP, and only trusted in the hands of certain players. Any who take this background take it with the understanding that they may be subject to nerfing at any time by an ST due to the nature of this background. The head ST fought hard to keep the Oubliette, because of its position in lore for abyss mystics. However, you will likely not be awarded the background without serious justification and assurances that you can manage it. There are other Oubliettes owned by NPCs in game that abyss mystic characters can use. So, even if you aren't given an oubliette, you may be able to borrow one.

In order to take this background, you must possess at least three dots in Obtenebration, one Abyss mysticism ritual, and the ritual "Locating the Oubliette". Unless, of course, you happen to have the oubliette creation ritual.

When taking the oubliette background, an ST will always be personally working with you. You will likely be casting to find an Oubliette in game after launch, or be building one. In either case, only those with high levels of obtenebration and mysticism will even be allowed to gain an Oubliette larger than dot 2. Players will likely never get a large Oubliette at creation. Though, they may be able to build a larger one with the aid of other mystics through the course of the game. Oubliette is an extremely experimental background that honestly is going to be play tested with whoever uses it first. This background will be updated and tweaked as needed. In the end, though, this is never going to be a "standardized" background, because of how unusual, powerful, and dangerous it is.

Mechanics:

The darkness within the Oubliette drains Intelligence from mortals immersed within it, at a rate of one dot per night. This Intelligence is not recoverable. Nightmarish visions constantly beset vampires within the Oubliette, often leading to the swift arrival of Derangements.

The player of any vampire immersed in an Oubliette must roll against the character’s current Willpower each night; the character may not recover any temporary Willpower points while within the dark. Failure reduces the current Willpower by two points, inducing a Derangement in the vampire once the rating reaches zero. Willpower then resets, and the procedure begins again until the vampire’s extracted or discovers an exit. Vampires who enter the Oubliette willingly, and those on the Road of the Abyss or Road of Sin, lose one Willpower point per night.

The darkness within the Oubliette is unnatural and therefore impossible to see through unless the vampire possesses the Darksight Merit (nightvision does not count). Entities summoned with Obtenebration or Abyss Mysticism within the Oubliette remain permanently, and cannot be dismissed unless they, or their summoners, are destroyed.

Any Cainite who braves and survives 20 consecutive nights within the Oubliette and doesn’t succumb to torpor has the cost of learning Abyss Mysticism rituals reduced by one experience point for the remainder of the year.

The greater the Oubliette Background rating, the greater the volume of the underground structure that is filled with foul darkness. Points in Oubliette are bought at character creation, or earned through roleplay.


 * • Coffin or cupboard-sized chamber
 * •• Single-room chamber
 * ••• Dungeon containing up to five rooms
 * •••• Multi-level structure, containing up to 15 rooms
 * ••••• Labyrinthine complex, containing multiple structures

Retainers
There are actually a number of different retainer types which are expounded upon below. Each do slightly different things and have slightly different requirements (duh). We've broken retainers down into different categories because, tbh, this isn't really a 'one size fits all' kinda thing.

Retainers are going to be played by you, the player, and are your responsibility to run and keep track of. However, there may be some situations where, IC, you ghoul, embrace, or otherwise acquire an NPC that will continue to be run by the STs. Sometimes, the STs will take mercy on you and run a particular retainer for you (such the nosferatu ghoul Genesis).You just have to ask them specially to do so. The only other situation where a player might not play a retainer they own, is when a ghoul is gifted to someone else and the ghoul's creator dies (such as the Luke/carlyle situation on Philly). If your character dies and leaves behind prominent retainers, we will take mercy and allow you to continue to play them if you so choose.

Special things to the Philly by Night server for being the foundation of our retainer system. The Head ST here wouldn't have been able to think this stuff up on her own.

Gaining a Retainer
All retainers can be obtained IC through downtime and/or roleplay (see Acquiring a Retainer for full details)

Training a Retainer
All retainers can increase their attributes, abilities, and or disciplines using downtime. (See Retainer Training for full details)

Retainers and Downtime
Retainers do get downtime! Though, they have some more limitations and stricter guidelines than player character downtime. (See Retainers and Downtime for full details)

Retainers and Experience
No, retainers do not generate experience for you to use or for themselves. Though, to increase certain disciplines, abilities, etc. you are able to spend your own experience to increase those traits. (See Retainer Training for full details)

Human Retainers
While your character may have as many ghouls as they can feed only a certain amount of them may be retainers. Retainers are trusted servants and a valuable asset in a Kindreds arsenal. You may play your retainers just as you play your character and its unlikely that they will ever turn on you without serious mistreatment. Retainers may hold backgrounds just as the player character and they will likely be at full disposal of your character. Any influence held by a retainer is treated as if it belonged to the player character.

Note: To prevent people from turning their ghouls into influence bots, the STs reserve the right to tell you "nope, it doesn't make sense for your ghoul whose supposed to just be a law student to have law influence 5"


 * ● One retainer
 * ●● Two retainers
 * ●●● Three retainers
 * ●●●● Four retainers
 * ●●●●● Five retainers

Animal Retainers
Animalism 1 (minimum) or high animal ken strongly suggested if you want control over your ghoul. Characters without animalism or animal ken are able to have animal retainers, but with far less control. Just as with humans, your character may have as many ghouls as they wish but only a certain number of them will be Retainers and can be controlled directly by you. Maximal amount of dots you may have in this background is caped by your characters Charisma or Animal Ken, whichever is higher.


 * ● 1 Diminutive; +2 Freebie Points at Creation
 * ●● 2 Diminutive or 1 Minor; +4 Freebie Points at Creation
 * ●●● 4 Diminutive or 2 Minor or 1 Average; +6 Freebie Points at Creation
 * ●●●● 6 Diminutive or 4 Minor or 2 Average or 1 Strong; +8 Freebie Points at Creation
 * ●●●●● 8 Diminutive or 6 Minor or 4 Average or 2 Strong or 1 Powerful; +10 Freebie Points at Creation

Investigation:

When it comes to investigations animal retainers can help just as they are human counterparts. You must, however, have dot 1 in animalism in order to use animals for investigation. In certain circumstances, so long as you meet the animalism requirement, you may add the dots of animal retainers towards their dice pool on investigation or info rolls.

Brood
Brood are retainers but unlike Ghouls they aren't fully under the characters control. While you may roleplay them as your retainers, remember that they may not see the world as your character does. Brood may hold their own resources, contacts, allies and influence in much the same way as retainers save for one major caveat: not being the literal slave of your character, meaning that their resources and connections are not yours to pull from. Since it's likely your brood likes you and probably respects you as their sire, it is possible they could be persuaded to use their resources or connections to help you, but for that you may need to contact a Narrator or Storyteller who will run your Brood for the duration of that scene. As long as you are treating them well at least. This background may be taken multiple times and represents a single vampire.


 * ● Fledgling. Has a base sheet created according to the rules in VTM Revised Core Rulebook
 * ●● Neonate. Has a base sheet created according to the rules in VTM Revised Core Rulebook plus 10 freebie points.
 * ●●● Ancilla. Has a base sheet created according to the rules in VTM Revised Core Rulebook plus 15 freebie points.
 * ●●●● Elder. Has a base sheet created according to the rules in VTM Revised Core Rulebook plus 20 freebie points.
 * ●●●●● Ancient Elder. Has a base sheet created according to the rules in VTM Revised Core Rulebook plus 25 freebie points.

Wraith/Spirit Slaves
To take this background your character needs to have an ability to interact and command said creatures. Wraith and Spirit slaves are played by you, though remember that they are forced into service and may not always like it. Maximal amount of dots you may have in this background is caped by your characters Charisma or Intimidation, whichever is higher.


 * ● 1 Diminutive + 2 Freebies
 * ●●2 Diminutive or 1 Minor + 4 Freebies
 * ●●● 4 Diminutive or 2 Minor or 1 Average + 6 Freebies
 * ●●●● 6 Diminutive or 4 Minor or 2 Average or 1 Strong + 8 Freebies
 * ●●●●● 8 Diminutive or 6 Minor or 4 Average or 2 Strong or 1 Powerful + 10 Freebies

= Banned/Unused Backgrounds =

Age
Not a background in use yet, but might be in the future.

Black Hand Membership
I don't want to make you spend background dots for something that may be core to your character and is very variable. On a different note, I don't want people buying up 5 dots in this when they can barely pull off playing an Operative. The same goes for characters playing inquisition. You will be awarded what you can pull off and what makes sense at creation. Of course you can build up your rank or join the hand/inquisition IC though roleplay.

Clan Prestige
You might be able to build this IC, or possibly be given something like this at creation (only awarded by the ST, and only rarely) but you'll never buy this at creation. I've seen too many players waltz in as bob the 6th gen big dick brujah only to play their character like a whiney neonate

Elder Status
No.

Generation
STs will work with you at creation to determine the most fitting gen. Buying gen with background dots leads to very OP characters, or to characters who have shitty gen because they had to be spread so thinly between other things

Position
Nope

Rituals (Sabbat Ritus)
Treated as a secondary knowledge instead of a background

Spirit Slaves
Not its own background per se, it's now under the general retainer category (see above)