From: James McLellan Subject: True Reason (New Numina) I picked this up out of Ars Magica and have tried to modify it for use in my campaign. As yet, I have no use for it, so I've decided to post it to try it out. Reason "There's no such thing as Monsters." - Vampire, The Masquerade Reason is one of the few powers left over from the Middle Ages, and is perhaps one of the principle motivators behind the Maquerade. Reason strips the supernatural of its myth and power as like shining light on the darkness. Although Reason is one of the easiest Numina to get, it is still quite rare. A person of real Reason is as rare as one of Faith, for these are the thinkers, the rational. It takes more than simply saying "I think, therefore I am," a person of Reason spends has dedicated his or her life to the scientific method and the extinction of superstition. Before purchasing this merit, a player .probably. should ask him/herself is the character is that rational a person, not usually swayed by emotion, mystery, or the like. Reason affects supernaturals (and mortal's with numina) in a number of unique ways. First off, a character rolls a number of dice equal to their True Reason when encountering an effect which defies reason against a difficulty of 8. These count as direct counter-successes for things like Magick, Disciplines, Gifts, and such, but may also be used to prevent the occurance of things as inherent as regeneration and the inexplainable occurance of burning in sunlight (3 successes or more required, depending on circumstances). This effect is only generated by inexplicable things which the Reasoning individual witnesses. The Rational: (Reason 5+) These are people whose Reasoning auras are as strong as those of any saint. Indeed, these people could be considered saints of Reason. Just like with True Faith, certain powers come inherent with becoming one of the rational. The character no longer has an aura of any sort, he/she is also no longer affected by Dominate, Presence, or Obfuscate. Creatures of supernatural origin feel uneasy around beings of such Reason, although they suffer no ill effects from being in close proximity. 'Miracles' of Reason Reason Event 6 Create an aura of normality (a Paradox zone from Mage: ST Screen). ALL supernatural effects are resisted by the Reason of the individual. Cause the difficulties of all study rolls to be reduced by 1 7 Cause a supernatural creature to doubt their own supernatural heritage. A vampire would begin to question its sanity in its need for blood or fear of the sun. 'Know' the correct answer to a question posed to you by someone else, if the question concerns logic, not "How do we slip into HQ?" (per HH) Instill an object or person with Reason temporarily (1 point per success. Points lost as they are used) Cause events to occur EXACTLY as probability predicts they should ie. a dice thrown 6 times will roll a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (not neccessarily in that order) 8 Reduce the level of Vampiric disciplines/Garou gifts by one for every success. 9 Exorcise spirits and demons (Reason v/ Willpower) Raise the level of the Gauntlet/Shroud by 1 point per success rolled. Lay a ghost to rest. Permanently leave an aura of reason in an area, such as a slum or superstitious community. The residents of the area will be more rational, though not neccessarily moral. School attendance will rise and crime will drop (though this might only mean the criminals are more aware of the consequences of their actions) Complete protection against the supernatural as long as you stand still or slowly leave. 10 Cleanse someone of the Embrace (or any other supernatural heritage). Only in truely dramatic circumstances and the target must want to be saved. Reason and Willpower: Just like with Faith, a character may substitute his Reason score for Willpower when in dire straights. Reason and The Embrace: A character with Reason CANNOT become a Vampire /Mage/Werewolf/Wraith unless stripped of all their Reason first. If the Embrace is forced on someone the character, he will die. Reason and Delirium (et al): A character with Reason will ALWAYS suffer the maximum effects of the Delirium. However, the character may roll their reason (target=shifter's WP). If successful, the cause of the Delirium will suffer the Delirium AS WELL, possibly shifting into a reason-acceptable form. Losing Reason: Reason is hard to maintain as it is such a narrow path to follow. If the character botches any Reason roll, he loses a point of Reason (and the powers that come with it). Just like with Faith, the regaining of Reason must be roleplayed and cannot be bought back. Gaining Reason: It costs 5 freebie points to buy a level of Reason. It costs the hunter(?)'s current level x 3 to gain Reason up to level 5, and current level x 5 for every point thereafter. <>