Book Four Revelations Character Concepts "The vampyre is a master of psychological manipulation. He plays upon the lust of the wretched by giving them more, so that they end up beyond redemption from vice, and in his intimate relationship with women he has the power to transform even the most virtuous into a shamelessness. But who could resist his power?" - Vampire, a Complete Guide to the Undead, Manuela Dunn Mascetti, 1991. GAME PLAY The presence of the knights is a sign that the long suffering world is fighting back. Evil is counterbalanced by good: But it is not a simple equation. The warrior monks are restrained by the law and their religion. Vampires, whose only restrictions are the masquerade and the control of their princes, have the freedom of the lawless. Murder, destruction, illegal activities - often involving the death of innocents - are irrelevant to the minds of Cainites. Knights, however, cannot destroy or damage what they are sworn to protect. There is no such thing as "collateral damage" in a knights dictionary - therefore harming innocents must be avoided at all cost. The fight against the Corrupt is not an easy one. While vampire hunters have existed throughout history, they have rarely attained a high degree of organisation or continuity. The knights have the advantage of over a 700 years of written history - but many vampires have lived longer. Knights are mortal : vampires immortal. This is not as big a problem as it may appear. The knights are fighting a holy war - a cause in which they wholly believe. Through their faith they no longer fear death as they believe it simply brings them closer to their God. High standards of training and tradition ensure that knowledge is passed through the generations. The primary quarry of the knights are vampires. While the Magi, witches and werewolves are recognised and regarded as evil, their destruction is secondary to that of a vampire. But finding a vampire is not easy. A basic purpose of the Masquerade was established to avoid the Inquisition - and the knights. The bulk of a knight's work throughout the ages has been investigation. Tracking down tales and signs of a vampire occupies a significant amount of time. The "cleansing operation" is but the culmination of a long process. Killing a vampire is not a simple task either. Not only must the Cainites supernatural abilities be taken into account, the action must be of minimal risk to the innocent populace. Each "cleansing operation" must be carefully planned and professionally executed. This is the cause of the high degree of military training each knight must undergo. There are only a limited number of knights. Each Order would be hard pressed to muster more than 100 fully trained and combat capable knights at any one time. Each Order would also have about 300 Novices. As a result, the warrior-monks will almost always be out- numbered and in a hostile environment. Knights are themselves high on the hit list. Their extensive training and holy powers are their only protection. The knights maintain the Masquerade as it serves their own purposes. A populace living in open fear, hostile to all strangers and unusual behaviour would be close to hell on earth. Publicly exposing the vampires would also reveal the existence of the Militant Orders. Any organisation with the influence and power of the Knights would attract jealousy and fear - and the tragedy of 1316 France would almost inevitably repeat itself. Methods "Beowulf spoke: 'Let your sorrow end! It is better for us all to avenge our friends, not mourn them forever. I promise you - she shall have no shelter, no hole to hide, no towering tree, no deep bottom of a lake where her sins may hide.'" - Beowulf SCIENTIFIC METHOD (Templar) The knights of the Temple take a scientific approach, believing that technology and theories of science will ultimately lead to the defeat of vampires. This particular approach is based in the Militant Order's long history of scientific knowledge - even when many of the key theories were considered heresy by the Church. The knights of the Temple believe God prefers mankind to use its own resources to resolve its own affairs, and created a self- contained universe. Any direct intervention on His behalf is purely a bonus. Much of the Templars resources, gathered through their contacts, the Masons, is spent on scientific research into vampire physiology and psychology. Such research has resulted in the invention of technology capable of assisting knights in the hunt: sun torches, air- compressed dart guns, weapons of aggravated damage, vampire poisons, and repellents. While this approach is largely strategic, it is considered vital in the long term war against vampires. In the field, while actually fighting against vampires, Templars adopt the Detective method - supplemented by the fruits of the Scientific approach. DETECTIVE METHOD (Hospitaller) The Hospitallers have been involved in the espionage world for a long time, their status as a Sovereign nation making them particularly attractive to organisations such as the CIA, MI5, KGB etc. A derivative from this experience is their preference for the Detective method of investigation. Using deductive reasoning and investigation, the knights of St John follow their suspicions until they are satisfied one way or another. Careful investigation of suspects include tailing and direct observation, record searches and talking to associates. Scientific and Medical elements are often utilised in the Detective approach, but generally the Hospitallers believe in getting out there and doing the job with whatever is available. Stealth and Tracking skills (with specialities in Shadowing) are a must for trailing a vampire back to its lair. Security is useful for breaking into it. Brawling and Melee skills are useful if you meet anything "nasty". HEAVY FIREPOWER METHOD (Teutone) The Teutonic knights are rather old-fashioned in their approach, and their history is a particularly ruthless one. Scientific and Detective methods are too subtle, though sometimes useful. But to the Teutones, such scheming, behind the scenes methods are unchivalrous - they would rather take the battle straight to the Kindred, and fight out in the open. The general tactic is to hit a Kindred hard, then kill them with a stake or sword before it heals itself with blood. Such tactics work with a lot of training, and luck. One item of preference in the Teutone arsenal is the Dragonsbreath round - a shotgun cartridge that sends a jet of flame about 20 feet from the barrel (has a 6 difficulty roll to resist, affects one part of body per shot). Another item just coming into common use is an incendiary bullet. Here, the bullet itself has a magnesium base that ignites as it leaves the gun - similar to tracer. Teutones usually have little patience. They will not wait around for slower methods to work if they can be killing vampires now. Character Creation The Templar whom God to a strange folk should send as head; Must ban all world or question of his country or home or race; If his subjects want their rights from him and would in his sight find grace; They must not ask his origin, for he must leave them straight away. - Parzifal, Chretien de Troyes Before anything is put to paper, the gamer and the Storyteller must determine what type of character is being played. Is it a fully fledged Knight an experienced Novice or a new Associate of the Militant Orders? It also involves choosing which is the most appropriate Order for a character to be a member of. Is he a Templar a Teutone or a Hospitaller? Choosing between these will provide the groundwork for a gamer's character. Becoming an Associate Teutone would indicate he has no powers beyond the Faith rules described in Vampire: The Masquerade but has a police or military background. A Hospitaller Novice would allow the character to obtain Piety Points and therefore use the Blessings as outlined under the Gifts - but not the Prayers or Rituals. Being a Hospitaller usually indicates a background in the clergy or medical professions. A Knight Templar is a fully Initiated warrior-monk, blessed with high True Faith and the Holy Powers of the Blessings as granted to mankind under the Gifts, Prayers and Rituals. The character's background is likely to be in science or business. BASE STATISTICS Associate: Attributes 6/4/3, Abilities 11/7/4, Backgrounds 5, Freebie 21, Virtues 7. Novice: Attributes 6/4/3, Abilities 13/9/7, Background 6, Faith 1*, Freebie 24, Virtues 7. Knight: Attributes 7/5/4, Abilities 19/15/11, Background 7, Faith 5*, Freebie 27, Virtues 9. * minimum base figure - provided at no cost. Naturally statistics vary according to experience and time within the Order. Knights holding a higher rank, such as Knight Lieutenant, Knight Captain, Preceptor or Knight Marshall often need to be portrayed with a character sheet. While each knight varies, use the following as a general guideline to the extra strength of more senior members of the Orders. A Knight Lieutenant will usually have an additional three freebie points on their sheets; Knight Captains gain an extra six, Preceptors get a further 12 and senior officers get 18. Grand Masters and Seneschals will get 24 extra freebie points. CHARACTER CLASS: Associate: Associates enter the Orders with what they have learned from the outside world. Essentially, they are established via the Mortal character creation method as outlined in Hunters Hunted. These people are usually invited into the protection of an Order - though are not exactly members themselves. Vouched for by individual Knights, they usually provide specialised skills such as forensic science, medical research and technical sciences. Novice: A novice is an initiated member of a Militant Order - though not a full monk. Following a code of honour, though not the monastic Rule, these people are essentially knights-in training. Their skills, faith and abilities will vary according to their backgrounds and experience within their Order. In recognition of their devout service they receive supernatural gifts, aiding them in their crusade against evil. Knight: This is the highest attainable status within the Orders. These members have attained high levels of both faith and training in their chosen fields. As a knight under monastic vows, they have been rewarded with additional miraculous powers conveyed through prayers and rituals. THE ORDER: Choosing the character's Order is somewhat like choosing a vampire's clan. Each Order attracts particular types of characters (as outlined in the Order's Fact Sheets earlier in this volume). The Order determines the policies a character can follow and provides specialist Blessings known only to members of that particular Order. Associates do not have to immediately link themselves to any particular Order, though subtle pressure to do so should be applied. By the time of the Novitiate Initiation ceremony, a character must have well and truly chosen. After all, it takes the recommendation of his peers to qualify as a Novice. NATURE AND DEMEANOUR: These are simply words to help in the description of the character. Natures and Demeanours are limited to those acceptable to monastic standards (no chance, Madonna!). Nature is the most dominant part of a characters personality, though not the only factor that applies. It should describe the characters innermost being, feelings and beliefs. Demeanour is what characteristics a character presents to the open world. Often it is different from true Nature and is a facade to hide insecurities or imperfections. ATTRIBUTES: These represent the Physical, Social and Mental components which make up a character. The method of choosing these for a member of a Militant Order is exactly the same as that under Vampires. Novices and Knights all receive one free dot in each attribute, following the example set in The Inquisition by White Wolf. Knights are highly trained in the physical attributes, and their minds are always being tested under conditions of combat, their areas of speciality and theological thought. As a result, the statistics for a knight are usually higher than most humans. Give them 7/5/4 on top of their free dot in each category. Novices are on the same path but have not reached the same level of excellence and devotion. Give them 6/4/3. Associates, however, are created using the old Hunters Hunted method, without free dots. Give them 6/5/3. ABILITIES: This measures what a character has learnt during the course of his life, including Talents, Skills and Knowledge. Membership of the Militant Orders can have a significant influence on Abilities. High standards of training, education and performance are demanded if one is to succeed (and stay alive). The measure of abilities under Abilities should reflect the specialist training that particular Novice/Knight has undergone (see chapter Combat Techniques). The statistics 19/15/11 for knights and 13/9/7 for novices reflect this intense training - but should only be interpreted as ball-park figures. As outlined below, points must be spent in specific areas of training for them to qualify as members of the Militant Orders. Talents represent the innate skills that a person posses, and these can be refined once identified. All Knights must have a minimum of three dots in either Brawl and Melee. With Melee four, special offensive/defensive manoeuvres become available for swordplay and melee (See Apendice 3 & 4). Skills are the primary areas considered for qualification as a Church Knight. The Militant Orders have the basic requirement of giving their members the skills necessary for a chance of survival in the fight against evil. A good standard of combat training is vital. Both Novices and Knights must have completed several basic elements of training. All Knights must have a minimum of three dots in Firearms, and can choose to specialise in particular weapons (See Appendice 1). Knowledge is the most valuable weapon in the Cleansing Crusade. With it, no vampire is safe from exposure. Upon becoming a Novice or Knight, the Militant Orders will offer training courses in areas of the characters interest or their Order's need. Activities, such as lectures, will take place in order to increase the characters experience points - though they are "targeted" experience points which cannot be used anywhere else. This system is largely up to the Storytellers discretion - he may consider six months of full-time study necessary for Computers Three, but only a weekend session with a friend for Computers One. It is often best to build upon the Knowledges characters bring with them to the Order. Several knowledges are considered vital, and therefore all members must receive training. Training The importance of getting the job done quickly, efficiently and with the minimum of fuss is vital. Too many botches can ruin the Church Knight's own masquerade, destroying any progress they have made in a particular region. Church Knights represent the Special Forces of vampire hunters, and thus must have very high standards of training in at least one major combat-related field. This is expressed through the compulsory competency in one of the following areas: Signals, Munitions, Medical and Intelligence. SIGNALS MUNITIONS MEDICAL Computer Firearms Medicine Etiquette Security Science Stealth Science Empathy Repair Demolitions Chemistry Cryptography Artillery Forensics Electronics Heavy Weapons Biology Security Piloting Psychology Driving Escapology Research INTELLIGENCE Investigation Occult Law Interrogation Criminology Vampire/Lupine etc Law Research Linguistics *Those in italics represent Minor Skills To gain competency, a Knight must be trained in either a Major Knowledge/Skill to the level of five dots, or trained in two Minor Special Skills to a level of four each. All Knights must also be fluent in Latin, therefore Linguistics one is also compulsory. ADVANTAGES: Backgrounds: These work in exactly the same way as under Vampires: the Masquerade. However, the wide ranging support and resources of the Militant Orders must be taken into account. All systems operate as per Vampire: The Masquerade. ORDER BACKGROUND - This is a reflection of both the time you have spent in an Order, and how much you have experienced within it. * You know the people you have met in the training regimen. ** You associate with your chapter and have knowledge of others. *** A thorough knowledge of your chapters activities and history. **** A wide ranging knowledge of your preceptory's history and activities. ***** In-depth understanding of your Order's actions and secrets, as well as a few of those belonging to other Orders. ALLIES - Friends and associates who can be counted on in times of difficulty. They do not have to know of the character's status. CONTACTS - The number of readily available sources of information the character has. FAME - How widely the character is known in the world. This can be area specific (such as medical science or investigative policing). INFLUENCE - The Novice/Knights social status or political influence. MENTOR - A more experienced person who acts as the character's personal adviser and, where possible, does what he can to assist. Virtues: These components of a character are an important measure of a Knights understanding of their vows and a measure of their moral fibre. Because of their life under The Rule, and the requirements upon a character to be able to live a monastic life with True Faith, give all novices and knights one automatic free dot in each of Courage, Self Control and Conscience. WILLPOWER: For Militant Characters, Willpower is equal to their Courage (like in Vampires). It can also be modified through freebie points. True Faith can be "burnt" in the place of Willpower, once all willpower has been expended. This is an expensive recourse, but in some situations they may have to loose a point of Faith because they did not burn a point of Faith to avoid an action they were being forced into. Interesting double-bind (or catch-22) that makes roleplaying all the more fun. HUMANITY Like vampires, this is determined through Conscience + Self Control. This represents a players individual moral code - essentially their inherent nature. To become a member of an Order, Humanity must be at 5 to become a Novice of any Order as it represents the long-term nature and personality of the individual. TRUE FAITH: The intricacies of this power is described in the following chapters, particularly Holy Powers. However, the following synopsis is for character creation purposes. One level of Faith is the equivalent of Seven Freebie Points. Novices start out with one free Faith point on their character sheet. Knights start out with five free Faith points on their character sheet. Novices and knights can buy as many extra Faith Points as they can afford with their Freebie Points. Associates - who start out with no free Faith - are only allowed to buy their first level of Faith (Faith 1) with their freebie points, see Hunters Hunted. To gain Faith Levels during game-play, it will costs the Novice/Knight their current rating x3 in experience points up to level 5. ( For example, a novice of Faith 3 wishes to advance to Faith 4. This will cost him Faith 3 multiplied by 3 [= 9] experience points). For Associates, the cost will be current rating x5 in experience points thereafter (above Faith 5). Members of the Orders only have to increase the equation to Current Rating x 4 (above Faith 5) in experience points because of the support found within their Order and as a reward for living under vows. FREEBIE POINTS: These can be spent in exactly the same way as Vampire, though they cannot affect the Piety Pool or Grace Point Pool directly. Piety is the sum of Faith and Conscience, while Grace Points are the sum of Piety and True Faith. Associates (mortals) can only use Freebie Points to buy one Faith Level (cost 7). Knights and Novices can buy as many as they can afford. Attributes cost 5pts, Abilities 2pts, Backgrounds 1pts, Virtues 2pts, Faith 7pts, Willpower 2pts. Gifts, Prayers and Rituals cannot be bought by Freebie Points as they are assigned or chosen under the supervision of the Orders. SKILLS, TRAITS & SECONDARY ABILITIES Usually specialities are only available for Attributes and Abilities of level Four or higher. This is not always the case among the Militant Orders. Some special abilities are considered vital for combat. Hospitaller Novices usually have a speciality in a humanity skill such as First Aid, Templars in the Investigation fields and Teutones in combat or hunting related areas. As members of combat teams, Knights have particularly specialised roles and abilities. See the chapter Combat Techniques. COMPULSORY ADDITIONS Some of these have already been mentioned, but it is wise to repeat them again. * Novices have 1 point of True Faith at no cost. Knights have 5 points of True Faith at no cost. Further levels of Faith may be purchased at 7 freebie points each. * Associates have to buy True Faith with freebie points, and are limited to buying only one level . Novices and Knights get an automatic dot in their Attributes tables. Associates do not. * Novices and Knights get an automatic dot in their Virtues table. Associates do not. Code of Honour (Hunters Hunted and Players Guide) is a merit given to all Novices and Knights, though not Associates. As an Associate is a normal mortal, they may purchase this ability through experience or freebee points - but not granted through a Militant Order. Roleplaying is required for an Associate to be given a Militant Order's Code of Honor - involving the full initiation outlined earlier in this book. Code of Honour represents the effect the Rule has on a Novices or Knights daily lives - representing the acceptable parameters of warrior-monk behaviour. As such, it is a free addition to their character sheets. PIETY POOL: All Novices and Knights start out with a level of Piety Points, granted during their Initiation and Investiture Ceremonies. This is equal to the sum of their Faith and Conscience - with a maximum of 10. Piety represents the degree to which the character is pleasing God. A sin or thoughtless act can cause Negative Piety Checks, and a loss of Piety Points. Serious offences cause an automatic loss of Piety Points to a value proportionate to the crime - or even a level of Faith. A particularly good deed can cause Positive Piety Checks and the gain of Piety Points. This system is detailed in Pious Behaviour. GRACE POINT POOL Grace Points determine how much Grace Energy the Novice or Knight is allowed to expend upon his Holy Powers. His Grace Level is directly linked to his performance under Faith and Piety. Grace Pool = Faith Level + Piety Level. See The Measure of Grace. GIFTS, PRAYERS AND RITUALS These are the benefits given to members of the Militant Orders as a reward for sacrifices demanded under the Rule. Gifts are awarded to novices and knights, generally representing powers that can be called upon instantly. Prayers only become available to those who have been initiated as a Knight, and will often require a little time to enact or "recite". Rituals are reserved for the officers of the Orders, and generally require the presence of several knights. The Gifts, Prayers and Rituals of the Church Knights are not easy to come by. Rather, characters must demonstrate to their Order that they are worthy of being taught how to use such precious Blessings. NOVICE: Upon the initiation of a Novice, the Storyteller may choose to train him in a number of Gifts equal to his Faith rating (thus a novice of Faith 4 may learn 4 Gifts). Any Gifts over and above this must be earned through roleplay and at the discretion of the Storyteller. Individual Gifts not have different "Costs", but must be chosen to suit the character concept, abilities, skills etc. KNIGHTS: One Prayer or two Gifts may be chosen for each level of Faith that a knight has. For example, a Knight of Faith 6 may chose to be taught 8 Gifts (equivalent to 4 Faith) and 2 prayers (equivalent to 2 Faith). Specific powers should be assigned at the Storytellers discretion. Order-specific Gifts and Prayers apply only to the appropriate Order. To gain one or more Rituals, a senior Knight must have demonstrated his worthiness before undergoing personal training. Usually those with rank of Knight-Captain may hold the authority to conduct a Ritual, and Preceptors two. EQUIPMENT: Associates can spend money and own personal items. The strictures of the Code and The Rule do not affect their daily lives. Militant Orders can give them items to assist with their activities, though this is usually in the form of a loan. Novices have the right to own personal property - supplemented with Militant Order issue items. Knights are bound by The Rule not to have any personal belongings whatsoever. Issue equipment is in the chapters The Rule, Combat Techniques and Uniform and Equipment. QUIRKS, MERITS AND FLAWS: Idiosyncrasies of character can add a lot of interest to a character. But they can also be a major liability. Some Flaws may have severe effects on a Knight or Novices Piety and Faith ratings - and heavy implications on role- playing. If this is the case, the character may be required to leave the Order (an interesting role-playing scenario!). Other Merits may actually assist in a characters Pious and proper behaviour. The essence is appropriateness - a knight is unlikely to have the Trait Vengeance, as his motives are personal and not of Worship. If he does, it will conflict with his Piety - resulting in numerous Piety checks. If Piety falls below 5 he looses the benefits of the Gifts and Prayers, If it falls below 1, he is banished.