CAMARILLA ADDENDUM: MIND’S EYE THEATRE:  AWAKENING (WW50003)

Effective Date:  15 December 2011

Last Updated:  20 December 2011

 

This addendum is organized into the following sections:

 

    I.  ADDITIONAL BOOKS:  A listing of books specifically sanctioned for this venue.

   II.  CHARACTERS:  Basic rules for Awakening Characters.

  III.  ORGANIZATIONS:  Rules pertaining to mage Orders, Legacies, Magical Traditions and Proximi.

  IV.  MERITS:  Rules pertaining to Awakening-specific Merits.

   V.  ARCANA, SPELLCASTING AND SPELLS:  Rules pertaining to magic and spells.

  VI.  PLACES AND REALMS:  Rules pertaining to magical places.

VII.  PACTS:  Rules pertaining to making magical pacts with summoned creatures.

VIII.  STORYTELLER RULES AND CLARIFICATIONS:  Optional rules and other settings information.

  IX.  ADDITIONAL MATERIAL:  Errata and custom rules for Awakening in the global chronicle.

 

Text in red indicates new or changed items in this addendum cycle.

Text in blue indicates new or changed items from the last addendum cycle.

 

I. ADDITIONAL BOOKS

  1. Adamantine Arrow (WW40103)
  2. Astral Realms (WW40202)

1.     Grant Influence Numina [Astral Realms]: This numina is not approved for play at this time

C.    Banishers (WW40104)

1.     All mechanics (including spells, Merits, and Legacies) given in this book are considered Banisher-specific, and therefore unavailable to non-Banisher characters, unless noted otherwise

2.     None of the spells which require a Banisher’s death to activate may be cast by an unwilling or coerced victim with any power less than Archmastery.

3.     The Bonfire, Phageans and Shepherds are common Banisher groups available to VSTs at Low Approval.

4.     The following Banisher groups are unique, and are restricted to certain geographic areas. As such, the following STs have principal authority over their use:

a.     US SW RST: Carnival of Innocents and Emilio's Last Ride

b.    US GL RST: Venus Valley

c.     US NST: The Huntsman and the Translators

d.    MST: The Militant Auditing Division

5.     John Maverick and the Panography Movement are commonly known in mundane circles, but their links to Banishers are not.

6.     Atonements may only be used by Banishers.

D.    Boston Unveiled (WW40200)  

  1. Free Council (WW40308)

F.    Guardians of the Veil (WW40305)

1.     Blood Rings are completely mundane items, and so are not restricted to Guardians of the Veil

G.    Grimoire of Grimoires (WW40203)

1.     All new rotes, legacies and merits in this book can only be learned through the workings of Globally approved plotkits or through Global Approval to have learned such items through historic interaction with these items.

2.     It is Global Approval to improvisationally cast these unique effects.

3.     Mundane copies of the “Ancient Lands Pentalogy” and “Dark Revolution” may be obtained at Low Approval.

H.    Intruders: Encounters With the Abyss (WW40307)

  1. Keys to the Supernal Tarot (WW40312)

J.     Legacies: The Ancient (WW40101)

K.    Legacies: The Sublime (WW40100)

L.    Lines of Power (WW40908)

M.   Mage: the Awakening (WW40000)

1.     This book is used for flavor material and legacies not covered by Mind’s Eye Theatre: Awakening.

2.     Alternate Rote Dice pools from this book are Low Approval for characters with True Order Membership in the listed Order and High Approval otherwise

N.    Magical Traditions (WW40309

  1. Mysterium (WW40102)

1.     The ‘Academy Chronicle’ guidelines are not used for Camarilla play, with the exception of the Size and Speed factor changes, which are used for all PCs in the Awakening venue.

2.     Rolls for accessing items from the Miscellany may be made once per month.

P.    Night Horrors: the Unbidden (WW40324)

1.     With the following exceptions, the places, people and objects in this book are unique and thus reserved for the use of the Master Storyteller.

2.     Low approval: Shard Crows, the Lucid, Tick-Tock Soldiers, Somnia Draconis, the Abyssal Imprint and the Wayward Dream

a.     Tick-Tock Soldiers and Somnia Draconis may not ever become merit-based NPCs (Retainers, Allies, etc.).

3.     Top approval: Low Tongue. The +1 Paradox penalty applies to the number of points of paradox generated by a spell.

4.     The Morphean Continuity follows normal Legacy approval levels

5.     Book of Understanding and Building Fantastical Machines: High approval to possess up to a chapter; Top approval to possess more than that.

Q.    Reign of the Exarchs (WW40306)

R.    Sanctum and Sigil (WW40201)

  1. Secrets of the Ruined Temple (WW40310)
  2. Seers of the Throne (WW40321)
  3. Silver Ladder (WW40105)

1.     The research charts for “outsiders” are a guideline for VSTs. Knowledge requiring more than 15 successes of research requires Top Approval for cross-venue knowledge, as does any library that contains such knowledge.

2.     Gold Law as it is used in the Camarilla Chronicle has been released as a settings document, available on the CRD. Altering Gold Law constitutes a paradigm shift, requiring Global Approval. Silver, Bronze and Iron Laws may be altered with Low Approval.

3.     All Cryptopoly cults require Approval from the lowest-level ST whose authority extends over the cult's entire scope of influence. Social merits for these cults require the same level of approval as Merits belonging to PCs.

4.     High Legalese may only be invoked by Silver Ladder PCs who possess Academics or Occult 4, and a specialization in Lex Magica, Awakened Law, or a similar subject.

  1. Summoners (WW40322)

1.     Section under “Denizens of the Lowers Depths” is not sanctioned at this time.

2.     The following Numina are restricted to the spirit types listed:

a.     Accelerate: Arcadian Supernal

b.    Create Anomaly: Acamoth & Gulmoth

c.     Essence Conversion: Aether Supernal, Acamoth & Gulmoth

d.    Spirit Crown: Primal Wild Supernal

e.     Trial: All Supernal

f.     Underworld Gate: Stygian Supernal, Underworld, Gulmoth

g.    Versatile Energies: Outsiders

W.   Tome of Mysteries (WW40302)

1.     All alchemical creations have an Intimate link to their creator, and no more alchemical creations can be in play at any given time than the creator's dots in Matter.

2.     It is Global Approval to weave Factor Bonuses into a new custom or book rote. It is not possible to improvisationally cast and gain the benefit of a factor bonus.  As these follow an established pattern set out in Tome of the Mysteries, new Factor Bonus applications do not have to be reviewed by the Global Rules Panel.  Weaving a Factor Bonus into an existing rote needs to be done by a Master in the same way as creating a new rote, but it does not cost a willpower dot or require the character to purchase the rote a second time.

a.     Preference will be given to Factor Bonuses for existing canon rotes that are created as an Order or Faction secret and that reinforce the themes of that group.

b.    The Factor Bonuses only apply once a casting has been successful and the target has failed to resist the spell.

X.    Tome of the Watchtowers (WW40301)

 

II. CHARACTERS

A. Background

1.     Age

a.     Existed since 1900 or earlier: High Approval (Low for NPCs)

b.    Existed since 1850 or earlier: Top Approval (Low for NPCs)

c.     Existed since 1800 or earlier: Unavailable for PCs (Low for NPCs)

2.     Youth

a.     It is High approval for a PC to have Awakened prior to age 12 (Low for NPCs). It is not possible for a PC to have Awakened prior to age 3 (Mid for NPCs).

b.    It is High approval to play a PC who is currently under the age of 16 (Low for NPCs). It is not possible to play a PC who is currently under the age of 3 (Low for NPCs).

3.     Character Types

a.     Pentacle Orders and Apostates: Low Approval.

b.    Banishers:  Not available as PCs (Low Approval for NPCs).  Becoming a Banisher is irreversible; no one may ever be a ‘former’ or ‘reformed’ Banisher.

c.     All others: Top Approval (Low for NPCs, unless otherwise specified)

4.     Gnosis

a.     ●●●●● ● to ●●●●● ●●:  High Approval.

b.    ●●●●● ●●● to ●●●●● ●●●●:  Top Approval.

c.     ●●●●● ●●●●●:  Global Approval.

d.    Existing approvals for levels of Gnosis are not grandfathered as of the date of reset.  Storytellers should abide by the "Gnosis Approval Guideline Document" when considering Gnosis applications.

B. Storyteller Characters

1.     The following NPCs are Global Approval to use: Aeons, Ananke, Bound, Morpheans (as described in Astral Realms), and Vouivre

 

III. ORGANIZATIONS

A. Order:

1.     Order Status Dots 

a.     ● to ●●●●: Low approval

b.    ●●●●● to ●●●●● ●: Top Notification

c.     ●●●●● ●● to ●●●●● ●●●●●: Global Notification

d.    Order status increases, decreases and grandfathering should follow the rules in the Order Status Approvals Document, released on the CRD by the AMST-Awakening

2.     Gaining and Losing Status:

a.     Status gains and Losses are handled according to the Order Status Approvals Document

b.    PCs may only gain mechanical benefits (including Rote specialties) from a single Order at a time. Switching this Order requires Top approval.

c.     Having Status in more than one Order requires High Approval. A character may never have more than six dots total in Order Status among multiple orders.

3.     Seers of the Throne [Seers of the Throne] 

a.     Flaw: Mystery Commands:  This flaw requires the character to possess Seer of the Throne status, and is lost when Seer of the Throne status is lost.

b.    “Benefit of Status” system:

i.  Seers of the Throne may use their “Benefit of Status” towards purchase of an Artifact, but these still require the standard Approvals.  All Seers of the Throne can also gain the Imbued Item merit through the "Benefit" system.

ii. Lesser Ministries currently do not gain from the "Benefit of Status" system.

c.     Positions:

i.  Seers holding Ministry positions (any position physically higher than “Tetrarch” on the diagram on p 120):  Global Approval.

ii. Seers holding Tetrarchy positions (any position physically higher than “Augur” on the diagram on p 120):  Top Approval.

iii.    Seers holding Pylon positions:  Low Approval.  When creating Pylons, storytellers should refer to the Seer of the Throne ST settings document (to be written shortly).

d.    Factions:

i.  Gatekeepers:  Top Approval.

ii. Inclusionists:  Top Approval.

e.     Prelacies [Seers of the Throne]

i.  Within Ministry:  High Approval (Mid for NPCs).

ii. Out-of-Ministry:  Top Approval (High for NPCs)

B. Legacy

1.     Joining a Legacy

a.     Recruited by a player character in-game: Mid Approval  (Low for NPCs)

b.    Recruited by any other means: High Approval (Low for NPCs)

c.     Antagonist or Left-Handed Legacies: Top Approval (Low for NPCs).

d.    Legacies from Antagonist source-books are considered Antagonist Legacies unless specifically noted otherwise.

e.     Seer characters may acquire Seer Legacies or Legacies listed as available on p 167 of Seers of the Throne at normal approval levels.  Any other Legacy is Top Approval for a Seer character.

f.     Joining a Legacy that is native to neither a PC's Path nor his Order: Two approval levels higher than it would be otherwise

i.   All Legacies from Order-specific books are considered to be native to that Order

g.    In order to join a Legacy, a character must possess the pre-requisites for the first Attainment of that Legacy.

h.     A mentor does not need to spend a Willpower Dot to induct a student into a Legacy.

2.     Leaving a Legacy [Grimoire of Grimoires] / [Astral Realms]

a.     Leaving a Legacy through the use of the Ocean Ouroboros is High Approval and a Wisdom 4 sin.

3.     Custom Legacies

a.     Custom Legacies do not require the applicant’s character to be the creator, but the character must fulfill the Gnosis requirements as if they were.

b.    To enter play as part of a custom Legacy, the player of the active character most senior in that Legacy must agree. This requirement is waived if characters find a way to join in-game

c.     The approval level to join an approved custom legacy is the same as a canon legacy.

4.     Legacy Experience

a.     Each Attainment of a Legacy costs 8 XP and needs to be actively learned.  No Legacy Experience is paid.  Optional Attainments are free once the pre-requisites are acquired. Characters who are developing their own attainments, either by founding a new legacy or varying an existing Legacy, do not have to pay experience for their Attainments, but instead have higher Gnosis pre-requisites for them.

5.     Legacy Rules clarifications

a.     Attainments:  While it is not possible to counterspell an Attainment, they otherwise interact with spells as normal.  For example:  non-visible alterations to space and time can be detected by the relevant spells; Attainments involving Space must still contend with Wards and Wans as would any other spell; attack spells are still resisted by the relevant magical shields; etc.

b.    Austere [Guardians of the Veil]: The Primary Arcanum for this Legacy is Matter.  

c.     Awakening Gambit [Adamantine Arrow]:

i.  Top Approval to join for non-Arrow PCs

ii. Spells hung with En Passant may only be instant cast, not ritual cast.

iii. The Second Optional Attainment works as per Shifting Sands – including activation, retained damage and detection; but the Mana cost is as per the Attainment write-up.

iv. The Third Optional Attainment works as follows: The PC can inquire what their dice pool would be for an action instead of taking a number of different actions – once they fail a Resolve + Composure draw or inquiry a number times equal to their Time dots they must take the last action, unless they successfully use the Second Optional Attainment as per the Attainment write up.

d.    The Blank Badges [Free Council]:

                                         i.    Top Approval to join for non-Free Council PCs

                                        ii.    Not a Number fails if it is used to gain status that would be more than Low Approval.

                                       iii.    The Quiet One allows a Blank Badge to deduct the successes drawn from the Paradox severity they are about to suffer.

                                      iv.    Nothing is True, Anything is Permitted adds the Blank Badge’s activation draw to the Paradox Test in the same manner as spending Mana for mitigation.

e.     Clavicularius: The variants upon this Legacy as described in Keys to the Supernal Tarot are reserved for the use of the Office of the Master Storyteller.

f.     Cryptologos [Free Council]: The Attainments of the Cryptologos do not allow the use of Atlantean as a fully formed spoken or written language.

g.    Perfected Adept [Mage: the Awakening]: The Attainments Chi Force and Perfect Body add the character’s Life dots to their attributes, not Mind dots.

h.     Princes of Many Masks [Seers of the Throne]:  A character scrutinizing the disguises of a Prince needs to acquire more successes than the Prince has in their dots in the Life Arcana to be aware that the Prince is using a disguise with their Life attainments.  However, their "Imposter" spell is contested as per the book.

i.      Sphinx [Legacies: The Ancient]: The attainment “Off the Path” does not allow a character to become "Unknown," but adds additional "Described" levels that must be removed if the Sphinx is the target of a spell to improve a caster's connection to the Sphinx, before the caster can allocate successes to improving the connection.

j.      Threnodists [Legacies: The Ancient]: The first Attainment of the Threnodists requires Investigation 2 rather than "Awareness 2."

k.     Uncrowned King [Mage: the Awakening]: The Attainment Albedo requires Gnosis 5, Mind 3. The Attainment Rubedo requires Gnosis 7 and Mind 4.

l.      Unforgotten Scions [Mysterium]: Spirits created by Eternal Dreams grow per chapter. The Spirit grows to the rank of the caster’s Mind Arcanum minus 1 and is affected by “Spells to Employ Spirits” as normal. Eternal Dreams can not be used more than once every three months.

6.     Non-Sanctioned Legacies: The following Legacies are not sanctioned at this time.

a.     The Celestial Masters as a Left-Handed Legacy [Keys to the Supernal Tarot]

b.    The Roses of Eden as a Left-Handed Legacy [Keys to the Supernal Tarot]

c.     The Whipping Boys as a Left-Handed Legacy [Keys to the Supernal Tarot]

7.     Antagonist Legacies: The following Legacies are considered antagonistic, or Left-Handed.

a.     Dreamers of the Black Sun [Shadows of Mexico]

b.    The Legion [Summoners]

c.     Unforgotten Scions [Mysterium]

8.     Top Approval Legacies: the following Legacies are at least Top approval to join

a.     Katsinam Suukya [Summoners]

b.    Secret Order of the Gate [Seers of the Throne]

c.     Wraiths of Epochs [Mysterium]

C. Magical Traditions [Magical Traditions]

1.     Joining a Magical Tradition is Low Approval.

2.     Custom Magical Traditions without mechanical benefits are Low Approval.

3.     Custom Magical Traditions with mechanical benefits are not allowed.

D. Proximi [Silver Ladder]

1.     The Proximi Merit (p. 334, Mage: the Awakening) is sanctioned for use.

2.     In order to gain the benefits of a Dynasty listed in Silver Ladder, including purchasing of Merits not normally available to Unawakened, the character must be a part of a Dynasty as well as having the Proximi Merit.

3.     The creation of a new Dynasty is beyond the capability of PCs, except possibly with by means of an Epic or Apocalyptic Pact as per Summoners.

4.     Dynasties not detailed in canon may be applied for at Global Approval. Once a Dynasty is created, it is Low Approval to create a member of a Silver Dynasty.

a.     If a Dynasty is created by a player in relation to a character they play, they may reserve the right to require their permission for a character to be created of the relevant Dynasty.

5.     Adamant Dynasties, Veiled Dynasties and Mystery Dynasties are High Approval once created. Free Dynasties are Top Approval once created.

6.     Proximi families may not access powers from Second Sight.

7.     The Merovingian family is an Antagonist group and is Top Approval.

 

IV. MERITS

  1. Merits Affected by the Addendum

1.     Ancient Echoes [Banishers]

a.     ● to ●●: Low Approval for Banisher NPCs

b.    ●●●: Top Approval for Banisher NPCs

c.     ●●●● to ●●●●●: Global Approval for Banisher NPCs

2.     Artifact

a.     Artifacts require Top Approval.

b.    Artifacts use the same rules as imbued items with regard to Potency of spells and spell tolerance.

c.     Artifact Legendry:  The possession of an artifact does not give bonuses to Order status. Every artifact should have a legendry. Possession of an artifact gives +1 to social challenges with other Pentacle Mages if the target of the social challenge is aware of the legendry and it is relevant.

d.    Dreamstones [Free Council]: High Approval

3.     Astral Adept [Magical Traditions]: Replace "Exceptional success" with "5 or more successes in a single draw".

4.     Athenaeum [Mysterium]: Low Approval for Mysterium PCs, unavailable otherwise.

a.     An Athenaeum may only be purchased as part of a Sanctum shared entirely by Mysterium characters, wherein access is given to all members of the Mysterium in good standing but can be limited by the Athenaeum's Curator. Status should be considered when granting access to the more restricted contents of a given Athenaeum.

b.    All characters who contribute to the Shared Sanctum that holds the Athenaeum's material contents may gain entry to the Athenaeum, barring Interdiction, but their access to sensitive material may be restricted by the Athenaeum's Curator.

5.     Cartomancy [Keys to the Supernal Tarot]: Uses the "Interpretative Draw" system only - does not use Wits+Occult draws.

6.     Claws of the Abyss [Banishers]: The effects of this merit last a scene.

7.     Cryptopoly [Silver Ladder]

a.     A PC Illuminate may designate any of his Merit-based NPCs as part of his Cryptopoly.

b.    Allies: Cryptopoly may be used to access social merits that are part of the Cryptopoly up to the rating of the user’s Allies: Cryptopoly. This requires a Manipulation + Socialize + Allies (Cryptopoly) draw.

                                          i.    Accessing Allies within a Domain does not incur a penalty to the level of Allies. Doing so within a Region incurs a –1 penalty, within a nation a –2 penalty and between nations a -3 penalty.

                                         ii.    If the merits sought are directly controlled by another PC, they may be accessed without a roll with the consent of the owning PC.

                                        iii.    If the merits sought are directly controlled by another PC and consent is not given, they may only be accessed if the controlling PC is not actively using them at that time.

                                        iv.    If more than one PC attempts to access the same particular merit, the most successes gain access.

c.     A PC may take Allies: Cryptopoly without an XP cost. This must be recorded in the database at Low Approval.

                                          i.    To do so, a PC must have at least one relevant social merit at the same level as their levels in Allies: Cryptopoly.

                                         ii.    If a character has taken Allies: Cryptopoly without an XP cost, all their relevant social merits up to the value of their Allies: Cryptopoly are accessible as if they were part of the Cryptopoly.

                                        iii.    If a PC takes free levels in Allies: Cryptopoly, and another character (PC or NPC) seeks to access their social merits, then the PC does not automatically keep control of his social merit, but must contest the draw with Manipulation + Socialize + [the social merit contested].

d.    Cryptopoly Merits held by NPCs not purchased with XP can also be accessed through use of Allies: Cryptopoly. It is High Approval to assign more than 20 points of social merits to an NPC-controlled Cryptopoly.

8.     Daimon [Tome of the Watchtowers]

a.     Low approval for mages of all Paths

9.     Enhanced Item

a.     ● to ●●●●: Low Approval

b.    ●●●●●: High Approval

c.     Enhanced Items can be created in game by spells of indefinite Duration

d.    Matter spells can make "Special Property" alterations. Specific listed alterations require:

                                      i.    Alter Integrity (for Increased Durability or Increased Structure)

                                     ii.    Alter Efficiency (for Increased Equipment Bonus)

                                    iii.    Alter Size (for Decreased Size from Guardians of the Veil or Increased Size)

                                    iv.    Decreased Size [Guardians of the Veil]: Dose not require special approval outside of the Guardians of the veil Order.

                                     v.    Armor, Bulletproof, and Durability alterations from Adamantine Arrow are low approval for all orders. Armor is limited to a bonus equal to the caster's dots in Matter.  

e.     Several Enhanced Items cannot be combined (e.g. a self repairing engine cannot be placed inside a car with bulletproof windows).

f.     Enhanced Items can be treated as Imbued, e.g. a 3 dot spell and two 2 dot spells would create a 5 dot Enhanced Item.

g.    The maximum bonus to an Enhanced item is equal to the caster’s dots in the Matter Arcanum.  This includes thaumium items.

h.     A character entering play with a Thaumium item must assign eight points to the successes used to create it.

i.      The Mana capacity cannot exceed the Enhanced Item Merit rating.

j.      Any effect used to improve an item makes that item an Enhanced Item equal to the level of the effect used. E.g. Self Repairing Machines are 5 dot effects and items with such an improvement are 5 dot Enhanced Items. This is only used where another method doesn’t already apply.

k.     Enchanted Item effects currently not sanctioned for play include:

                                      i.    Ochosi’s Arrow [Magical Traditions]

10.  Fetish

a.     ● to ●●●●: Mid Approval

b.    ●●●●●: High Approval

c.     ●●●●●●+: Not approved for play

d.    Fetishes in the Awakening venue must conform to the rules presented for “Create Fetish” (p 368-369) and not the rules for the Fetish merit in Forsaken, save that they may use sanctioned Numina from other sources as well as the Numina on pages 423-425 of MET Awakening.

e.     They have a merit cost equal to the bound Spirit’s Rank plus one for each Numina accessible beyond the first. For example a bound Rank 2 spirit with the Blast and Terrify numina would be a 3 dot Fetish.

f.     The numina which can be accessed through the Fetish are fixed at the time of casting and may not be changed later without re-casting the spell. The bound spirit must conform with all rules governing creating spirits.

g.    The user takes an instant action of Gnosis + Spirit to awaken the spirit within the Fetish, and uses Gnosis + the bound spirit’s Rank to activate the Numina instead of Power + Finesse.

h.     For the purposes of Damage Limits on any attack Numina, use the creator’s dots in Spirit.

11.  Fighting Style: Adamantine Hand [Adamantine Arrow]: The total damage inflicted by Star cannot exceed the higher damage cap involved.

12.  Gesture Lore [Tome of Mysteries]: Low Approval

13.  Graduate of Otranto [Mysterium]: Global Approval

14.  High Speech Extended [Secrets of the Ruined Temple]: Not sanctioned for use at this time.

15.  Illuminate Retainer [Silver Ladder]

a.     Created as a ●●●●● Retainer using the alternative creation template on p. 63 of Silver Ladder. They do not gain any additional XP by virtue of being a ●●●●● Retainer. (Please note that PC Illuminated Proximi are generated as a normal character.)  However, the merit becomes a simple cost, rather than graduated cost merit.

                                          i.    The PC can ask the retainer to take an action to use one of its social merits on their behalf per downtime.

                                         ii.    All merits held by the Illuminate Retainer are held as part of a Cryptopoly, so can also be accessed through use of the Allies: Cryptopoly merit.

16.  Imbued Item

a.     ● to ●●●●●: Low Approval

b.    ●●●●●●+: High Approval and can only be made in game

c.     Replace the sentence “Lasting Duration spells are considered persistent powers, but all other effects are considered contingent that require a trigger” with “Indefinite Duration spells are considered persistent powers. All other effects are considered contingent and require a trigger”.

d.    An Imbued Item with an indefinite duration and a level 5 power requires the Imperial Mysteries, and thus requires the approval level of the Imperial Mysteries to create. The only exceptions to this are the level 5 rotes that have a default duration of Advanced Prolonged.

e.     If an item is both Enhanced and Imbued, calculate the rating limitations as though it were two separate items, one Enhanced and one Imbued.

f.     The maximum bonus to an Enhanced part of an Imbued item is equal to the caster’s dots in the Matter Arcanum.  This includes thaumium items.

g.    When creating Imbued Items, Top approval may allow for a mage to increase the number of successes allowed for an extended cast spell (p 148.) These may not be increased by more than 50%.

h.     The parts of Tome of the Mysteries, which suggests that Imbued Items can be made collaboratively, with different mages casting different spells into the item, are not sanctioned. The Camarilla uses the original version of Imbue Item from MET: the Awakening, which requires the same caster to cast the imbued spells.

i.      Specific Imbued item clarifications:

                                      i.    Alien Cuffs [Banishers]: Banisher only

                                     ii.    Raiment of Return [Adamantine Arrow]: Not sanctioned for play

                                    iii.    Translator Chamber [Banishers] Not sanctioned for play

                                    iv.    The Truck [Banishers] Not sanctioned for play

                                     v.    Cursed items from Chapter 5 of the Adamantine Arrow book are unique items, requiring Global Approval for use.  

17.  Language: Atlantean [Astral Realms]: Not sanctioned for use at this time.

18.  Meditative Mind [Mysterium]: May be purchased for an Athenaea, however the cost may not be shared between multiple characters.

19.  Mysteriorum Focus: requires Mystery Initiation 5, not 1.

20.  Mystery Initiation [Mysterium]: Low Approval

a.     Mystery Initiation ●●●●● (The Mysteriorum Focus) only functions for the city/area in which the Mithraeum is located; the Mage does not gain any special connection to Mages farther afield.

b.    To purchase Mystery Initiation, a Mage must have gained the requisite levels of Order Status. If he ever loses those levels of Status, he loses access to Mystery Initiation until he gains them back.

21.  Oathbound [Adamantine Arrow]: Player Characters recover spent Oath Binding Points on the first day of a calendar month, not at the beginning of each game session.  

22.  Occultation [Mysterium]: May be purchased for an Athenaeum; however the cost may not be shared between multiple characters.

23.  Otherworldly Lore [Summoners]: Top Approval when specialized in any type of Supernal creatures, Abyssal creatures or creatures of the Underworld.

24.  Perfected Metals [Legacies: the Ancient]: Perfected Metals are created by repeated use of Ghostly Object plus Touch of the Grave. Draw a card and add ten for the number of times this process must be repeated before a metal becomes perfected.

25.  Predator’s Innocence [Tome of the Watchtowers]: Not sanctioned.  XP previously spent on this Merit is refunded.

26.  Ractin Strain [Intruders: Encounters With the Abyss]: High Approval for PCs (Low for NPCs). May not be combined with a full supernatural template.

27.  Repute [MET: the Awakening]

a.     Repute cannot be bought at character creation; it must be earned in play.

b.    When applying for Repute, a player must specify whether it represents a positive reputation (that benefits Persuasion tests) or a negative one (that benefits Intimidation)

c.     ● and ●●: Low Approval

d.    ●●●: High Approval

e.     ●●●●: Top Approval

f.     ●●●●●: Global Approval

g.    Repute does not cost XP if awarded.  XP previously spent on this Merit is refunded.

28.  Ritual Synergy [Tome of Mysteries] 

a.     ●●●: Low Approval

b.    ●●●●●: Reserved for the use of the MST Office

c.     In addition to the other requirements of this merit, Ritual Synergy may only be purchased by PCs who are members of the same, stable, long-term cabal, having a strong symbolic theme. It may only be used for rituals cast entirely by members of that cabal, and is lost without refund in the event that the PC leaves that cabal.

d.    Cabals with the Ritual Synergy merit may pool their pre-cast successes when casting spells on each other. With Ritual Synergy ●●●, at least 50% of a pre-cast spell's total successes must come from the lead caster. With Ritual Synergy ●●●●● all involved casters can split successes freely, without restriction

29.  Sanctum: Portable [Mysterium]: Low Approval.

30.  Scriptorium [Mysterium]: Low Approval for Mysterium PCs, unavailable otherwise.

a.     Scriptorium may only be purchased for a Sanctum augmented by the Athenaeum merit.

b.    When bought as a shared merit, the total dots in Scriptorium (Depth) cannot exceed the highest Arcanum rating of any of the sharing PCs.

31.  Slayer [Summoners]: Only provides a bonus against creatures not native to the world:  Spirits, Ghosts, Supernal creatures, Abyssal creatures and Otherworldly being.  It has no effect on creatures of the Fallen Realm.

32.  Status (Order):  see section III.A.

33.  Summoner’s Soul [Summoners]: Top Notification; Creation-only.

34.  Summoning Circle [Summoners]: Mid Approval.

35.  Supernal Anchor [Summoners]: Top Approval.

36.  Supernal Companion [Summoners]: Top Approval.

37.  Supernal Echoes [Summoners]

a.     Possession of a Dormant Supernal Echo: Top Approval

b.    A Supernal Echo is purchased as a 5-dot simple cost merit.

c.     Activating a Supernal Echo requires a separate Top Notification, in addition to the other requirements

d.    Harvest Tass loses its special qualities when taken away from their Hallow of origin for more than one month. Benefits from more than one Harvest do not stack.

38.  Tabletop Supplement Mana Costs: Merits that require a cost of Mana at a daily rate from a tabletop book instead require the same cost per chapter.

39.  Talisman of Universal Safety [Silver Ladder]: Not sanctioned for use at this time.

40.  Techne: The following merit is available to all Free Council characters at Low approval. Techne (●● or ●●●●)
Cost: Simple
Pre-requisite: Free Council membership
Effect: Your PC owns a special technomagical tool – an electron gun, an EMP generator, a flux capacitor – that puts the theories of the Free Council into action. The blending of magic and technology in the tool enables a spell – such as “Call Lightning” or “Shifting Sands” – to be channeled through it in a way that is more believable to Sleeping eyes, and less apt to cause a Paradox thereby. This tool is attuned to a single rote at the time this merit is purchased, and cannot be changed later. When used to help cast that rote spell, the tool reduces the chance that the spell will cause a Paradox by playing on a mix of advanced science, pseudo-science, and science fiction. A two-dot tool causes the cast rote to always benefit from "Hiding Magic in Plain Sight" (p. 141, MET: Awakening). A four-dot tool reduces the caster's effective Gnosis by two (to a minimum of 1) for the purposes of determining whether or not a Paradox occurs (though it does not affect Paradox Severity). This merit may be purchased more than once.
Special: A Techne tool must be made by a Libertine who has either Crafts of Science 4+, though the craftsman may then give it to another Libertine to use. No Mage outside the Free Council has the necessary foundation in technomagical theory to use a Techne tool. The target number for creating a Techne tool (with a dice pool of Intelligence + Science or Crafts + equipment) is 5 x the level of the rote to which it is to be attuned.

41.  Thyrsus Merits [Tome of the Watchtower]: Low Approval for all PCs.

42.  Void-Scourged [Summoners]: Top Approval.

43.  Whispers [Mysterium]: High Approval for all characters in the Awakening Venue.

 

V. ARCANA, SPELLCASTING AND SPELLS

A. Arcana

1.     Arcana at levels 6 and above are not available in the chronicle. Archmasters and the Imperial Mysteries are reserved for the use of the Master Storyteller.

2.     The sentence on page 62 that says “Two of his highest three Arcana must always be from his Path’s Ruling Arcana” is replaced with “Two of his first three Arcana must be from his Path’s Ruling Arcana”.

3.     The table for the number of targets affected by a spell on page 162 is incorrect, refer to page 149 of MET: the Awakening.

4.     All modifications of a spell that require advanced arcana knowledge are cumulative. Thus a Celestial Fire (Prime 3) upgraded to aggravated damage (Prime 5) cast with the Advanced Area of Effect table (+2 higher level of Arcana required) would require Prime 7.

5.     Resistant damage may only be caused by pattern scourging and absorbing paradox. No effect can involuntarily cause resistant damage in others. Any spell or merit that is listed as causing resistant damage to others instead causes normal damage, but remains in play.

6.     Area effect spells with durations only continue to affect targets while they remain within the area of effect, and are indiscriminate.  New targets entering the area of effect are affected by the spell as per usual spell targeting.

7.     To cast an area effect counterspell or dispel, the caster must spend mana for all the spells within the area of effect, or the spell fails.

B. Spells to Employ Spirits

1.     Spirits of Rank 3: Cannot be called, bound or otherwise controlled using Advanced Prolonged Duration factors. Use Prolonged Duration factors instead.

2.     Spirits of Rank 4: Cannot be called, bound or otherwise controlled using Prolonged Duration factors. Use Transitory Duration Factors instead.

3.     Spirits of Rank 5: Cannot be called, bound or otherwise controlled unless a published rote specifically allows it, and casting such requires the approval equal to the rank of the spirit if it is not targeted on a spirit sanctioned for an existing plot.

4.     These restrictions don’t apply if a spell is used simply to justify the purchase of a Merit such as a Fetish, Familiar or Guardian Spirit. They do not apply to spells that just awaken spirits or make them more favorably disposed to the caster, e.g. Rouse Spirit.

5.     Spirits and Essence

    1. If a character seeks to convert Mana from the Essence of a spirit in downtime, they may only convert a single point.
    2. If a character is converting Essence to Mana from a locus, they may only convert a number of points of Mana equal to the level of the locus per chapter.
    3. In total, a character may only convert a number of points to Mana equal to their levels in the Spirit Arcanum per chapter in downtime.

C. Rotes

1.     Order Rote Specializations represent a combination of the preference of an Order’s Mudras towards casting certain kinds of spells and the regularity a Mage has had with using them.  If a character learns a rote of another Order, they do not gain the benefit of that Order's Rote Specialities, but it will be, in role-playing terms, recognizably using the Mudras of the source Order.  A Master of an Arcana may adapt the Mudras of a rote they know belonging to another Order to the Mudras of their Order, gaining the benefit of any relevant Rote Speciality, and now making it recognizably a rote of their Order.  This does not cost any experience, but requires a downtime action and the expenditure of a willpower point.  A Master may also tutor another Awakened to convert one of their rotes in a similar manner.  This is a deliberate change from White Wolf books, where each individual rote may or may not benefit from a particular specialization.

2.     Rotes may be designated as "Secrets” for an Order or non-Order group, as given below. It is High Approval to cast or be taught a rote that is a Secret of a group to which the caster does not belong.

a.     Spells printed in Order-specific books are Secrets of that Order if they require two or more different Arcana to cast.

b.    Spells with an alternate test pool listed for a given Order are Secrets for that Order. These spells may, however, be improvised at Low approval, and the basic version may be learned by Mages of other Orders at Low approval.

c.     Spells that include the name of a Legacy, Tradition, faction or other non-Order group are Secrets of that group. Tradition rotes are also subject to further restrictions as given in Magical Traditions.

d.    Spells from Legacies that include more than one Arcanum are Secrets of that Legacy and require High Approval to learn outside of that Legacy.  This requirement is in addition to others in this section.

e.     Spells for antagonistic groups such as Banishers, Seers of the Throne, etc. are Secrets. These secret spells are Top Approval to learn or cast if the character is not a member of the relevant group. These rotes do not have a Common Version.

f.     Custom Rotes approved by the Global Rules Panel are Secrets of the relevant Order/Tradition/Legacy, unless specifically noted otherwise.

                                          i.    Custom Rotes which have been denied or removed from play by the Global Rules Panel cannot be cast as improvised magic.

g.    The following spells from Banishers and Seers of the Throne are not Secrets, and may be learned/cast by any Mage at Low approval:

                                          i.    Aim for the Dead [Banishers]

                                         ii.    Activate Police Band [Banishers]

                                        iii.    Call Eidolon [Banishers]

                                        iv.    Duplicate Sympathy [Seers of the Throne]

                                         v.    Enhance Toxin [Seers of the Throne]

                                        vi.    Falsify Temporal Presence [Seers of the Throne]

                                       vii.    Improve Quality [Seers of the Throne]

                                      viii.    Insulate [Seers of the Throne]

                                        ix.    Manipulate Contingent Trigger [Seers of the Throne]

                                         x.    Merge Mind [Banishers]

                                        xi.    Nullify Shadow Resonance [Seers of the Throne]

                                       xii.    Simulate Basic Needs [Banishers]

                                      xiii.    Sense Poisons and Drugs [Banishers]

                                     xiv.    Secret Compartment [Banishers]

3.     The following bullet point from MET: the Awakening p 198 is not used in the Camarilla chronicle: “Spells with multiple effects require each effect to be learned as a separate rote. For example, ‘Telekinetic Strike’ can be cast in Forces 3, 4, and 5 versions; each version is a separate rote”. Characters that purchase the base Rote gain access to additional effects as their Arcana mastery increases.

4.     Rotes from the book Guardians of the Veil which call upon the "Perception" Attribute use Wits instead.

5.     Rotes that come from unique sources (such as from the canon grimoires in Grimoire of Grimoires) are subject to GRP approval for the first PC learning them. Thereafter, they revert to normal approval levels using the GRP-approved mechanics.

D. Instant Spellcasting

1.     Penalties taken when using the “Modifying Spell Factors” optional rule may not reduce the caster’s draw pool below 1.

2.     Any further penalties (aiming penalties, resistance, etc.) applied after Imago creation may reduce this further.

E. Extended Spellcasting

1.     For purposes of the “Damage and Success Limits” rules, the only bonuses to the caster’s base spell casting pool that count are those from High Speech, Willpower, and an appropriate Demesne. These traits do not increase a spell’s damage cap.

2.     Spells with an action listed as Extended may increase this further with assistants following the Group Rituals rules (p 168); assistants may raise this by one per assistant, up to 5. Assistants do not increase the success limits if converting Instant Spells to Extended Spells.

F.  Spells at Chapter Start

1.   The “Spells at Chapter Start” sidebar on page 166 of Minds Eye Theatre: Awakening is to be used to determine the pre-cast spells for all PCs. No other system – including the expenditure of Downtime actions to cast other spells – may augment this.

2.   In order to benefit from team-cast pre-cast spells, all members of the team casting must either be present at a given game or the team must have a pre-cast setup approved in the Approvals DB at Low. If the latter system is used, then that system cannot be changed unless/until the approval is removed

G. Limitations to Bonuses and Traits

1.     No single Trait or bonus created by a spell can exceed the level of the Caster’s relevant Arcanum. This only applies to Traits or bonuses that are variable based on successes. It is not applicable to summoned creatures.

2.     If a Mage activates a Prepared spell against a living target the target can resist the spell as per the following:

a.     If the spell is Resisted then it becomes Aimed. When activated, the caster must gain at least 1 success on an activation roll with the same dice pool used to cast the spell, modified by the target’s defenses (See Awakening rules on Aimed spells). If the activation succeeds then the spell takes full effect. If it fails then the spell disappears.

b.    If the spell is Contested then the caster must gain 1 more success than the target on an activation roll with the same dice pool used to cast the spell, modified by the target’s defenses. If the activation succeeds then the spell takes full effect. If it fails then the spell disappears.

H. Failed Social and Mental Tests

1.    To determine failed tests not repeatable in the same scene, consider spells to be social if they are resisted/contested by Composure or Resolve (see Mind’s Eye Theatre p162).

I. Sympathetic Magic

1.     Any spell affecting multiple targets always uses the weakest sympathetic connection of those targets, unless all targets are within sensory range.

2.     If a casting penalty for sympathetic magic is reduced to greater than -10, the target is still able to be affected by the sympathetic spell. The only instance where they would be unable to be targeted is if a penalty directly lowers their degree of sympathy to Unknown (for example, an “Encountered” or “Described” target where the caster does not know their real name.)

J. Relinquishing Control of Spells

1.     The following spells are considered equivalent to the sacrifice of a Willpower dot under the Relinquishing Control of Spells rule and may only be used to relinquish the spells “Alter Integrity,” “Alter Efficiency,” “Alter Size,” and “Imbue Item.”

a.     Payment in Power [Tome of Mysteries]

b.    Spirit Pact [Tome of Mysteries]

c.     Instill Mortality [Tome of Mysteries]

d.    Pain Harvest [Tome of Mysteries]

e.     Time Limit [Tome of Mysteries]

K. Specific Spells

1.     The following Spells are Reserved for the Office of the Master Storyteller:

    1. Bolster Virtue [Keys to the Supernal Tarot]
    2. Dragon’s Call [Keys to the Supernal Tarot]
    3. Know Virtue [Keys to the Supernal Tarot]

2.     The following spells are not sanctioned at this time:

    1. Acidic Spatter [Adamantine Arrow]
    2. Climbing the Tree [Magical Traditions]
    3. Diplomat’s Protection [Silver Ladder]
    4. Ellegua’s Notice [Magical Traditions]
    5. Five-Cycle Spell Theft [Magical Traditions]
    6. No Exit [Banishers]
    7. Rapid Fire [Adamantine Arrow]
    8. Read Spirit [Adamantine Arrow]
    9. Sacrifice Fortune [Tome of the Mysteries]
    10. Scour Other’s Pattern [Tome of the Mysteries]
    11. Spirit Highway [Banishers]
    12. Steal Body [Free Council]
    13. Temporal Lifeline [Free Council]

3.     Annihilate Spells [Banishers]:  Requires the caster to beat the target spell’s potency, but can be used to target hung spells.

4.     Astral Journey [Astral Realms]: The Space 5 version can only be cast somewhere the Mage would normally be capable of entering the Astral. It does not transport them physically into the Astral Plane, but allow them to enter the correct form of meditation quicker.

5.     Atonement (or any other similar spell/rote/means) [Legacies: The Ancient]: Use of this spell to resurrect a dead player character requires Global Approval

6.     Bodyguard's Blessing [Adamantine Arrow]: May only change the target of an Aimed spell.

7.     Call Eidolon [Banishers]:  Adv. Targetting uses Mind and Spirit, not Prime.

8.     Create Ghost [Mysterium]: This spell cannot return the ghost of a character with a Supernatural Template. It requires Top Approval to return the ghost of a player character

9.     Create Potentiality [Summoners]:  The character effectively redraws his action, but with solely the successes of this spell as their draw pool.

10.  Defer Conscience [Adamantine Arrow]: May not be used in conjunction with "Suppress Wisdom".

11.  Desiccate [Banishers] is resisted with Resolve + Composure.

12.  Duplicate [Adamantine Arrow]: Actions doubled using this spell count as one source of damage for damage limits (MET WoD p 211).

13.  Enhance Toxin [Seers of the Throne]:  Toxicity increase is limited to the caster's dots in Matter.  If used with Life, the increase is limited to the lower of the caster's Matter or Life.

14.  Ephemeral Co-Location [Summoners]:  A character can only shift between planes once a round.

15.  Ephemeral Postcognition [Summoners]:  Requires approval to cast where it would lead to interaction with or viewing of a realm that is otherwise approval to interact with.

16.  Faerie Glade [MET: Awakening]: When cast in downtime, this spell provides a benefit identical to that of “Temporal Pocket,” with the exception that the benefit may be extended to others.

17.  False Signature [Adamantine Arrow]: When adding "False Signature" to a spell, the spell counts as a Combined Spell (see p167-168 of MET: the Awakening).

18.  Fortify Oath [Adamantine Arrow]: Bonus Potency from this metamagic may boost the spell's successes above the normal imago limit, up to a maximum in additional successes equal to the caster's dots in Fate.

19.  Fortune's Fool [Adamantine Arrow]: May only affect a target once a scene.

20.  The Golem [Magical Traditions]: This Kabbalah rote may not create a Golem with a Size greater than the caster’s Gnosis

21.  Grant Familiar (Spirit) [MET Awakening]: This spell’s Duration is Lasting (the Familiar Merit does not disappear at the spell’s end.)

22.  Induce Vertigo [Banishers] does not permit an attacker to perform a “Killing Blow”. A character affected does not lose their defense.

23.  Luck Blessing [Magical Traditions]: The Taoist rote is an alternative draw pool but the mechanics function as per “Reading the Outmost Eddies” in MET: the Awakening.

24.  Maintained Sympathy [Astral Realms]: Uses real-world sympathy, not Astral sympathy.  

25.  Past Life Regression [Magical Traditions]: A subject under the effects of this spell is not denied their surprise test if attacked.

26.  Phased Strike [Adamantine Arrow]: May not be combined with "Ranged Blow".

27.  Possession [MET Awakening]:  Cannot be used to possess magical constructs, including (but not limited to) homunculi, golems, zombies, creatures and human bodies created with the Life arcane or phantasms. The use of other spells or powers to replicate this effect is similarly prohibited.

28.  Primal Transfer [Legacies: The Ancient]: Willpower costs for releasing a spell may not be placed onto a storyteller character.

29.  Rewrite History (Time) [MET Awakening]: Dots cannot be shifted into anything that requires a special approval or a notification in the approvals database.

30.  Scorched Earth [Banishers]

a.     May be cast on a Dead Zone. It does not alter the spell’s Imago, but introduces additional effects.

    1. A category 5 Scorched Earth uses the “Double Trouble” rule from Mind’s Eye Theatre (pg. 181-182) with regards to Paradox draws.

31.  Shadow Forged [Adamantine Arrow]: Items created using this spell may not be further enhanced using other Arcana.

32.  Shifting Sands: The following rule may be included in a VSS at the normal approval level for a VSS:  “Shifting Sands is penalized using the number of targets system assuming each person involved in the scene in addition is a target. Should this reduce the caster’s pool below 1, then the spell may not be cast”

33.  Skeptic [Adamantine Arrow]: Instead of 9-again on Paradox Draws, this spell provides a -1 to the initial card draw for paradox.

34.  Summon Royal Avatar [Summoners]:  Each casting requires an approval of the level of the spirit summoned.

35.  Supreme Augmentation (Mind) [MET Awakening]: The rote pool for Supreme Augmentation (p 319) uses the Mind Arcanum, not Life

36.  Tendrils [Intruders]:  A given spirit or fetish can sprout tendrils equal to it's Rank or merit cost at the cost of a WP. Each tendril provies a +1 bonus to brawl or weaponry if used offensively. If used defensively, the bonus adds defense against brawl or weaponry attacks. all trait bonuses are subject to the +15 rule.

37.  Transfer Will [Tome of Mysteries]: Player characters cannot gain Willpower dots from NPCs. Willpower gains from other player characters must be entered in the character’s experience log.

38.  Trigger Autonomic Function [Tome of the Mysteries]: This spell is Transitory against Supernatural targets, and is resisted by Stamina + Gnosis. This spell does not cause targets to lose their defense.

39.  Unfettered: The Unfettered effect is essentially a Counterspell. It may be purchased as a 4 dot Rote with a pool of Composure + Occult + Fate.

40.  Wards and Bans (Space) [MET Awakening]

a.     When cast as a targeted rather than area-affecting spell Ward only protects the target(s) of the spell, but moves with them. Targeted Wards cannot be augmented with Bans.

b.    Once a banned phenomenon is within a Ban’s area of effect, it is unaffected by the Ban (i.e. spells can be freely cast within a Prime-based Ban area, and are only affected when crossing the threshold of the Ban.)

c.     Gnosis and Arcana Wards [Secrets of the Ruined Temple] require the Imperial Mysteries to create.

41.  Weaponize Object [Adamantine Arrow]: The maximum weapon bonus achievable from use of this spell is equal to the caster's Matter dots.

42.  Worst Moment [Banishers] does not use the fluid suggestion for “greatest tactical advantage”, but instead confers a mechanical bonus as suggested in the sentence “... if the Storyteller would like something more objective...”

43.  Zone of Extremity [Tome of Mysteries]: The spell is changed, so that all actions taken within the zone are subject to the rules ‘9 again’ and ‘Double Trouble’ (p 181-182 of Minds Eye Threatre.) Ignore any reference to Exceptional Successes or Dramatic Failures in this power/

L. Grimoires

1.   Grimoires have an experience cost equal to one-half the cost of the rotes written in them. To own a grimoire, a PC must have reserved this number of experience in their “Grimoire Pool.” The "Grimoire Pool" is not lost if a Grimoire is traded or taken away, and represents the maximum value of Grimoires a character can hold for over a month.

M. Soul Stones

1.   Any of the effects listed under "The Soul of Another" or "Soul Stones of the Dead" are limited to three uses overall, as per the Thrall limitations - and anyone may use Fate on a Soul Stone to determine how many "charges" it has left. Once all three are used, then it remains an Intimate connection to its creator, but may not be used by another again unless it has spent a year and a day in the possession of its creator.

 

VI. PLACES AND REALMS

A. Supernal Realms and Atlantis

1.     With the exception of a single Awakening per Mage, characters cannot access the Supernal Realms. The Supernal Realms are otherwise reserved for the Office of the Master Storyteller.

2.     Summoning Supernal Creatures is Top Approval.

3.     Revealing "hard facts" about Atlantean society, language and/or magic requires Global approval.

4.     Anything that is from Atlantis or the time before the fall of the Celestial Ladder requires Global Approval. This includes, but is not limited to: ruins, spirits, knowledge, artifacts, imbued items, mundane objects and ghosts.

B. The Abyss

1.     Characters accessing the Abyss: High Approval

a.     Characters do not require the normal High Approval for accessing the Abyss when using the first two paths described in chapter five of Tome of the Mysteries.

b.    The third Path from chapter five of Tome of the Mysteries is Top Approval for player characters.

c.     The fourth Path chapter five of Tome of the Mysteries is Top Approval for any character. NPCs previously approved to be on the fourth path are not grandfathered.  

2.     Researching Abyssal entities uses the mechanics on pate 15 of Intruders: Encounters with the Abyss, including Capping Skills and Appropriate Libraries.  

3.     All Abyssal entities in Intruders: Encounters with the Abyss are sanctioned for play at the normal approval levels as per their spirit rank, and also serve as examples for Storytellers creating their own.

a.     The following sections are an exception to this, and are currently reserved for introduction by the Master Storyteller's office:

                                      i.    Final Spell of Eli Ben-Menechem

                                     ii.    The Harper Family

                                    iii.    The Invisible Codex

                                    iv.    The Nemesis Continuum

                                     v.    The Temple of Zanak Khan.  

4.     For every Skill or Merit specialty covering an Abyssal topic that a character acquires, they must also take a derangement. The first such derangement must be Fixation (Abyssal Knowledge), indicating an unhealthy fascination with and desire to acquire more knowledge of the Abyss. The second such derangement (or the first, if the character already has any other Derangement) must be Abyssal Compulsion (Summoners, p. 183).  

C. Astral Realms

1.     Archetypes and Walkers (and other Astral Entities) are subject to the same approval levels as normal Spirits of their Rank.

2.     Altering the beliefs of the waking world affecting more than 500,000 people is considered a paradigm change per the Global Addendum. Efforts greater than this become subject to the Don't Point That Thing at My Planet optional rule from MET: the Awakening.  

3.     Each of the realms in chapter five in the book Astral Realms are unique and available for use at MST Approval. Storytellers may use these as examples to craft their own Astral Realms for play.

      D.  The Underworld

1.     Accessing the Underworld follows the approval levels and guidelines given in section IV.A of the Camarilla Geist Addendum

E. Places of Power

1.     The places of power from Secrets of the Ruined Temple are not available for use in  Sanctums. PCs cannot regularly take advantage of the magical mechanics of the areas for themselves.

2.     Special building materials (Adamas) should be too difficult for player characters to transport and rearrange for their own use.

3.     A Shadow Gate [Astral Realms] is considered a Place of Power, requiring Top approval.

 

VII. PACTS

A. Prerequisites

1. Rank 1 & 2 creatures cannot forge pacts, Rank 3 creatures can only forge minor pacts, Rank 4 creatures can forge medial pacts, and Rank 5 creatures forge major pacts. Spirits of at least Rank 6 are required for Epic and Apocalyptic pacts.

B. Approvals

1. Minor & Medial Pacts:  Low Approval.

2. Major Pacts:  High Approval.

3. Epic & Apocalyptic Pacts:  Global Approval.

C. Requests

1.     Fortification:

a.     Regeneration:  not sanctioned at this time.

2.     Investments:

a.     A character may not take two Investments to benefit the same skill or attribute.

b.    An Investment to improve an Arcanum requires Top Approval.

3.     Mana:

a.     Mana Pact requests produce mana per chapter, rather than per day.

4.     Task:  Global Approval.

5.     Vassalage:  Global Approval.

a.     Always requires soul forfeiture and lifelong term; Global Approval.

D. Forfeitures

1.     Boon Companion Forfeiture can only be set on a PC with the express written consent of the player of the PC, having had the consequences fully explained to them.

2.     Life, Vulnerability or Flaw forfeitures are High Notification if claimed (activated).

F. Terms

1.     For Pact Terms, use the table on page 182 of Summoners.

 

VIII. STORYTELLER RULES AND CLARIFICATIONS

A. Optional Rules

If an Optional Rule is not listed below as being sanctioned, that rule cannot be used within the Camarilla Sanctioned Chronicle.

1.     Minds Eye Theatre Awakening

    1. Mana Bleed (p 64)
    2. Order Expulsion (p 123)
    3. Global Social Structures (p. 123)
    4. Tie to the Land (p 133)
    5. Modifying Spell Factors (p 147)
    6. Don’t Point That Thing at My Planet (p 150)
    7. Relinquishing Control of Spells (p 151)
    8. Special Spell Factors (p 152-155)
    9. Paradox Mitigation (p 158)
    10. Creative Thaumaturgy (p 194-198):  Is subject to approvals if it replicates an effect that requires approval, but is Low Approval otherwise.
    11. Permanently Altering Fates (p 229)
    12. Influences Numina and The Forsaken (p 419)

2.     Tome of the Mysteries

    1. The optional rules for Duel Arcane (page 122) may be used, but must be codified in a properly-approved Venue Style Sheet.

3.     Magical Traditions

    1. Alternative Magic is an optional rule and not used unless specifically noted.
    2. Divination Works: Low Approval for non-supernatural characters in all venues. Not available otherwise
    3. Off the Grid: Low Approval for non-supernatural characters in all venues. Not available otherwise

4.     Seers of the Throne

    1. The Optional Rule: Blind Control is not used, but should be noted for flavor with regards low ranking Seer of the Throne NPCs.  

B. Mana/Tass Supply

1.     A number of spells allow a character to gain Mana. With the exception of Prime spells used to remove Mana from Hallows purchased by characters with XP (but including the temporary creation of Hallows), a character may only gain a number of points of Mana or Tass equal to their levels in the arcanum being used per chapter in downtime. The gain of Mana during time in is not affected but the "net gain" from any game should not exceed the chapter limit listed above. Human or animal sacrifice requires a resolve action but there is no cap on the amount of Mana a character may gain by this method. Possession of high amounts of Tass may attract attention, and thus is the following notification:
100 Tass or more: High notification
250 Tass or more: Top notification
500 Tass or more: Global notification

2.     Third Eye Candy [Keys to the Supernal Tarot]:  reserved for the use of the Office of the Master Storyteller.

C. Paradox Manifestations

1.     Paradox Manifestations require Notification according to their Rank, as for any other Spirit of their Rank. Summoned creatures appear normally and stay active for the rest of the game in which they are summoned, requiring a Notification only after that game has concluded. This is an exception to the normal rule for Notifications.