Skip to content

Merits

Mental Merits

Merit Rating Prerequisites Description Book
Common Sense ••• Once per chapter, roll Wits + Composure as an instant action to ask the Storyteller a question about risks and choices. CofD 44
Danger Sense •• +2 bonus to detect an ambush. CofD 44
Advanced Danger Sense •• Danger Sense In the first turn of combat, Defense gains +2 and can be applied against Firearms. If someone attempts and fails to ambush you, set your initiative to one higher than the fastest ambusher.
Direction Sense • Keep perfect track of your relative location and direction, and ignore penalties to navigate or find your way. CofD 44
Advanced Direction Sense •• Direction Sense You can intuit the direction to anything you've directly sensed.
Epic Direction Sense •• Advanced Direction Sense You can sense backwards across time, locating since-destroyed objects or spending Willpower to glimpse the past.
Eidetic Memory •• Ignore rolls for recall or memory. +2 bonus to recall minute facts buried in other information. CofD 44
Advanced Eidetic Memory • Eidetic Memory After listening to someone or reading a story, the Scion is able to remember what actually happened, as long as no-one tries to actively lie or conceal something.
Epic Potential • Choose one Attribute and raise its trait maximum by one dot. You may not purchase this Merit multiple times for different Attributes.
Encyclopedic Knowledge •• Roll Intelligence + Wits to recall useful trivia relating to a particular field or pursuit. CofD 44
Fast Reflexes • to ••• Wits or Dexterity ••• Add Fast Reflexes dots to Initiative. CofD 44
Advanced Fast Reflexes • Fast Reflexes ••• Roll Initiative twice and keep your choice of result.
Fight, Flight, Freeze •• Your nerves react instinctively to danger. When violence erupts, you may choose to adopt the Insane Tilt, suffer Beaten Down but gain 8-Again to flee, or suffer Stunned but recover Willpower. DTR XX
Good Time Management • Academics or Science •• Make extended action rolls in half the necessary time. CofD 44
Holistic Awareness • Roll Wits + Survival to substitute woodland scavengings for equipment when treating patients with Medicine, unless the patient suffers non-bashing wound penalties. CofD 44
Hypervigilance • You're overly cautious of hidden dangers. Take 8-Again to perceive traps or ambushes, but on exceptional success, suffer Spooked. DTR XX
Indomitable •• Resolve ••• +2 to a contesting dice pool or resistance trait applied against supernatural mental influence. CofD 45
Interdisciplinary Specialty • Any Skill ••• Choose a Specialty in the corresponding Skill. Apply the Specialty's bonus die to relevant rolls of any Skill, except unskilled rolls. CofD 45
Investigative Aide • Any Skill ••• When you roll the selected Skill to uncover clues, achieve exceptional success with only three successes. Add a bonus element to any clues uncovered with this Skill. CofD 45
Investigative Prodigy • to ••••• Wits •••, Investigation ••• When you roll to uncover clues, you uncover a clue per success, capped by your dots in Investigative Prodigy. Clues from extra successes never have more than one element each. CofD 45
Language • You can speak, read and write in a chosen language. CofD 45
Library • to ••• You have a cache of information relating to a particular Skill. Add your dots in Library to relevant extended rolls. CofD 46
Advanced Library • to ••••• Library •••, ≤ Safe Place Your library is vast enough to contain useful, direct information about supernatural topics. Choose a topic per Advanced Library dot. Every story, once per topic, you can take the Informed Condition when you consult your library about that topic. MTA 2e 105
Lucid Dreamer •• Resolve ••• You may roll Resolve + Composure while asleep to dream lucidly, and may wake up at will. CTL 2e 123
Meditative Mind •, ••, or •••• Ignore environmental and wound penalties on meditation rolls. With two dots, meditation grants +3 to Resolve + Composure rolls for the remainder of the day. With four dots, meditation rolls only need to accumulate one success. CofD 46
Multilingual • You can speak conversationally in two chosen languages. Roll Intelligence + Academics for reading comprehension. CofD 46
Object Fetishism • to ••••• You obsess over a given possession relating to a chosen Specialty. Recover Willpower each session from your obsession, and spending Willpower to roll that Specialty exaggerates both failure and success. HL 42
Patient • Add +2 to your maximum number of allowed rolls on extended actions. CofD 46
Scarred • Integrity ≤ 5 Suffer a Persistent Condition which prevents you from recovering Integrity, but inures you from a particular breaking point. HL 43
Talk with animals ••• You can talk with animals.
Talk with spirits ••• You can look into the twilight and talk to spirits around you.
Tolerance for Biology • Resolve ••• Ignore Resistance rolls from witnessing biological grotesquerie. CofD 46
Trained Observer • or ••• Wits or Composure ••• Take 9-Again, or 8-Again with three dots, on Perception rolls. CofD 46
Vice-Ridden •• Vice Take a second Vice. CofD 46
Virtuous •• Virtue Take a second Virtue. CofD 46

Styles

Style Prerequisites Rating Maneuver Description Book
Professional Training • Networking Contacts •• relating to profession. CofD 46
•• Continuing Education Choose two Asset Skills relating to profession. Take 9-Again to roll Asset Skills.
••• Breadth of Knowledge Choose a third Asset Skill. Distribute two new Specialties among your Asset Skills.
•••• On the Job Training Raise one Asset Skill by one dot. Take a beat when you buy dots in Asset Skills.
••••• The Routine Spend one Willpower to apply the rote quality to an Asset Skill roll.
Unintended Applications Wits •••, Crafts or Science •• • Improvised... Weapon? +2 to Intimidation rolls when you brandish something you claim is a deadly device. DSG 95
•• Achilles Fuse You can pinpoint the weak point in a given structure.
••• Creative Discount Jury-rig an asset up to two dots higher than your Resources in Availability, for an hour's work per Size.
•••• Gremlin You can disable a device without leaving evidence. With equipment, you can disable complicated devices from a distance.
••••• Jury-Rig Spend Willpower and roll Wits + Crafts or Science to make anything whose Availability doesn't exceed your successes, right away for objects under Size 6, or in a scene's work otherwise.

Physical Merits

Merit Rating Prerequisites Description Book
Ambidextrous ••• Ignore offhand penalties. Character creation only. CofD 47
Automotive Genius • Crafts •••, Drive •, Science • Raise maximum modifications to a vehicle to thrice Crafts rating, plus number of relevant Crafts Specialties. CofD 47
Covert Operative • Wits •••, Dexterity •••, Stealth •• When launching an ambush, deny 10-Again to notice it, and take +3 Initiative on the first turn. HL 53
Crack Driver •• or ••• Drive ••• When not taking any non-Drive actions, add your Composure as a bonus to Drive rolls, and penalize attempts to disable your vehicle by your Composure. With three dots, you can take a reflexive Drive action once per turn. CofD 47
Dauntless • You've suffered worse. Ignore Beaten Down. DTR XX
Demolisher • to ••• Strength or Intelligence ••• When breaking objects, ignore a point of Durability per dot of Demolisher. CofD 47
Double Jointed •• Dexterity ••• Dislodge joints at will. Escape from mundane bondage automatically. When grappled and not acting aggressively, penalize your attacker's overpowering rolls by your Dexterity. CofD 47
Advanced Double Jointed • Double Jointed You can fit your entire body through anything that can accommodate your head. Apply Double Jointed's grappling penalty even when you act aggressively.
Fleet of Foot • to ••• Athletics •• Add dots in Fleet of Foot to your Speed, and penalize pursuit rolls in a foot chase by your Fleet of Foot dots. CofD 47
Giant ••• +1 Size. Character creation only. CofD 47
Advanced Giant •• Giant Your effective size is 8. This doesn't mean is larger. But their metaphysical foot print is bigger. They may even grow in size when they enter one of the supernatural realms or get bulkier.
Hardy • to ••• Stamina ••• Add Hardy dots as a bonus to rolls against disease, poison, deprivation, suffocation and unconsciousness. CofD 47
Greyhound • Athletics •••, Wits •••, Stamina ••• Succeed exceptionally on three successes in a chase action. CofD 48
Iron Skin • to •• Stamina ••• Add general Armor equal to your dots in this Merit to your character. This doesn't mean that you wont take damage as easily but your character does not get impaired by it as much as others.
Advanced Iron Skin • to •• Iron Skin, Stamina •••• The Scion may downgrade the Damage of one attack in a fight (lethal becomes bashing, aggravated becomes lethal, bashing stays). They have to spend one willpower for this to work.
Epic Iron Skin •• Advanced Iron Skin, Stamina ••••• The Scion may ignore the Damage of one attack completly. They have to spend all their remaining willpower for this to work(minimum 2).
Iron Stamina • to ••• Stamina or Resolve ••• Ignore penalties from fatigue or wounds up to your rating in Iron Stamina. CofD 48
Quick Draw • Wits ••• Whenever your Defense is available, you can draw a weapon that falls under a chosen Weaponry or Firearms Specialty as a reflexive action. CofD 49
Punch Drunk •• Willpower •••••• Spend Willpower to preserve your last Health point, upgrading preexisting damage instead. HL 43
Relentless • Athletics ••, Stamina ••• Add 2 to the successes needed against you in a chase. CofD 49
Roadkill ••• Aggressive Driving •• When you try to run someone over, Knock Down even if you miss, and double your velocity bonus. HL 55
Seizing the Edge •• Wits •••, Composure ••• You get the Edge in the first turn of a chase, and if your opponent fails a roll as if being ambushed, you can calculate your target successes without their Speed or Initiative. CofD 49
Sleight of Hand •• Larceny ••• You can take a Larceny instant action reflexively once per turn, and victims of your Larceny can't notice your attempts if they aren't specifically looking for them. CofD 49
Small-Framed •• -1 Size. Take a +2 bonus to hide, go unnoticed, or otherwise benefit from your size. Character creation only. CofD 49
Survivalist • Survival •••, Iron Stamina ••• You can resist Extreme Cold and Extreme Heat for hours equal to your Stamina. HL 43

Styles

Style Prerequisites Rating Maneuver Description Book
Aggressive Driving Resolve •••, Drive •••, Fast Reflexes ••• • Powerslide Take a hard turn for bonus successes in a contested pursuit by rolling Dexterity + Drive + Handling and taking a point of Structure damage. HL 55
•• Bump and Run Roll Dexterity + Drive + Handling - Defense to brush a car's bumper and cause a loss of traction.
••• J-turn Once a scene, when caught up to in a car chase, spend Willpower and roll Dexterity + Drive + Handling - 2 to swerve and restart the chase in the opposite direction.
•••• Swoop and Squat When you accumulate a lead greater than your pursuer's Wits in successes, you may brake and force the pursuer to roll Resolve + Composure + Handling to brake in time to avoid a crash.
Drone Control Intelligence •••, Computer •••, Drive •• • Remote Immersion Take 9-Again to perception actions using your remote device. HL 56
•• Interface Spend a point of Willpower to perform an additional non-combat action through your device this turn.
••• Overclock Inflict a point of Structure damage for a +2 bonus to your device's physical actions this turn.
Falconry Wits •••, Animal Ken •••, Bonded Condition These maneuvers reflexively issue commands for a trained raptor to carry out. You may spend Willpower to enhance the raptor's rolls. HL 48
• Predator's Vigil Your raptor's presence inflicts Shaken on animals its Size or smaller, and lesser predators flee.
•• Flyby Your bird contests Presence + Intimidation vs Resolve + Composure to inflict a -3 action penalty.
••• Retrieve Item Command your bird to bring you an object. Your bird can make the equivalent of an all-out attack to exceptionally Disarm an opponent.
•••• Rake the Eyes Your bird attacks at -1 to blind a target.
K-9 Wits •••, Animal Ken •••, Bonded Condition These maneuvers issue commands to a trained dog Size 3 or larger. HL 49
• Detection Under direction, your dog takes the rote quality to track a chosen type of scent with Wits + Survival.
•• Targeted Bite Command your dog to make called shots in combat, reducing the shot penalty by -2.
••• Tactical Positioning When you fight one opponent in tandem, choose roles each turn for you and your dog. One takes +1 Defense, the other +2 to attack. Ignore penalties for firing into melee around your dog.
•••• Takedown Bite Command your dog to initiate a biting grapple, immediately Holding or Dropping Prone.
Parkour Dexterity •••, Athletics •• • Flow Subtract Parkour dots from target successes to pursue or evade in a foot chase. Reduce environmental Athletics penalties by Parkour rating. CofD 48
•• Cat Leap Add one automatic success when rolling Dexterity + Athletics to land from a fall uninjured, and add Parkour to the maximum damage that can be mitigated.
••• Wall Run Your initial climb height, with a running start, increases by five times your Athletics in feet.
•••• Expert Traceur Spend one Willpower and sacrifice Defense to make an Athletics roll to run, jump or climb with the rote quality.
••••• Freeflow After meditating, you can take an Athletics action reflexively once per turn, and Willpower spent on a foot chase confers successes rather than dice.
Stunt Driver Dexterity •••, Drive •••, Wits ••• • Defensive Driving Penalize attempts to hit your vehicle in motion by your Drive dots. CofD 49
•• Speed Demon When you roll to accelerate, each success accelerates by 10 instead of 5.
••• Drift You can turn at high speeds safely without a roll.
•••• Clipping Reduce damage to your vehicle when ramming by your Wits.

Social Merits

Merit Rating Prerequisites Description Book
Air of Menace •• Intimidation •• You wear a history of violence on your sleeve. +2 to menace others, and less rough characters must spend Willpower to pick a fight, but social maneuvering is harder. HL 41
Allies • to ••••• You have influence and goodwill with a chosen group proportional to your dots in this Merit. Each session, you can call on your Allies for favors of a value rated 1 to 5 by the Storyteller, up to your rating in the Merit. Favors in excess require a roll of Manipulation + Persuasion + Allies. CofD 49
Alternate Identity • to ••• You've laid groundwork establishing a false identity: an informal history with one dot, a veneer of documentation with two, or an airtight paper trail with three. +1 to Subterfuge rolls to maintain the false identity, or +2 with three dots. CofD 50
Anonymity • to ••••• No Fame Penalize attempts to find you by paper trail or living evidence by a die per Anonymity dot. CofD 50
Barfly •• Socialize •• You can get in anywhere socially. Penalize attempts to recognize you as out of place by your Socialize dots. CofD 50
Cohesive Unit • to ••• Presence ••• Confer +2 to teamwork. With two dots, confer bonus dice each scene. With three dots, confer rerolls. HL 42
Contacts • to ••••• Choose a group or field for each dot of Contacts. You can roll Manipulation + (relevant Social Skill) to gather information or dirt from acquaintances in any of these groups or fields. CofD 50
Defender • to ••• Gain bonus Willpower to spend on protecting loved ones, but losing them causes a crisis of grief or retribution. HL 42
Empath •• Empathy •• Contest Wits + Empathy against Manipulation + Subterfuge for insight into a character's mental state. HL 42
Fame • to ••• No Anonymity You're known for something, locally or selectively with one dot, broadly in an area with two dots, or universally with three. Add Fame dots as a die bonus to Social rolls targeting those impressed by your reputation, and to rolls by other characters to find or identify you. CofD 50
Advanced Fame • to ••• Fame The Scion is either the image of their godly parent or resonates their ideals so strongly that anyone that comes in contact with them, instantly recognizes them as someone special or outright divine. If the person in question is a follower of the scions pantheon they will recognize the Scion instantly.
Fixer •• Contacts ••, Wits ••• Obtain services as if they were one Availability dot lower. CofD 51
Hobbyist Clique •• Any Skill •• So long as you keep up with your fellow hobbyists, their support provides 9-Again to roll your hobby Skill, and a +2 die bonus to extended actions using that Skill. CofD 51
Inspiring ••• Presence ••• Roll Presence + Expression to confer the Inspired Condition. CofD 51
Iron Will •• Resolve •••• When you spend Willpower to contest or resist Social influence, substitute your Resolve rating for the usual Willpower bonus. If the roll is contested, take 8-Again. CofD 51
Mentor • to ••••• You have a guide who expects something from you proportional to his or her influence, as measured by your dots in Mentor. Choose three traits out of the list of Skills plus the Resources Merit. Once per session, your Mentor can provide aid that falls within one of these traits, achieving automatic success. CofD 51
Peacemaker •• to ••• Wits •••, Empathy ••• You can spend Willpower to attempt to negotiate a nonviolent end to hostilities through Social Maneuvering. With three dots, you can attempt to talk down even supernatural rages. HL 42
Pusher • Persuasion •• When you use soft leverage, improve your impression as if you'd also satisfied the mark's Vice. CofD 53
Resources • to ••••• You have disposable income proportional to your dots in this Merit. Once per session, you can securely procure an item or service with an Availability that doesn't exceed your Resources rating, including any reasonable number of items or services whose Availability is exceeded by your Resources by two dots. You can acquire an item or service with an Availability one point above your Resources rating at the cost of reducing your effective Resources by a dot for a month. CofD 53
Retainer • to ••••• You have a mook. Your underling's dice pool is twice their Retainer rating for actions within their purview, or equal to their Retainer rating for actions outside it. CofD 53
Safe Place • to ••••• You've secured a place from intrusion. While there, add the Safe Place rating to your Initiative. Penalize rolls to break in by Safe Place. If you have Crafts dots, you can trap it, forcing intruders to roll Dexterity + Larceny - Safe Place to avoid lethal damage up to the Safe Place's rating. Multiple characters can contribute dots to a Safe Place and share the full resulting rating. CofD 54
Small Unit Tactics •• Presence ••• Once per scene when you coordinate allies, you can spend Willpower as an instant action to confer the die bonus to a number of allies up to your Presence rating. CofD 54
Spin Doctor • Manipulation •••, Subterfuge •• Using Tainted Clues inflicts an additional -1 penalty instead of consuming any successes. CofD 54
Staff • to ••••• You have employees corresponding to one Skill per dot of Staff. They can achieve a single automatic success at relevant actions using one of those Skills. CofD 54
Status • to ••••• You have influence as part of a chosen group. You can draw on their facilities and resources, block the use of a relevant Social Merit lower than your Status rating once per session, and apply Status as a die bonus to Social rolls drawing on your influence. CofD 54
Striking Looks • to •• Your appearance is noteworthy and memorable. Add Striking Looks as a die bonus to Social rolls that benefit from your appearance, and to rolls by other characters to notice or remember you. CofD 54
Advanced Striking Looks •• Striking Looks •• Add the rote quality whenever you benefit from Striking Looks.
Cult •• Epic •• You have gathered followers into a cult.
Support Network • to ••••• Appropriate Social Merit Choose a Social Merit to represent supportive ties. You can spend Willpower to turn to those ties to weather a breaking point, using this Merit as bonus dice. HL 43
Table Turner • Composure •••, Manipulation •••, Wits ••• When targeted by Social Maneuvering, you can spend Willpower to preemptively respond with a Social action of your own. CofD 55
Takes One to Know One • Vice When you investigate an incident that resonates with your Vice, instead of suffering the normal -2 penalty, your roll gains +2 dice and 9-Again. Succeeding on the roll satisfies your Vice. CofD 55
Taste • Crafts •• Choose a Specialty in Crafts or Expression. You can roll Wits + (Skill in question) to draw information about the nature of a work that falls within the chosen Specialty. CofD 55
True Friend ••• You have an unbreakable bond of friendship with a chosen character. Rolls to influence your friend to your detriment suffer a -5 penalty. Once per story, you can recover one Willpower through a meaningful interaction with your friend. CofD 56
Untouchable • Manipulation •••, Subterfuge •• You're a smooth criminal. Rolls to investigate your deeds must achieve an exceptional success or else turn up Incomplete Clues. CofD 56

Styles

Style Prerequisites Rating Maneuver Description Book
Etiquette Composure •••, Socialize •• • Bless His Heart You can use Socialize to calculate Doors. VTR 2e 120
•• Losing Your Religion You can take +2 dice and 8-Again to lash out socially, in exchange for worsening your social impression.
••• In High Cotton Add one relevant Fame or Status Merit to your pool to contest a social interaction.
•••• Half-Cocked When your impression in Social Maneuvering is good or better, ignore Resolve and Composure on your first roll against the subject.
••••• Grace Under Fire When you offer an alternative after your Doors have been opened, the opposing player suggests three Conditions, of which you choose one.
Fast-Talking Manipulation •••, Subterfuge •• • Always Be Closing Ignore one dot of a mark's Resolve or Composure when contested or resisted. CofD 50
•• Jargon Cross-apply one Specialty from another Skill to a given Social roll.
••• Devil's Advocacy Once per scene, reroll a Subterfuge failure.
•••• Salting When you open a Door through conversation, you can spend Willpower to open another.
••••• The Nigerian Scam Roll Manipulation + Subterfuge to capitalize on a present mark satisfying their Vice by opening a Door.
Mystery Cult Initiation You joined a cult. Decide your cult's guiding purpose, source of power, and cultic doctrine. Example cults are listed here. Also mirrored as Mystery Cult Influence (••• to •••••), with the same benefits but without the responsibilities of an ordinary cult member. CofD 51
• Recruit A Specialty or one-dot Merit.
•• Devotee A one-dot Merit.
••• Organizer A Skill dot or two-dot Merit, often supernatural.
•••• Leader A three-dot Merit, often supernatural.
••••• Mastermind A three-dot Merit, or a major advantage beyond game mechanics.

Fighting Merits

Merit Rating Prerequisites Description Book
Armed Restraint •• Staff Fighting ••• Use a hooking pole when grappling to instantly Hold and penalize your opponent by its weapon rating. HL 53
Body as Weapon •• Stamina •••, Brawl •• Unarmed strikes add one point of bashing damage on a successful hit. HL 41
Boot Party •• Brawl •• Attack a prone target at -3 to deal lethal damage unarmed. HL 53
Cheap Shot •• Street Fighting •••, Subterfuge •• During a fight, you can reflexively contest Dexterity + Subterfuge against Wits + Composure to deny an opponent Defense next turn through dirty tricks and distractions. CofD 61
Choke Hold •• Brawl •• After a successful Hold, add the Choke grapple maneuver: accumulates successes across multiple turns to knock unconscious for a few minutes. CofD 61
Clinch Strike • Brawl •• Use the Damage maneuver instantly in a grapple. HL 53
Defensive Combat • Brawl • or Weaponry • You can substitute the chosen Skill for Athletics when calculating your Defense, as long as you're currently equipped to make attacks with that Skill. CofD 61
Fighting Finesse •• Dexterity ••• You can substitute Dexterity for Strength when making rolls with a chosen Brawl or Weaponry Specialty. CofD 61
Ground and Pound ••• Brawl •• Take the rote quality to strike a prone target with Brawl, falling prone yourself. HL 54
Ground Fighter ••• Wits •••, Dexterity •••, Brawl •• Deny close combat bonuses from being prone, and gain the Stand Up grapple maneuver. HL 54
Gunslinger •, •••, or ••••• Wits •••, Firearms •••, Firearms(Revolvers) specialty At one dot, can perform short bursts with revolvers. At three dots, can make a medium burst with revolvers, but doesn't gain an attack bonus. At five dots, with offhand revolver, medium burst can hit targets not close together, for an additional -2 penalty. DE2 377
Headbutt • Brawl •• Gain the Headbutt grapple maneuver: inflict Stunned. HL 54
Iron Chin •• or •••• Resolve •••, Stamina ••• Don't suffer Beaten Down from bashing damage. With four dots, never suffer Beaten Down. HL 54
Iron Skin •• or •••• Martial Arts or Street Fighting ••, Stamina ••• Confers half your Iron Skin dots in points of general Armor against bashing attacks. When hurt, you can spend Willpower to reduce half your Iron Skin dots in lethal damage to bashing. CofD 63
Killer Instinct • to ••• Composure •••, Wits •••, Medicine • You can take an instant action to size up a target's most vulnerable parts, which also counts as an aiming action. When attacking the target afterward, each dot of this Merit can ignore 1/1 Armor, ignore a point of Defense, or convert a point of bashing to lethal damage. BTP 117
Advanced Killer Instinct • to ••• Killer Instinct ••• You can apply your basic Killer Instinct against any target with no preparation. If you do prepare your Killer Instinct normally, when you attack the target, you may spend each dot in this Merit to either convert a point of lethal damage to aggravated, temporarily ruin 1/1 non-magical Armor, or ignore two points of Defense and one die of called shot penalties.
Loaded for Bear • to •• Athletics •, Survival • Gain extra reloads on weapons, including single shot weapons. HL 143
Phalanx Fighter •• Weapon and Shield ••, Spear and Bayonet • Wield a spear with a shield, substituting it in Weapon and Shield maneuvers. HL 54
Retain Weapon •• Wits ••, Brawl •• Reduce successes on a Control Weapon or Disarm maneuver against you by your Brawl. HL 54
Shiv • or •• Street Fighting ••, Weaponry • You can conceal a 0L brawling weapon with one dot, or 1L with two, on your person. Penalize rolls to detect it by your Weaponry. CofD 64
Subduing Strikes • Weaponry •• You can pull blows with a weapon to deal bashing damage without spending Willpower. DE 247
Transfer Maneuver • to ••• Intelligence ••, Wits •••, Brawl ••, Weaponry •• Cross-apply a Brawling maneuver to a Weaponry Style, or vice-versa. HL 54
Trigger Discipline • Wits ••, Firearms •• Increase a firearm's effective capacity, or allow an additional long burst at high capacity. HL 143
Trunk Squeeze •• Brawl •• Gain the Trunk Squeeze grapple maneuver: deal bashing damage and cumulatively penalize the opponent's contesting rolls. HL 54

Styles

Style Prerequisites Rating Maneuver Description Book
Armed Defense Dexterity •••, Weaponry ••, Defensive Combat (Weaponry) • Cover the Angles When Dodging, reduce the Defense penalty from multiple attackers by 1. CofD 60
•• Weak Spot Disarm your opponent when you beat their attack by your Defense.
••• Aggressive Defense Spend a point of Willpower to inflict lethal damage when you beat an attack by Dodging. Incompatible with Weak Spot and Press the Advantage.
•••• Iron Guard Exchange points from your weapon rating for bonus Defense.
••••• Press the Advantage Once per turn, when you beat an attack by Dodging, spend Willpower to retaliate with an unarmed attack at -2.
Avoidance Manipulation •••, Athletics ••, Stealth •• • Insignificance Roll Manipulation + Stealth - Composure to seem too helpless to bother attacking. HL 46
•• Coattails When you Dodge and go prone behind an ally, they may intercept attacks against you.
••• Whack-a-Mole Contest one attack each turn with Manipulation + Persuasion + Avoidance to confound the attack and inflict Arm Wrack.
•••• Play Dead When you suffer lethal damage, contest Manipulation + Subterfuge vs Wits + Composure to seem dead.
Berserker Strength •••, Iron Stamina ••• • The Red Mist Spend Willpower to rouse the Insane Tilt. HL 46
•• War Cry Contest Strength + Intimidation vs Resolve + Composure as an instant action to penalize non-Dodge actions.
••• Manic Brutality Unarmed all-out attacks take +1 to call shots. Armed all-out attacks can substitute Durability as a weapon rating at the cost of damaging the weapon.
Bowmanship Dexterity •••, Firearms ••, Trained Observer • Bowmanship attacks use bows and roll Dexterity + Firearms. HL 47
• Arcing Fire Double range.
•• Bullseye You may reduce your weapon rating for +1 and 8-Again on a called shot.
••• Out of Nowhere When you make an unnoticed ambush shot, roll Dexterity + Stealth to force a Wits + Composure roll, penalized by successes, to avoid being Shaken.
•••• Death from Above Fire over unroofed cover to ignore a point of concealment for every 10 yards of added arc distance.
Boxing Strength ••, Dexterity ••, Stamina ••, Brawl ••, Athletics •• These maneuvers must be made with brawling attacks. HL 47
• Head Protection +1 Defense against brawling, and -1 to strike your head.
•• Defensive Jab Deal piercing bashing damage when your Defense or Dodging beats a close-combat attack.
••• Knockout Artist Stun an opponent as if they had -1 Size, or with a called head shot, -2 Size.
•••• Combination Successful strikes add Dexterity as bonus dice.
••••• Out for the Count Stunning attacks stun for their damage in turns, and the opponent must spend Willpower to stay conscious.
Brute Force Strength •••, Brawl ••, Size 5+ These maneuvers must be made with bare hands or fist weapons. PTC 2e 112
• Falling Pillar Take 8-Again to an all-out attack. If it causes the target's Stamina in damage, inflict Knocked Down.
•• Crush and Bite Add the Crush and Bite grapple maneuver: inflict lethal damage equal to successes, and if the target can bleed, an additional point the next turn.
••• Juggernaut A ten-feet running start allows unarmed attacks to Knock Down.
•••• Bone Cracker Make a called shot with an all-out attack. If it causes the target's Stamina in damage, add a point of lethal damage and Arm or Leg Wrack. Incompatible with Falling Pillar.
••••• Colossus When you make an all-out attack, take 1/2 Armor and immunity to Knocked Down, and penalize attempts to grapple or move you by your Strength.
Chain Weapons Strength •••, Dexterity •••, Athletics ••, Weaponry •• These maneuvers use chains at least a yard long. HL 48
• Imposing Defense Sacrifice Defense to inflict weapon rating +1 in bashing damage when struck in close combat.
•• Bring Down the House Attack an overhanging object, penalized by its Size, to deal its Structure in bashing damage to targets below.
Close Quarters Combat Wits •••, Athletics ••, Brawl ••• • Firing Lines You can respond to a ranged attack by seeking cover up to twice your Speed away. CofD 61
•• Hard Surfaces You can smash a Damage grappling maneuver into a hard surface, dealing lethal damage and ending the grapple.
••• Armored Coffin When you grapple an opponent wearing armor, add their general armor as bonus dice to your roll, and ignore armor when you use the grapple to Damage. Incompatible with Hard Surfaces.
•••• Prep Work Take the rote quality to Stealth rolls to launch close combat ambushes.
••••• Turnabout When you roll to disarm, treat a failure as a success, a success as an exceptional success, and an exceptional success as is plus your opponent takes two bashing damage.
Combat Archery Strength •••, Athletics ••, Quick Draw (Bow) Combat Archery attacks use bows and roll Dexterity + Athletics. HL 48
• Rapid Nock Ignore bow Initiative penalties. String arrows reflexively.
•• Reflex Aiming Ignore penalties for firing into close combat.
••• Parthian Shot When you Dodge, inflict threshold successes as attack damage against the first close attack you beat each turn.
•••• Rain of Arrows Make medium autofire attacks at triple range penalties.
••••• Trick Shot Simultaneously perform a Combat Archery attack and an Athletics action, both at -2.
Disabling Tactics Strength •••, Weaponry •• • Breaking the Breach -2 to penalties to target arms, hands or legs. DE 247
•• Cast Like Sand When you deal damage with your weapon, spend Willpower to inflict Knocked Down.
••• Strike the Rising Dog When an opponent tries to rise from prone, spend Willpower to make a reflexive Weaponry attack on them. A successful strike prevents rising.
Firefight Composure •••, Dexterity •••, Athletics ••, Firearms •• • Shoot First Drawing a gun adds Firearms as an Initiative bonus. CofD 61
•• Suppressive Fire You can lay Covering Fire with a semi-automatic weapon. When you lay Covering Fire, apply your Defense against Firearms attacks, and deny Aim bonuses.
••• Secondary Target You can attack a target with objects bounced by a shot, dealing bashing damage with no weapon rating applied, but ignoring cover.
Grappling Stamina •••, Strength ••, Athletics ••, Brawl •• • Sprawl Deny a grappling opponent the ability to Drop Prone or Take Cover. CofD 62, HL 49
• Standing Throw Gain the Knock Down grapple maneuver.
•• Small Joint Manipulation Take -2 to dislocate fingers as a maneuver, inflicting half bashing damage and debilitating pain.
•• Takedown Instead of starting a grapple, you can roll to knock an opponent prone, optionally dealing bashing damage with successes.
••• Ippon When you Takedown and follow the opponent prone, stun as if your damage were doubled.
••• Joint Lock Add the Joint Lock maneuver to grappling options: adds 1L to overpowering maneuver effects, does bashing damage next turn, and can set up Restrain.
•••• Dynamic Guard When you grapple while prone, penalize your grappling opponent by your Dexterity.
•••• Lock Flow Take +2 to grappling rolls to set up a Joint Lock.
••••• Tap or Snap The turn after a Joint Lock, you may, as a grapple maneuver, force your opponent to choose either surrender or a broken limb and lethal damage.
••••• Positional Dominance Grappling maneuvers deal half their successes in bonus bashing damage.
Heavy Weapons Stamina •••, Strength •••, Athletics ••, Weaponry •• These maneuvers require a two-handed weapon. CofD 62
• Sure Strike Sacrifice three dice to add a point to weapon rating.
•• Threat Range Deal a point of lethal damage and a temporary Defense penalty to opponents who enter range when you aren't moving or Dodging.
••• Bring the Pain Sacrifice Defense to make an attack that also inflicts a temporary dice penalty equal to its damage.
•••• Warding Stance Spend Willpower reflexively to apply your weapon rating as close combat Armor.
••••• Rending Spend Willpower to make an attack that deals an additional point of aggravated damage.
Improvised Weaponry Wits •••, Weaponry • • Always Armed Reflexively roll Wits + Weaponry to draw a simple improvised weapon that doesn't suffer the improvisational penalty. CofD 62
•• In Harm's Way Once per turn, apply an Always Armed weapon's Structure as close combat Armor, potentially damaging the weapon.
••• Breaking Point When you make an all-out attack with an Always Armed weapon, sacrifice its Structure to temporarily increase its weapon rating.
Kino Mutai Dexterity ••, Resolve •••, Brawl •• • Trained Bite Inflict +2 damage with the Damage grapple maneuver when biting, or +1 with inhuman bites. HL 50
•• Ripping Gain the Ripping grapple maneuver: inflict a point of bashing damage and incapacitating pain.
••• Trained Gouge Gain the Gouge grapple maneuver: blind the opponent while held.
•••• Continuous Bite Inflict lethal damage with the Damage grapple maneuver when biting.
Light Weapons Wits ••• or Fighting Finesse, Dexterity •••, Athletics ••, Weaponry •• These maneuvers require a one-handed weapon with a damage rating less than 3. CofD 63
• Rapidity Sacrifice your weapon rating to add Weaponry as an Initiative bonus.
•• Thrust Sacrifice points of Defense for bonus attack dice.
••• Feint Make a feinting attack. Instead of dealing damage, its successes apply to an attack next turn as a damage bonus, and successes plus weapon rating apply as a Defense reduction.
•••• Flurry Inflict a point of lethal damage per turn to opponents in range when your Defense is available.
••••• Vital Shot Sacrifice your Defense to make an attack that deals an additional point of aggravated damage.
Marksmanship Composure •••, Resolve •••, Firearms •• These maneuvers require an Aim action and sacrifice your Defense. CofD 63
• Through the Crosshairs Raise your maximum Aim bonus to Composure + Firearms.
•• Precision Shot Exchange points of weapon rating for points of penalty reduction for a called shot.
••• A Shot Rings Out Ignore penalties to strike a surrounded target. Missed shots never hit unintended targets.
•••• Ghost Penalize rolls to notice your vantage point or investigate for evidence of it by your Firearms.
Martial Arts Resolve •••, Dexterity •••, Athletics ••, Brawl •• These maneuvers must be made with Brawl attacks. CofD 63, HL 50
• Focused Attack Reduce called shot penalties by one die, and ignore one point of Armor.
• Leg Kick Sacrifice a point of Defense to inflict Leg Wrack with a brawling attack.
•• Cutting Elbow Make a called shot at -2 to blind an opponent by drawing blood.
•• Defensive Strike Exchange up to two attack pool dice for points of Defense.
••• Trapping You may withdraw successes from a successful attack to hold them in reserve for next turn's attack.
••• Whirlwind Strike Inflict one point of bashing damage per turn, or two by spending Willpower, to opponents in range when your Defense is available.
•••• The Hand As Weapon Inflict lethal damage unarmed.
•••• Inch Force Reflexively respond to one grapple attempt each turn with a Brawl attack contesting the opponent's Strength. Success breaks free and damages normally.
••••• High Momentum Strike Prepare a counter stance as an instant action. When an opponent first fails to strike you in close combat within the stance, roll a counterattack. Success Knocks Down and deals normal damage plus Brawl damage dice.
••••• The Touch of Death Unarmed strikes gain a 2L weapon rating.
Mounted Combat Dexterity •••, Athletics ••, Animal Ken ••• • Steady Saddle +3 to stay mounted during combat. HL 51
•• Fixed Charge Sacrifice Defense to combine a charge with an all-out attack.
••• Skirmishing Take a -2 attack penalty for +2 Defense and to attack halfway through your mount's movement.
•••• Rearing Beast Roll Wits + Animal Ken as teamwork to enhance your mount's attack.
Police Tactics Brawl ••, Weaponry • • Compliance Hold +2 to Disarm or Immobilize in a grapple. CofD 64
•• Weapon Retention Attempts to disarm you or turn your weapon against you must beat your Weaponry rating in successes.
••• Speed Cuff You can Restrain an immobilized opponent reflexively.
Powered Projectile Dexterity •••, Athletics ••, Firearms •• These maneuvers are made with premodern projectile launchers, such as crossbows and slings. HL 51
• Quick Reload Reload your weapon one turn quicker, down to a reflexive action.
•• Intercept Shot When you Aim, you may make called shots against sailing projectiles to deflect their course.
••• Penetration Sacrifice Defense to make an attack with +2 armor piercing.
•••• Skewer Reduce called shot penalties by two dice, and resulting Tilts persist while the projectile is enlodged.
Relentless Assault Strength •••, Stamina •••, Brawl •• • Drop of a Hat On the first turn only, if you make an all-out attack, add +3 to Initiative. BTP 118, WTF 2e 109
•• Eye of the Tiger Focus on one opponent. You can apply your Defense against that opponent's attacks when you all-out attack.
••• Dig Deep You can exchange one attack pool die for a point of weapon damage.
•••• Grin and Bear It Add 1/1 Armor when you make an all-out attack.
••••• The Warpath When you fill someone's last health box with lethal or aggravated damage, you can spend Willpower to make another close combat attack. Werewolves with this Merit replace the Willpower cost with Hard Rage.
Spear and Bayonet Strength •••, Dexterity ••, Weaponry •• • Firm Footing All-out attacks and charges into your braced weapon inflict your weapon damage, which can exhaust Armor against a subsequent attack. HL 51
•• Keep at Bay Spend Willpower to threaten an opponent with a shorter weapon. They must retreat or dodge, or else lose Defense for a turn.
••• Strike and Develop Sacrifice Defense to twist an inflicted wound, causing a turn of lethal damage from bleeding for each attack success.
Staff Fighting Strength ••, Dexterity •••, Weaponry •• • Short Grip You may exchange your staff's Defense bonus for a bonus attack die. HL 51
•• Thwack Weapon Contest Strength + Weaponry vs Strength + Athletics to disarm an opponent.
••• Vaulting Defense Spend Willpower to add your Melee dots as a Defense bonus against a single attack in a turn.
•••• Tornado Strike Spin your weapon as an effective medium autofire burst against three targets in range.
Street Fighting Stamina •••, Composure •••, Brawl ••, Streetwise •• These maneuvers must be made with Brawl attacks. CofD 65
• Duck and Weave Take a one die penalty this turn to calculate Defense with the higher, not lower, of Dexterity and Wits.
•• Knocking the Wind Out Unarmed attacks inflict a temporary -1 penalty.
••• Kick 'Em While They're Down Inflict two bashing damage to opponents within range who attempt to rise from prone. Inflict Knocked Down when your attack successes exceed the target's Stamina.
•••• One-Two Punch Spend Willpower to inflict two extra bashing damage when you hit.
••••• Last-Ditch Effort When you're suffering wound penalties and about to be attacked or overpowered, spend Willpower and sacrifice Defense to interrupt with a preemptive attack.
Strength Performance Strength •••, Stamina ••, Athletics •• Strength Performance ••• may justify shedding Small-Framed or gaining Giant mid-play. HL 52
• Strength Tricks Take +1 to nonviolent feats of strength, +2 when using Expression or Intimidation.
•• Lifting Receive the rote quality on Strength + Stamina feats and combat actions to demolish structures.
••• Push/Pull Double your effective Strength to shift objects across a plane, or quintuple it with wheels or other friction reductions.
•••• Stronger Than You Successful Strength rolls add an additional free success.
Systema Dexterity •••, Wits ••, Athletics ••• • Rolling Ignore penalties to attack from prone, and roll Dexterity to mitigate bashing damage from impacts. HL 52
•• Balance Contest attempts to bring you prone with two free successes.
••• Combat Posture Knock Down when you roll a victim's Strength in successes to strike them in melee, or add a point of damage if already Knocking Down.
Thrown Weapons Dexterity •••, Athletics ••, Quick Draw (Thrown) These maneuvers throw Size 0-1 edged weapons. HL 52
• Practiced Toss Add Athletics as an Initiative bonus while wielding these thrown weapons.
•• Impalement Arts Sacrifice Defense to inflict the Impaled Tilt on a called shot.
Two Weapon Fighting Wits •••, Weaponry •••, Fighting Finesse These maneuvers use complementary weapons up to Size 2, and do not compensate for offhand penalties. HL 53
• Balanced Grip Don't sum Initiative penalties so long as the off-hand weapon's penalty isn't greater than the main hand weapon's.
•• Protective Striking Add your off-hand weapon rating, minimum +1, to your Defense against the first attack in a turn.
••• Dual Swipe All-out attacks with both weapons ignore a point of Defense and add the off-hand weapon rating, minimum +1. Incompatible with Double Strike.
•••• Double Strike Spend Willpower to strike two targets simultaneously, one with each weapon. Apply the higher Defense, plus one, to both attacks.
Unarmed Defense Dexterity •••, Brawl ••, Defensive Combat (Brawl) • Like a Book Add half your Brawl as a Defense bonus when not Dodging. CofD 65
•• Studied Style Focus on one opponent. Their attacks don't reduce your Defense. Once you've beaten one of their attacks with your Defense, they no longer reroll tens against you.
••• Redirect Once per turn, when you beat an attack by Dodging, you can force the attacker to reroll the attack against another opponent in range.
•••• Joint Strike Spend Willpower and roll Strength + Brawl instead of Defense against an attack. If you win the contest, inflict bashing damage and Arm or Leg Wrack.
••••• Like the Breeze Declare this maneuver at the beginning of a turn when you Dodge. You can Knock Down assailants when you beat their attack.
Weapon and Shield Strength •••, Stamina •••, Weaponry •• These maneuvers use a one-handed weapon from behind a carried shield. HL 53
• Shield Bash Add your shield's Size as bonus dice when dodging. Dodge successes in excess of your opponent's inflict bashing damage.
•• Boar's Snout You can make all-out attacks without sacrificing the bonus Defense from your shield, adding +1 Defense to any allies also using this maneuver.
••• Pin Weapon Disarm assailants on missed melee attacks.
•••• Tortoise Shell Treat your shield as protective cover with Durability equal to its Size, +1 for each adjacent shielded ally.

Supernatural Merits

Merit Rating Prerequisites Description Book
Esoteric Armory • to ••••• You've collected enough esoterica to supply the banes of ephemeral entities with a Rank up to your rating in this Merit. CofD 139

Godly Merits

Merit Rating Prerequisites Description
Relic x - Gain a Relic as Birthright of Value x
Beast x - Gain a Beast as Birthright of Value x
Mentor x - Gain a Mentor as Birthright of Value x
Advanced Danger Sense •• Danger Sense In the first turn of combat, Defense gains +2 and can be applied against Firearms. If someone attempts and fails to ambush you, set your initiative to one higher than the fastest ambusher.
Advanced Direction Sense •• Direction Sense You can intuit the direction to anything you've directly sensed.
Epic Direction Sense •• Advanced Direction Sense You can sense backwards across time, locating since-destroyed objects or spending Willpower to glimpse the past.
Direct Dial • Advanced Direction Sense, Occult •• Spend 1 Willpower to begin a phone call with a target you could have tracked with Advanced Direction Sense, through the nearest phone or computer.
Advanced Double Jointed • Double Jointed You can fit your entire body through anything that can accommodate your head. Apply Double Jointed's grappling penalty even when you act aggressively.
Advanced Eidetic Memory • Eidetic Memory After listening to someone or reading a story, the Scion is able to remember what actually happened, as long as no-one tries to actively lie or conceal something.
Cult •• Epic •• You have gathered followers into a cult.