Page 278 - Chronicles of Darkness

effective Strength) equal to its user’s Crafts score, due to the equal Availability. For more complex uses, consider it a single
multiplicative effect of solid knots. An applicable Specialty month’s allotment of the same Resources.
adds one to the user’s Crafts score for this purpose. Some
interrogators, shibari fetishists, and boy scouts alike special- Disguise
ize in remarkable knot tying, potentially rendering subjects Dice Bonus +1 to +3, Durability 1, Size 3, Structure 2,
completely and hopelessly immobile.
Availability • to •••
Stun Gun Effect: A good disguise goes a long way to help fit in with
a strange group, or to go unnoticed in a crowd where one
No Die Bonus, Durability 2, Size 1, Structure 2, doesn’t belong. Properly costumed for a situation, no rolls
Availability •, ••, or ••• are required to blend into the crowd. Any rolls to actively
Effect: A stun gun is designed to deliver an overwhelming detect the outsider suffer a penalty equal to the dice bonus
amount of electricity to an assailant in order to shut down of the disguise; the disguised character also gains the bonus
her muscles and send her to the ground. As a defensive item, to remain hidden.
this gives the would-be victim time to run or get help. As an With a disguise, a character can emulate the first dot of a
offensive item, it leaves the victim ready for restraint or worse. single Social Merit that would make sense within the scope
These devices come in two varieties (handheld and of the scene. For example, it doesn’t make money appear
ranged). The handheld model has live leads on the edge of from thin air, but it would allow a character to get their
a handle and can be used as many as 50 times on one bat- drinks on a nonexistent tab, reflecting Resources •. This
tery charge. The ranged model fires small, wired darts up to requires a Composure + Subterfuge roll to maintain in the
15 feet away. While the ranged model has a similar battery face of anyone in the know, contested by the witness’s Wits
life, it uses a compressed air cartridge that must be replaced + Subterfuge. The dice bonus of the disguise applies to the
after each shot. liar, but does not affect the witness.
Use of a handheld stun gun requires a Dexterity +
Weaponry roll, penalized by the victim’s Defense. The Fashion

ranged model uses Dexterity + Firearms, also penalized by the Dice Bonus +1 to +3, Durability 1, Size 2, Structure 1,
victim’s Defense. On a successful hit with either, the victim Availability • to •••••
takes one point of lethal damage. The successes subtract Effect: Never underestimate the value of high fashion.
from the victim’s next dice pool. With the ranged version, Like a disguise, fashionable clothing allows a character to fit
the darts remain in the victim’s body, adding three successes in. However, the point of fashion is to draw attention, not
automatically each turn. They can be removed with a Strength to fade into the crowd. As opposed to anonymity, fashion
+ Stamina roll, with the initial successes penalizing the ac- means being noticed. Note that the clothing chosen must
tion. With the handheld version, the attacker can attempt be appropriate to the setting. Punk chic will not work at a
to maintain the shock, which takes a Strength + Weaponry Senator’s fundraiser, for example. When improperly dressed,
roll, penalized by the greater of the opponent’s Strength or the dice bonus applies as a penalty to all Social Skill rolls.
Defense. Once the accumulated successes exceed the victim’s The dice bonus for Fashion is equal to half the Availability,
Size, the victim collapses into neuromuscular incapacitation. rounded up.
Once the shock ends, this lasts for (10 - victim’s Stamina)
turns. Services

Social Equipment In addition to the equipment in this appendix, characters

may look for services from other characters. Below is a list of
Social actions deal with people. Social equipment offers
tools for leverage, influence, and manipulation. some things characters may pursue. Each has an Availability
rating that works identically to other equipment. This can
Cash act as a foundation for what certain levels of Allies, Status,
and other Social Merits might accomplish. Most are sorted by
Dice Bonus +1 to +5, Durability 1, Size 2, Structure 1, Skills to reflect their general uses. Many include a die bonus
Availability • to ••••• as well. Assume most services take a week to procure at the
Effect: This represents a wad of cash, a briefcase of money, listed Availability levels. Raise Availability by one to make
an offshore bank account number, or some other lump sum. It procurement take a day instead.
can’t be reflected in the Resources Merit since it’s not a regular Note that some services listed could be highly illegal and
income. However, it can be expended to offer a bonus equiva- should be limited in access to appropriate Merits. In many cases,
lent to its Availability on any social roll where a bribe could be illegal services only offer negligible dice bonuses. Their real ad-
beneficial. Also, it can be expended to purchase one item of vantage comes from a layer of separation from legal authorities.

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Services