Page 45 - Chronicles of Darkness

When replacing a Merit, consider what makes sense in the Eidetic Memory (••)
story. Pursue the new Merit during the course of the chapter
if possible, and make the new tie something less superficial Effect: Your character recalls events and details with
than a dot or two on a sheet. pinpoint accuracy. You do not have to make rolls for your
With Storyteller permission, you may ‘cash in’ a Merit character to remember past experiences. When making
voluntarily and replace it with Experiences. This should not Intelligence + Composure (or relevant Skill) rolls to recall
be used as a way to purchase a Merit, take advantage of its minute facts from swaths of information, take a +2 bonus.
benefits, and then cash it out for something else. But if a Encyclopedic Knowledge (••)
Merit’s run its course and no longer makes sense for your
character, you may use those points elsewhere. Effect: Choose a Skill. Due to an immersion in academia,
Merits such as Ambidextrous, Eidetic Memory and the pop culture, or a hobby obsession, your character has col-
various Fighting Style Merits reflect abilities and knowledge lected limitless factoids about the topic, even if she has no
that your character has, and therefore shouldn’t be cashed dots in the Skill.
in or replaced. Then again, if an Ambidextrous character You can make an Intelligence + Wits roll at any time your
loses his left hand.... character is dealing with her area of interest. On a successful
Mental Merits roll, the Storyteller must give a relevant fact or detail about
the issue at hand. Your character knows this fact, but you
must explain within the scope of your character’s background
Area of Expertise (•) why she knows it. For example, for Encyclopedic Knowledge:
Medicine: “Do you remember that time on that show, when
Prerequisite: Resolve •• and one Skill Specialty the doctor said it doesn’t manifest before puberty?”
Effect: Your character is uncommonly specialized in one
area. Choose a Specialty to assign to this Merit. Forgo the +1 Eye for the Strange (••)
bonus afforded by a Specialty, in exchange for a +2.
Prerequisite: Resolve ••, Occult •
Effect: While your character does not necessarily possess
Common Sense (•••) a breadth of knowledge about the supernatural, she knows
Effect: Your character has an exceptionally sound and the otherworldly when she sees it. By perusing evidence, she
rational mind. With a moment’s thought, she can weigh can determine whether something comes from natural or
potential courses of action and outcomes. supernatural origins. Roll Intelligence + Composure. With
Once per chapter as an instant action, you may ask the a success, the Storyteller must tell you if the scene has a
Storyteller one of the following questions about a task at hand supernatural cause, and provide one piece of found informa-
or course of action. Roll Wits + Composure. If you succeed, tion that confirms the answer. With an exceptional success,
the Storyteller must answer to the best of her ability. If you she must give you a bit of supernatural folklore that suggests
fail, you get no answer. With an exceptional success, you can what type of creature caused the problem. If the problem was
ask an additional question. mundane, an exceptional success gives an ongoing +2 to all
rolls to investigate the event, due to her redoubled certainty
• What is the worst choice?
in its natural causation.
• What do I stand to lose here?
Fast Reflexes (• to •••)
• What’s the safest choice?
Prerequisite: Wits ••• or Dexterity •••
• Am I chasing a worthless lead? Effect: +1 Initiative per dot
Your character’s reflexes impress and astound; she’s always
Danger Sense (••) fast to react.
Effect: You gain a +2 modifier on reflexive Wits + Good Time Management (•)
Composure rolls for your character to detect an impending Prerequisite: Academics •• or Science ••
ambush. Effect: Your character has vast experience managing
Your character’s reflexes are honed to the point where complex tasks, keeping schedules, and meeting deadlines.
nothing’s shocking.
When taking an extended action, halve the time required
Direction Sense (•) between rolls.
Effect: Your character has an innate sense of direction, Holistic Awareness (•)
and is always aware of her location in space. She always Effect: Your character is skilled at non-traditional healing
knows which direction she faces, and never suffers penalties methods. While scientific minds might scoff, he can provide
to navigate or find her way.
basic medical care with natural means. He knows what herbs can
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the face in the mirror-Characters