Editing LeviathanTempest:ChapterThree (section)

== Leviathan and Merits == 

Many of the normal Merits listed in the World of Darkness core rules remain useful for members of the Tribe. With the exception of those which are precluded by the Leviathan's monstrous nature, such as Unseen Sense, they remain available. Your Storyteller may see fit to suggest certain choices, or preclude or limit others - for example, it might be the case that the Fighting Styles that mortals devised aren't suited to the inhuman anatomy of a transformed Leviathan. Physical Merits might represent the unnatural vigor of the divine bloodline coming forth as Olympian prowess, and are somewhat common among the Tribe. Comparatively, Social Merits that rely on long-held positions are somewhat rarer, as the Leviathan must cope with the Wake and the constant threat of an Outburst. This tendency to live a transient lifestyle also means that few Leviathans have significant Resources. The supernatural gifts available to a Leviathan, as well as some of the unnatural Merits listed below, can be superior to normal Merits and may make certain choices suboptimal when compared to exercising the powers of the Tribe.

==== Beloved Retainer (O - OOOOO) ==== 

Your character has a single retainer who has become Beloved from exposure to the Wake. See WoD Core P116 for the Retainer Merit. 

The difference between a Retainer and a Cultist is mostly one of narrative. Cultists are assumed to be interchangeable while a Retainer is a unique character in the story with his or her own personality. Players should feel free to use this Merit to represent certain important individuals within their cult, such as a high priest. This Merit has no effect on rolls using Zeal or Fervour such as Cult Tasks. Players may still use the normal Retainer Merit but should explain why frequent contact has not created a Beloved. Perhaps the Retainer is immune, plenty of people are. 

As an optional rule and only at the Storytellers discretion, the Merits Beloved Retainer and Cult may overlap: A player with a Cult gains dots in Beloved Retainer equal to the greatest of Cult Number, Zeal and Fervor, to be divided among Retainers however the player wishes.

====Breath of the Lungfish (O-OOO)====

Your Character transforms into some form of air-breathing marine life or strange crossbreed. At lower depths, the Leviathan does not lose the ability to breath air.
As a side-effect of this Merit, your character may remain on land in her Apotheosis Form for an additional (Sheol*Mertit Dots) turns before she begins to suffer the effects of exposure

==== Cult (Special, O-OOOOO+) ====

When brushed with the Wake of the Leviathan, certain mortals are more touched than others - becoming Beloved. These faithful can be directed into a unit, a Cult, which reveres the Leviathan and seeks to serve and honor him. Some Leviathan season their cults by bonding Lahmasu into their service, taking them in and giving them meaning. The full rules for Beloved and Lahmasu are listed later, but a Leviathan that wishes to have a Cult following may invest in this Merit. A Cult can provide Ichor through worship or work in the world as the Leviathan's hands (or claws) at a reach. The Cult Merit is broken into three categories - Number, Zeal, and Fervor. It additionally has a handful of variables that can be purchased to increase the capabilities of the Cult. Dots spent on this Merit can be divided between all of these. 

Cults require supervision and input from the Leviathan - they desire "face time" with their deity. For every week in which the Leviathan does not contact the majority of his Cult in person to speak, lead ceremonies, or receive prayer, one dot worth of Cult assets (in the three core categories) degrades - generally, Zeal is lost first, then Numbers, as the less devout or ensorcelled drift away - still obsessed, but unsatisfied. Reclaiming degraded dots is an extended test of Presence or Manipulation + Persuasion, with a target pool of successes equal to (3 + lost dots). Each roll represents a day spent reinvigorating the Cult and getting stray members back into the fold. 

'''Number'''

This category represents the size of the loyal mass attending the Leviathan. On a practical level, it limits the number of tasks that the Leviathan can direct his Cult to perform in a given chapter - one, plus one per dot of Number. "Tasks" includes dangerous work as measured by Zeal, but also instances in which the Leviathan directs the faithful to perform rituals or act publicly - the assumption being that the Cult's numbers permit members to exchange duties, cover shifts, and otherwise permit the Beloved to fulfill their everyday chores alongside those mandated by their deity. 

A Cult must have at least one dot of Number - otherwise, who will bring the goat?

* Number O - Five followers, one task per story 
* Number OO - Ten followers, two tasks per story 
* Number OOO - Twenty followers , three tasks per story 
* Number OOOO - Fifty followers, four tasks per story 
* Number OOOOO - One hundred followers, five tasks per story 

'''Zeal'''

This category measures the loyalty of the Leviathan's followers - the depth to which their religion shapes their life. It provides one bonus die per dot for all attempts to convince the Cult to undertake a task (in the rare case that this necessitates a roll) and inflicts a -1 penalty per dot to the attempts of others to turn a Cult member against the Leviathan. If directed to spend a day praying and performing rituals for the Leviathan (Which counts as a Task), the Cult provides additional Ichor equal to its Zeal+1 to the Leviathan.

A Cult doesn't have to have a dot of Zeal, but most do.

* Zeal X - Cultists are loyal to you personally but not so much to the Cult or its doctrine - Sunday Cultists, basically.
* Zeal O - Cultists will break the law for you, if the risks aren't too high. Acolytes.
* Zeal OO - Cultists will risk jail time for you. 
* Zeal OOO - Cultists will unflinchingly kill in your name. Textbook fanatics.
* Zeal OOOO - Cultists will risk death in your service, if the task requires it. 
* Zeal OOOOO - Slavish loyalty. You and Thulsa Doom could compare notes. 

'''Fervor'''

This category measures how dangerous your Cult is when motivated - the degree to which it can direct its assets and achieve dangerous jobs. Directing the Cult to do typical tasks that one would expect of an organized group - mounting a one-day search, putting up flyers in a neighborhood, mounting a protest - does not require a roll. Only dangerous and illegal tasks, or ones requiring violence, require a check of Fervor. 

A Fervor check involves rolling the Cult's Fervor minus a number of dice relevant to the difficulty of the task - in general, most major crimes (kidnapping or killing a civilian) are at -3, while truly world-shaking events (such as assassinating high-profile targets or swiping military hardware) are at -5. Minor crimes (stealing a car or disappearing the car when work is done) are rolled without penalty. Success means success, while Failure permits the player to choose - complete the task but lose a dot of Cult Number permanently, or fail and lose a dot of Cult Zeal for the duration of the story. A Dramatic Failure inflicts a both penalties, and the task fails. If appropriate circumstances or equipment are ensured beforehand, bonus dice might apply to the roll. Conversely, if the Cult's gear or numbers are inadequate, penalties might be in order. 

If the Leviathan wishes, he can direct the effort personally, in which case his Presence or Intelligence (whichever is most appropriate) may be added to the roll, but he will (seperate from the normal ramifications) be subject to the expected downsides of a failed effort, and will have to enact his own escape from a crime scene (a getaway is assumed for the Cult under the Fervor roll).  

A Cult doesn't have to have a dot of Fervor - many don't. 

* Fervor X - You'll have to perform your own crimes. What a pity.
* Fervor O - Liquor stores are your piggy bank.
* Fervor OO - You've got some talented thugs - roughly the equivalent of a local police force.
* Fervor OOO - Your Cultists are driven enough to perform some quality bad deeds in your honor. 
* Fervor OOOO - Fierce civilians or experienced criminals. Mafia-level shenanigans. 
* Fervor OOOOO - Your Cultists are chomping at the bit to achieve your wicked desires. 
   
===== Sidebar: Putting the God in Godfather =====
The rules for Fervor are generally more permissive of extralegal hijinx then other similar Merits, and the tone suggests the Cult is capable of performing some pretty impressive stuff. In general, this is intentional - the goal is to replicate a city-subverting or widespread Cult conspiracy, a la ''Fight Club'' or ''Higurashi no Naku Koro ni''. The reach of a Cult, and the depths to which it will sink to serve its master, are meant to be somewhat unsettling - and to make immoral methods attractive. If letting a Cult do something would rob the players of an interesting scene, or circumvent a hardship in an automatic or undramatic fashion, feel free to bend the rules or ask the player to direct his Cult to perform some facet of the task instead of the whole thing. 

'''Additional Traits''' 

These additional qualities for a Cult are rated in dots and cost the listed amount. They exist primarily to help define or focus a Cult. The Storyteller and players might work out other possibilities - the only limit is, in general, these bonuses should not render the three core traits irrelevant. 

* ''Conspirators'' (O to OOOOO) - Members of your Cult have Status equal to dots in Conspirators within an organization chosen when you purchase this Merit. This merit may be taken multiple times. 
* ''Home Turf'' (O or OO) - The Cult has a favored stomping ground, around the size of a neighborhood or a region of wilderness - along the lines of "The quarry" or "The old lumber yard." When assigned to dangerous tasks in this region, it receives a +1 bonus, but suffers a -1 penalty elsewhere. The two-dot version negates the penalty.  
* ''Indoctrination'' (O) - Once per story, as a Task, the player may declare one attempt to turn members the Cult against the Leviathan as an automatic failure. The Leviathan need not be aware of the attempt - the player is declaring the Cult uncorruptible as a method of narrative control. 
* ''Lahmasu'' (OO) - Your Cult contains a division of, or is entirely formed of, Lahmasu or Hybrids. Lahmasu often serve as a Cult's military arm, using their unique abilities to further their lords aim. A Cult with Lahmasu gets an extra dice on all Fervor rolls but a crime performed by strange half fish people is more noticeable than a regular crime. This rule is a little too complex to be expressed as a bonus to investigators, but a Leviathan is advised to think twice before sending Lahmasu where mortal authorities might start asking questions, and consider forgoing the bonus. 
* ''Offerings'' (O) - Once per story, as a Task, the Leviathan may use his Cult to make a purchase with a Resource cost of 1 + the Cult's Zeal. 
* ''Old Hands'' (OOO) - Pick one unpleasant task or crime (car theft, kidnapping, murder). The Fervor roll for that sort of crime is a rote action for your Cult. Remember that crime waves are suspicious and that being a zany cult isn't a barrier against criminal investigation.
* ''Recognition'' (OOO)- Unless it is! Your Cult is a legally-recognized religious organization. Attempts to legally interfere in your dealings or investigate the Cult's beliefs or business suffer a -2 penalty. This is in addition to the other intangible bonuses of this status, which can be represented by other Merits.
* ''Resolute'' (OO) - The Leviathan's Cult requires his presence only once a month.

==== Deep Wake (OO) ====
Your Leviathan has an unusually potent Wake - for the purposes of its diameter, your Sheol is treated as though it were one point higher. If your Sheol is at 10 (Way to go, Cthulhu), your Wake's maximum diameter is 6000 feet. This Merit has no effect on your Sheol for focusing the Wake on a single subject, but will affect an attempt to cultivate a Beloved. 

'''Drawback''': Your Ripple Penalty is measured by your increased Sheol. If your Sheol is at 10, it increases to -4.

==== Divine Prerogative (OO) ====
The divine bloodline inside your character is eager to express itself in the defeat of mortals. You may select a Skill. When engaging in a contested roll using that Skill against a human (one not subject to a major supernatural template), you may chose to risk Willpower instead of spending it. You receive the normal bonus dice as though Willpower were spent, but, if you are successful in overcoming the victim's resistance, you do not lose the Willpower risked, instead retaining that point and in fact regaining an additional point beyond that. You cannot risk Willpower to boost your resistance - you must be acting aggressively to benefit from this Merit.

'''Drawback''': Should you fail, the risked Willpower is spent as usual ''and'' your failure is upgraded to a Dramatic failure. This often triggers an Outburst check.  

==== Fluid Form (O) ====
Your Leviathan is unusually capable at shifting through his or her forms. He gains a bonus die on all checks to shapeshift willingly. 

'''Drawback''': You suffer a -1 penalty on Outburst checks. 

==== Giant (OOO) ====

This is the same Merit as presented in the World of Darkness core rulebook; Leviathans may buy the Giant Merit for less than its usual cost.

==== Heirloom (O to OOOOO) ====
Your character has some physical artifact that is a rememberence of the Tribe or the Tribe's lost civilization. It might be an art object or everyday tool, but it is generally unsuitable for its original task - too brittle or too precious to make use of. Its primary role, instead, is its ability to resonate with the bloodline of the Tribe, stirring the remnants of Ichor inside a Leviathan. A member of the Tribe may regain Ichor through meditating with the object in hand. This requires a Composure + Occult roll representing ten minutes of meditation. One point of Ichor is regained per success, to the limit of the Heirloom. A given Heirloom can provide one point of Ichor per dot before becoming "dull", and its available pool is recharged each week. Each Heirloom recharges on a different day at a different time, but the overwhelming majority are refuelled on Friday, at sunset, a source of some speculation among members of the Tribe.  

The average Heirloom is Size 1 or 2. Rumors abound of larger Heirlooms which can provide far greater amounts of Ichor, or which have additional mystic traits, but these are not readily available as Merits. 

===== Sidebar: That Belongs in a Museum! =====
Leviathans aren’t the only ones with interest in Heirlooms; Marduk always keeps an eye open and Mystical orders such as the Aegis Kai Doru are frequently tempted either by what they could learn or an Heirloom’s practical applications as a mystical talisman. Private collectors, archaeologists and museums also have a stake in owning an Heirloom. Despite this Heirlooms tend to cause little stir among those not in the know: vanishingly few Heirlooms predate known civilisation, most come much more recent exploits of the Tribe and aren’t markedly distinct from entirely human artefacts of the period. It’s unsure what exactly would happen if regular academics did get hold of a Heirloom that predated Tiamat’s death, such a discovery could rewrite known history but only if it wasn’t snatched by Leviathans, Marduk or some other party. It would certainly make an interesting story.

==== Lahmasu Retainer (O–OOOOO) ====

Your character has a single Lahmasu Retainer. See WoD Core P116 for the Retainer Merit. Your retainer may come from any Lahmasu Strain or even be a Hybrid. A Lahmasu Retainer has a Depth between one and the number of dots spent in this Merit, players choice. Assign Mutations and any Flaws as normal. Players may choose to have their Lahmasu retainer as a Beloved for no extra cost, though if they choose not to they should justify how their Retainer managed to avoid becoming Beloved.

The difference between a Lahmasu Cultist and a Lahmasu retainer is mostly one of narrative. Cultists are assumed to be interchangeable while a Retainer is a unique character in the story with his or her own personality. Players who have a Cult should feel free to use this Merit to represent important members of their Cult such as a high priest. If they do so this Merit will not have any effect on rolls using Zeal or Fervor such as Cult Tasks.  

The same optional rules used for Beloved Retainer can be applied to Lahmasu Retainer. Again this is only at the storytellers discretion.

==== Mandate of Babel (O) ====
When your character expends Ichor to focus his Wake on a subject whose primary language is foreign to the Leviathan, he gains the supernatural ability to make his words understood to that target, and understand that subject's words, as though they were both fully fluent in the language the other is using. They cannot understand written words of the supernaturally-comprehended language unless the words were hand-written by the other participant. This merit also gives the Leviathan the power to speak all dead (No longer spoken in common usage or with only a small minority of speakers) and extinct (No longer spoken at all) languages. This power does work on people who are immune to the Wake, with their consent.

==== Muted Wake (OO) ====
Your Leviathan has an unusually subtle and mild Wake - for the purposes of its diameter your Sheol is treated as though it were one point lower. If your Sheol is at 1, your Wake's maximum diameter is 5 feet. Your Ripple penalty is measured by your decreased Sheol, and is at -0 if your Sheol is 0. This Merit has no effect on your Sheol for focusing the Wake on a single subject, but will affect an attempt to cultivate a Beloved. 

'''Drawback''': Well, the thing the Merit does, sort of.

==== Temple (Special, O-OOOOO+) ====

You Leviathan, or perhaps her Cult, has access to a Temple. A Temple is a place of prayer but it is also much more. A temple is a refuge from the tensions of the outside world. A place where everyone is understanding about the occasional ritual. Most of all a Temple can be a home. 

'''Size'''

Temple Size is important to any Cohort who sees their temple as anything more than a well fortified place to hide. A Temple with no dots in Size perhaps represents a cramped cave or small basement. By spending points in Temple Size the Cohort creates room for creature comforts and chambers dedicated to a verity of practical effects. Perhaps more importantly, it becomes possible to host a much larger Cult; If in doubt, assume that each dot in Temple Size means there is enough space to comfortably host equal dots in Cult Numbers. Lahmasu Cults are smaller and thus have an easier time finding space. 

* O – A small apartment or lakeside cave. One to two rooms.
* OO – A small family home or an apartment with some storage space. Three to four rooms.
* OOO – An actual church, a spacious seaside cave or a large family home. Five to eight rooms or a large enclosure.
* OOOO – A mansion, proud temple or a small fortress. Nine to fifteen rooms or chambers.
* OOOOO – A sprawling estate, your very own Jonestown, a vast network of sea caves. Countless rooms or chambers. 

'''Temple Security'''

Even the grandest temple is worthless if rival Leviathans or Marduk just wander in; to prevent this Leviathans may invest in security for their temple. Every dot in Temple Security provides -1 to all attempts to break in and +1 initiative when defending the temple. A Leviathan may supplement the physical security by directing its Cult to post guards; this counts as one Task for rules purposes. As a final benefit the Leviathans may choose between disguising the temple as respectable place of worship, or hiding the temple by placing it in an underground cave or an apparently ordinary home, office or some other front.

Disguised temples grant -1 per dot of temple security to find weapons caches or discover the ritual chamber is anything more than a simple prayer room; however, the Cult will have to put up with curious visitors, some of whom may be police or Marduk agents. Hidden Temples grant -1 per dot of temple security to find the Temple but grant no special benefit once it has been located. However, while well hidden Temples don't have casual visitors, once they have been found, they remain found. Do note, regardless of whether a Leviathan disguises or hides their temple, the Ripple effect helps those searching for it.

'''Temple Amenities'''

Having a seaside cave to call your own is nice, but without Amenities it wont offer anything more than bare rock and privacy. Most Leviathans like to add a little home comfort.

* O – The Temple has little more than chairs and a speakers pulpit. Comfortable enough for a religious service but you wouldn't enjoy staying the night.
* OO – The Temple has comfortable furnishings, heating, lighting as well as a good stock of religious texts and decorations. Everything the modern cultist needs.
* OOO – The Temple has everything you could expect to find at home with a nice supply of refreshments, diversions and religious adornments.
* OOOO – An impressive Temple with a wide range of mundane delights, stain glass windows or well adorned idols adorn the walls.
* OOOOO – The Temple is worthy to be called the home of a living god. Every corner is overflowing with decadent excess from the most luxurious furnishings, delicacies and entertainments to idols cast in solid gold and precious gems.


Every time the player purchases a new dot in Temple Amenities, they gain one free temple feature which provides a practical benefit to the Cohort. Select from the list below.

* Armoury: Not all Cults serve as a Leviathan's personal army, but for those who do, proper equipment is essential. Assume that an Armory provides access to weaponry with a Resource cost equivalent to Amenities. At Amenities 1 an Armoury barely deserves the name and consists only of baseball bats and kitchen knives. Amenities 2 or 3 grants common weapons: pistols, shotguns or hunting rifles as well as fancy ceremonial weapons. Amenities 4 or 5 grants military grade equipment. Unfortunately, weapons don't just turn up in unmarked crates when you upgrade Temple Amenities. The Cohort can purchase up to Amenities 3 (less in countries with strict gun laws) by buying the equipment; any higher and the players must spend time making black market connections or organising a daring theft of military supplies. An Armoury grants +1 per dot of Amenities to Cult Tasks, provided the Cohort can keep it supplied.
* Gatewater: To enter the rift merely requires a tub full of water; at Amenities 1 it's safe to assume you can build one into your temple. Having a Gatewater means that your temple includes a ritually prepared pool designed to make the passage easier. This grants +1 per dot of Amenities to attempts at crossing into the Rift, and at Amenities 3 you can bring items along without spending a Willpower point. Perhaps more usefully, owning a Gatewater means it's very easy to find your way home: while in the Rift, the Cohort receives +1 per dot of Amenities on rolls to locate their Gatewater. Unless they have been granted access by the Cohort, other Leviathans do not receive these bonuses and crossing into the Temple from the Rift has a -1 penalty per dot of Temple Security.
* Private Pool: Any Leviathan can recover Ichor through Resonance with water; having a few bathtubs around can be assumed at Amenities 1. A Private Pool grants more: whether by diverting a convenient lake into the temple's basement or building above an underground river, the Temple has naturally flowing water within its walls. Storytellers may disallow this feature if there is no practical source of water, or give it free if the Temple would have access to it by default, such as a sea-cave sacrificing a more attractive location for access to the tide.
* Reception Chamber: Perhaps the Cohort wishes to cement an alliance with another Cohort. Maybe it has fallen upon them to host the next taxon meeting. For whatever reason, they are going to be spending time with their Cousins, and where better to do that than beneath a 40 foot solid gold monument to your divinity? Reception Chambers are designed to do one thing: impress others Leviathans. Whatever style the Cohort chooses, assume it impresses the vast majority of Leviathans. They get a bonus to all social rolls where making a good impression is of use: +1 at Amenities 3, +2 at Amenities 4 and +3 at Amenities 5. At lower Amenities there is no benefit.
* Ritual Chamber: To perform a ritual only requires sufficient Zeal, but proper incense, décor and a grooved altar can help. A Ritual Chamber grants +1 per dot of Amenities to rituals. When using a ritual task to restore Ichor a Ritual Chamber grants an extra point of Ichor at Amenities 3 and an extra two points at Amenities 5.
* Rumpus Room: Leviathans are creatures of powerful Vices and low self-control. Many furnish their Temples and their cults to feed their base desires. When building a Rumpus Room choose one Vice (a Temple may have many Rumpus Rooms), spending an hour indulging automatically fulfills that Vice. When the Cohort chooses a Rumpus Room ask them to explain how it works: A Glutton may have a twenty four hour kitchen while a Slothful Leviathan's Rumpus “Room” may be a dozen cultists who ensure he never need lift a finger. Assume that staffing the Rumpus Room takes one Task, and remember: Even though Cultists are usually willing it's only because of the Wake. In terms of morality and Tranquillity you must ask what they would do without the Wake, so think twice before building that Gladiator Pit.

==== Vicious Heritage (O or OOO) ====
Each of the major Strains is associated mystically with one of the Seven Sins. Your Leviathan expresses his Strain's associated Vice, gaining it in addition to his original Vice or, if it already was his Vice, regaining two Willpower when he indulges in it. 

If the Leviathan purchases the three-dot version, he not only gains the Vice - it supplants his Virtue. He regains only one Willpower for fulfilling his Virtue and his whole Willpower pool for significantly submitting to his Strain's associated Vice. In effect he has one "Virtue" - his Strain's associated Vice - and two "Vices": His original Vice and his original Virtue. If the Leviathan's original Vice was his Strain's associated Vice he instead regains two Willpower for fulfilling his Virtue.