Talk:MTH:Merits
Hey Guys. We've played around with your system for a while and would like to propose some additional stuff. We have worked out some Splats for Superheroes; As traditional in nWoD settings the Alpha-Splat is called "Origin" and defines what made the Hero into what he is, the Beta-Splat works a little like Hunter Compacts and is named "Calling". Calling defines how the Hero stereotypes himself and he or she may have more than one Calling (like Batman [Detective/Martial Artist/Vigilante] or Captain America [Adventurer/Patriot/Weapon Master]). Calling dots may also act as a Reputation among Superhumans. We also made some generic equipment, also below. We played our setting closely tied to the Marvel universe, so feel free to add, change, or cut what you do not like. If you'd like to contact me/us come over to [[1]] or mail to Simon@iknn.de. Cheers, Simon ;-)
Contents
Origin
| Origin | Advantage | Flaw |
| Accident | Regains one additional Verve, whenever he or she regains Verve points. | Vice Break, when all boxes on any HL, WP, NV, or Verve track full, character can only act after Vice. |
| Alpha | Gains three additional Calling merit dots. | Powers cannot be higher than Rank 2 after modification by Extras and Weaknesses, except Mega-Attribute, -Skill, or -Specialty. |
| Cosmic | Gains one additional dot in the Flight Power. | -1 penalty on degeneration rolls. |
| Mutant | Gains one additional extra to one of his or her powers, that may exceed normal limits. | Social stigma incurs -1 penalty on social rolls involving non-mutants. |
| Mystic | May spend five specified boxes from any combination of pools as rite, to emulate temporary Extra for specified Power. | Relies on external mystic power source (Magic, or Mystic Artifact, -Pantheon, -Power, etc.). |
| Tech | Gains three additional dots in property merits (Power Armor, Power Item, Resources, or Vehicle). | All Rank 2 or higher Powers get automatic Weakness Object Focus. |
| (special)Clone | Gains same advantage and power set as original, may exchange two merit points for one dot of power. | Social Stigma incurs -2 penalty on social rolls involving non-clones. Genetic Instability lets Clone decay or rage rapidly (four times as fast). |
Calling
| Calling | Defining Merit | Benefits | Prerequisites | Example |
| Adventurer / Rouge | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) one add. dot in Contacts Merit. | Streetwise ••••+ | Nomad, Prowler |
| (•••) 1/session spend 1WP to gain 9-again on any one non-power related roll. | ||||
| (•••••) character gains Enlivening Pathos merit. | ||||
| Absorber / Leech | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) one add dot Cypher Merit. | Com or Sta •••+, any shape- and/ or power-mimicking Power | The Absorber, Mimic, Mystique, Taskmaster, Peter Petrelli, Sylar |
| (•••) three free Specialties appropriate to Power | ||||
| (•••••) shape- and/ or power-mimicking Power gains Ext. Duration Extra | ||||
| Brick / Brute | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) 0/1 Armor against Bashing damage only. | Str or Sta •••••+, Brawl •••+ | Colossus, The Thing, Juggernaut |
| (•••) character gains two add. dots Durability Power. | ||||
| (•••••) character gains 9-again on all Strength-related rolls (including attacks). | ||||
| Detective / Stalker | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) Free rote action for Investigation Skill. | Wit or Com ••••+, Investigation ••••+ | Batman, Phantom Reporter |
| (•••) character gains Investigative Sense Merit. | ||||
| (•••••) character gains three additional dots in Contacts, Ally or Sidekick | ||||
| Energy Projector / Blaster | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) Verve Pool one box greater than normal. | Any Energy- or Elemental based Power | Cyclops, Devastator, Starfire |
| (•••) three free Specialties appropriate to energy or element. | ||||
| (•••••) Blast power (or Elemental Blast) gains one free additional Extra (does not raise power's level) | ||||
| Elemental / Forcemaster | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) two free specialties “Shape [element]”. | Any Nature, Elemental- or Gravity based power | Iceman, Gravity, Human Torch, Magneto, Plantman |
| (•••) 1/scene character may consume instance of element, min siz 1, to regain 1 Verve. | ||||
| (•••••) character gains Elemental Mastery power (does not count against limit of Elemental Anima powers) | ||||
| Feral / Bestial | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) two free specialties appr. to chosen animal. | Dex or Wit ••••+, Animal Ken •••+ | Sabretooth, Tigra, Kraven, Vulture |
| (•••) Feral Feature; either one +2, or two +1 boni appropriate to features of chosen animal. | ||||
| (•••••) character gains one additional dot Mega-Survival including the Stacking extra. | ||||
| Gadgeteer / Mad Scientist | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) one additional dot in any Property-Merit. | Craft ••••+, three pieces of equipment rated ••+, or object-bound powers rated ••+ | Hank Pym, Forge, Brainiac 5 |
| (•••) three free Specialties "Custom Equipment" | ||||
| (•••••) all new equipment may be Themed Equipment (adds two dots to equipment rating and +1 equipment bonus) for free. | ||||
| Gamma | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) gains immunity to Radiation equal to rating. | Radiation-related Origin (Accident, Mutant or Tech) | Hulk, Powersurge, Radioactive Man, Starlight |
| (•••) may convert Radiation up to rating into Verve once per scene. | ||||
| (•••••) may convert Radiation up to rating into Mega-Attribute. | ||||
| Ghost / Spectre | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) two free specialties “Surprise” on any Skill. | Stealth ••••+, Any Invisibility- or Phasing based Power | Ghost Girl, Invisible Woman, Kitty Pryde |
| (•••) 9-again quality to Stealth rolls. | ||||
| (•••••) Invisibility- or Phasing based Power gains Reduced Verve Cost extra (does not raise power's level) | ||||
| God-Spawn / Titan-Spawn | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) character gains two-dot mystic Property merit | Mystic Origin, Godforce as mystic power source | Hercules, St. Elmo, Thor, Wonder Woman |
| (•••) Character mystically stops aging | ||||
| (•••••) Mega-Attribute Power counts one rank lower than normal | ||||
| Martial Artist / Ninja | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) one add. dot in unarmed combat style. | Athletics ••••+, unarmed Combat Style •••+ | Iron Fist, Electra, Shang Chi |
| (•••) character gains Heavy Hands merit. | ||||
| (•••••) character gains Lightning Dodge merit | ||||
| Mentalist / Mastermind | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) character gains Area of Expertise Merit. | Any Mental Attribute •••••+, 11+ dots on Mental Skills | Professsor Xavier, Jean Grey |
| (•••) 9-again in any one chosen Mental Skill. | ||||
| (•••••) extra mental action for each point of Int >3; each extra action is made at cumulative -3 modifier | ||||
| Iron Knight / Armorborg | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) character gains Armored Fighting 2 Merit. | Craft •••••+, Power Armor equipment •••+ | Iron Man, Iron Monger, Crimson Dynamo, John Henry Irons |
| (•••) two add. dot in Power Armor equipment. | ||||
| (•••••) one add. dot Verve Recovery power | ||||
| Metamorph / Chimera | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) May end shifting powers, before scene ends at will; Must expend Verve if shifted forcefully. | Resolve •••+, Shapeshifting-related Power (Bodymorph, Plasticity, Shapeshift, Skinchanger) ••+ | Mister Fantastic, Reptil, Plastic Man |
| (•••) three free specialties appropriate to shifting. | ||||
| (•••••) shifting power gains Ext. Duration Extra. | ||||
| Paragon / Exemplar | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) two free specialties "Cosmic" on any Skill | Cosmic Origin | |
| (•••) Unstoppable ••• Merit | ||||
| (•••••) Mega Attribute(s) gains the Stacking extra | ||||
| Patriot / Extremist | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) add dot in Sworn Officer or Status Merit. | Resolve ••••+,, Sworn Officer or Status [appropriate organisation] •••+ | Captain America, Flag Smasher, Red Skull, Union Jack, Vindicator, Vormund |
| (•••) two add dots Sidekick or Henchmen Merit. | ||||
| (•••••) character gains Inspiring Merit and one add dot Decorated or Fame Merit. | ||||
| Prodigy / Abuser | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) two free specialties in any Skill with Mega-Skill. | Any Skill ••••+, any Mega-Skill Power | Key, Sportsmaster |
| (•••) 9-again quality on chosen Skill. | ||||
| (•••••) one Mega-Skill gets Stacking Extra. | ||||
| Rider / Jacker | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) one add dot Vehicle or Mount merit | Drive or Athletics •••••+, Vehicle or Mount rated •••+ | Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider |
| (•••) three free specialties appropriate to chosen Vehicle or Mount | ||||
| (•••••) chosen Vehicle or Mount gains two dots in any Superspeed power | ||||
| Speedster / Speed Demon | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) Speed +1; stacks with Fleet of Foot Merit. | Speed 12+, any Superspeed-related Power (Alacrity, Hypermovement, Rapidity) | Makkkari, Northstar, Quicksilver, The Flash |
| (•••) three free specialties “Speed” in any Skill. | ||||
| (•••••) Hyperspeed gains Hyperspeed Attack extra (does not raise power's level) | ||||
| Thaumaturge / Warlock | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) May spend box from any pool to see Auras. | Occult ••••+, any Pluripotence Power | Doctor Strange, Zatanna |
| (•••) two add. dots in Library Merit. | ||||
| (•••••) choose two: Astral Travel, Bless, Curse, Divination, Familiar, Geomancy, Scrying, Ward. | ||||
| Vigilante / Shadow | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) character gains Danger Sense Merit. | Cypher •••+ | Daredevil, Mockingbird, The Phantom |
| (•••) two add. dots in Cypher Merit. | ||||
| (•••••) character gains one add dot Fame merit and may use bonus on Intimidation rolls | ||||
| Vampire | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) Character gains Vampiric Boon and Flaw, and may select only vampiric powers | Energy Leech Power, Mentor [vampiric creator] ••+ | Baron Blood, Dracula |
| (•••) Whenever character uses Energy Leech Power, it drains one additional energy point per use. | ||||
| (•••••) Character may choose other power that is added to his list of vampiric powers. | ||||
| Weapon Master / Assassin | Calling (• to •••••) | (•) one add. dot in armed combat style. | Firearms, or Weaponry ••••+, armed Combat Style •••+ | Hawkeye, Green Arrow |
| (•••) chosen weapon type gains 9-again quality. | ||||
| (•••••) chosen personalized weapon gains +2 additional equipment bonus. |
Costume
- Costume (• to •••••+)
- Dur: 2, Siz: character’s Size-1, SL: Dur+Siz
Effect: special, see components.
Component Effect Armored • to •• +1/+1 Armor and +1 Dur per dot Bulletproof • +1/+0 Armor, +1 Dur, Bulletproof quality Camouflaged • to ••• +1 to +3 bonus to Stealth rolls in designated terrain (aerial, desert, snow, urban, virtual or woodland) Caped • +1 bonus to Athletics rolls when balancing, falling, flying Feral • +2 bonus to Expression or Animal Ken rolls against non-Supers Insulated • to ••• Protects against environmental penalties or damage from extreme cold, heat, electricity, radiation, sound, or toxic substances (choose one); +1 Dur Inspiring • +2 bonus to Expression or Persuasion rolls against non-Supers Intimidating • +2 bonus to Expression or Intimidation rolls against non-Supers Masked -, or • (-) Domino Mask: -1 penalty to recognize character only; Full Mask: as •, but -1 pen to social rolls for no facial expression, (•) -2 penalty to recognize character; no automated facial recognition. Mysterious • +2 bonus to Expression or Subterfuge rolls against non-Supers Padded • +0/+1 Armor, doubles against B damage Sexy • +2 bonus to Expression or Socialize rolls against appropriate gender Shifting •• Costume able to change appearance at will once per scene, or more often with expenditure of one Verve per scene Smart •• Contains sensors for specific substances, radiation, or electrical transmissions and can relay their existence and concentration in immediate vincinitiy to wearer Symbiotic •• Reduces Verve regain by one; may have own three-dot rank 1 power, or four dot Merit Tranquets • Medicine roll +2 automatically stabilizes character when bleeding to death (Health track full with L dmg) Unstable Mole. •• Changes shape or size with character; highly resistant to elemental- or energy emissions from character Utility Pockets • Costume provides five extra pockets for gadgets and gear of Size 1 or less. Weatherproof • Costume lets character ignore up to -2 environmental penalties or 1 damage from weather or extreme temperatures. Ridiculous -• -1 penalty to social rolls; cancels Feral, Inspiring, Intimidating, Mysterious, or Sexy quality. Unhandy -• Additional -1 movement penalty
Mega-Items
- Communicard (Mega-Item •)
- Dur: 1, Siz: 0, SL: 1
Effect: This type of next-gen communication- and identity-management systems is produced by Stark Enterprises, Oscom, Fitzengel Electronics, and other providers of top-of-the-line hardware for state, military, or private sector operations, in many variants and rivaling standards, and employed by many famous International Defense Agencies, Superhero Groups, or Terrorist Organizations, such as S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA, or The Avengers. A, by biometric and morphogenic security, rightfully identified owner may take up audiovisual communication with other members of its team, or other holders of such cards within a closed system of designated members and the operating company. The card may double as a high-end pass- or keycard with programmable clearances. The card also monitors the location and health condition of its owner, relates these data via satellite to its operator and can be programmed to alert other card members or operating personal, in case the owner becomes lost, or health condition changes to critical. To have a own Communicard System a group of Heroes must either rent the provider services from one of the companies above for a fee of Resources 3 per member and month, or own a shared Base with Computer Network 4+ and buy a franchised system from one of the companies above for Resources 5 without restrictions to members and allocation of cards, which includes appropriate hard- and software for the operating computers, as well as 100 blank cards.
- Bulletproof Cape (Mega-Item ••)
- Dur: 3, Siz: 3, SL: 6
Effect: Armor +1/+0; wearable over costume or light body armor, stacks with armor of up to 2/X, bulletproof quality.
- Supersoldier Scalemail (Mega-Item •••)
- Dur: 4, Siz: 3, SL: 7
Effect: Armor 3/2, bulletproof quality, energy ablative quality.
- Multi-Bracer (Mega-Item •••)
- Dur: 3, Siz: 1, SL: 4
Effect: Contains a combination of communicator, flashlight, and radio with police-scanner, and either a wrist-grappler with 25 ft. rope as well as a double dart-, disc-, or tracer launcher (+1; ft.), or a powerful mini-computer (+2 bonus) including a 3D-scanner and a strip-printer.
- Utility Belt (Mega-Item • to •••••)
- Dur: 3, Siz: 2, SL: 5
Effect: Belt comes with three slots fitted with selected equipment, plus three slots for each additional dot. Slots could contain ammunition clips, custom boomerang or bola, camera, climbing kit, crime-scene kit, demolitions kit, flashlight, flash- or smoke pellets, gas- or liquid container, Geiger-counter, knive, lockpicks, medkit, mini-computer, mini-toolkit, mini-powertool, mini-welder, probe kit, radio, rebreather, shuriken, taser, throwing darts, tracers, etc. Each object is custom made for the belt, smaller than Size 1 and has a Dur of 2 or 3. Objects from the belt provide a +1 equipment bonus and cost approximately Res 3 to add or replace. The Equipment Theme Merit, if bought in addition, affects every item contained in the belt.
