Hero - WoD Conversion

The following rules will be used for creating kindred and other World of Darkness characters using Hero 6th edition. The intent of the rules is to preserve as much of the atmosphere of a World of Darkness as possible, and translate mechanics as a secondary concern. A universal baseline of 225 points will be used for all supernatural creatures.

Prefabs

Hero Designer allows the creation and import of prefabs, which are character snippets covering common abilities shared among many characters. The Vampire prefab has a wide array of vampiric abilities which are available to characters. These are in addition to any everyman skills (use the modern list of everyman skills from Hero 6th edition).

The vampire prefab is loaded with 130+ points of abilities. Each character is not required to choose all of them, but the first 95 points worth of chosen abilities from this prefab are free (create a compound power with all of them and use custom adder to balance the cost). The fangs and blood pool (see below) must be chosen. If less than 95 points of abilities are chosen, the character does not receive the balance in points to spend on other abilities.

While characters are given a mechanical incentive to choose 95 points worth of abilities from the prefab, they are encouraged to take more (if not all). A standard kindred character from either version of the game would have all of the powers in the prefab.

Why, then, are they not required? Simply put, they were not required in the source either. Both versions of the WoD had flaws which could remove some of the standard abilities. It would make no sense for character generation in Hero to be less flexible.

While it cannot be required, it is requested that any power from the prefab that is not chosen, be explained. In other words, why did you create a vampire that cannot sire childer? Do not trim points from the prefab just to purchase other stuff, remember that these abilities are the default, and by taking them away your character is in some measure handicapped compared to other members of the damned.

HOW TO PURCHASE KINDRED POWERS: Please create a list with all your kindred powers from the prefab in it, and place a -95 Custom Adder on the list. This way I can easily see how many points are spent from where. If you purchase less than 95 points, make the custom adder equal to the full cost.

Blood Pool

All supernatural abilities which cost END must run from the blood pool (for activation, they can generally be maintained by personal END), which is an END reserve that can only recharge while feeding on the blood of quarry. The size of the Pool is limited by generation (see below), and the REC will have a -1 limitation to represent the conditional recharge. All characteristic bonuses purchased as powers must cost END (and from the blood pool). For example, a +1 SPD power must be powered by blood.

Hunting

All kindred characters have a -2 point custom adder toward the custom skill Hunting. It is a standard 3/2 cost skill (and can be bought as proficiency or even familiarity if desired). Hunting takes a minimum of 1 hour, and will be modified by the area where hunting is attempted. If a character attempts to hunt more than once in an evening all modifiers are given an additional -1, and any positive modifiers are negated (set to zero). This restriction can be relaxed at the GMs discretion. The goal of this is to remove the temptation to game the system by always hunting in one hour increments until the character is satiated. In general, if more than a few hours have passed between hunting attempts, or if a major encounter has occurred, the restrictions above can be ignored. Consult the GM before attempting the roll.

Clans

Kindred characters can be from the following clans:

Clan	Specialty Discipline	Clan Disciplines	Weakness
Brujah	Majesty	Celerity, Vigor
Gangrel	Protean	Resilience, Animalism
Mekhet	Auspex	Obfuscate, Celerity
Nosferatu	Nightmare	Vigor, Obfuscate
Ventrue	Dominate	Animalism, Resilience
Malkavian	Dementation	Obfuscate, Animalism

Note that the clan list includes both Requiem and Masquerade clans, though not either exhaustively. This is intentional. There will be no bloodlines (in the traditional sense), and the inherent scope creep present in both versions, via bloodlines, minor clans or other methods will be truncated.

Because of the multiple versions, as well as the aforementioned creep, the best choice was to consolidate clans. This leads to some clans having alternate names. For example, the Brujah are sometimes called Daeva or Toreador.

Bloodlines

Kindred may identify as members of a bloodline within the game universe, but inherently they will be no different than whatever clan they choose to originate from. Because of the flexible nature of Hero character generation, however, these bloodlines may have prerequisites that set them apart. What this means is, if you want to make up your own bloodline, go for it.

Disciplines

Disciplines are divided into four standard types: Clan, Common, Specialty and Covenant. Any other supernatural powers (as approved by the GM) purchased are a fifth, undefined, type of discipline, called personal. All disciplines are purchased with limitations (as explained below). These limitations (or advantages) have no effect on the usage of the power, they only modify the cost.

Each clan has a single specialty discipline. No two clans share the same specialty discipline. Members of the clan which has a given discipline as the specialty purchase all powers within that discipline with the (-1) Specialty Discipline limitation. Kindred from any other clans who wish to purchase that discipline use the (-0) Specialty Discipline limitation.

Each clan also has two clan disciplines, which are from the common discipline list and vary from clan to clan. Clan disciplines use the (-1/2) Clan Discipline limitation. All common disciplines which are not on the given clan list are available to all kindred with the (-1/4) Common Discipline limitation. Any discipline on the disciplines prefab that is not a specialty or covenant discipline is a common discipline.

Covenant disciplines are generally only available to members of the given covenant. Covenant membership (discussed below) allows the purchase of the discipline with the (-1/4) Covenant Discipline limitation. Kindred who are not members of the Covenant may purchase the discipline with the (+1/4) Covenant Discipline advantage. Personal disciplines receive the (-0) Personal Discipline limitation.

In general, it is not required to purchase lower levels of a discipline before obtaining higher ones. It is recommended, however. This is all subject to GM permission. The flexibility of the Hero character build process makes GM input crucial in ensuring play balance. Disciplines purchased in order receive the (-1/4) unified power limitation. For example, if a character has Auxpex 1, 2 and 4, the 1 and 2 disciplines would have the unified power limitation, while the 4 would not.

Customizing Disciplines

Disciplines need not be purchased exactly as written. The power levels may be adjusted up or down (slightly), or advantages or limitations may be added (with GM approval). The Power itself may not be altered, however, or it is no longer the given discipline. Purchase personal discipline instead. The GM has the final say on what constitutes an appropriate level of modification. If a discipline is customized at all, please include a note on the power describing the changes and some kind of explanation.

Covenants

Covenant membership and rank is available as a Perk during character generation, and can also be purchased with experience with GM permission. Basic membership costs 3 points, and each additional rank costs 3 more. Generally, progression within the rank structure is required to purchase higher levels of the covenant discipline.

Merits

Non-supernatural Merits from WoD cost 2 points per dot (see below). Create them as custom Perks. Supernatural merits cost 2/5/9/14/20. For example, a 3 dot supernatural merit such as Blood Potency would cost 9.

Mundane Merits

Non-supernatural merits are called mundane. Some mundane merits have a direct analogue in Hero, such as contacts or haven (bases). Use the standard Hero rules for creating these merits. The following list describes which merits correspond to which abilities.

Haven = Base
Herd = Levels with hunting
Status = Reputation
Retainer = Follower
Resources = Money

Supernatural Merits

Supernatural merits are those which are available only to supernatural creatures, and include the defining characteristic for the creature, such as Blood Potency for vampires.

Blood Potency

All vampiric powers that cost blood will have a -0 limitation added based on the blood potency of the character. The higher the blood potency, the lower the multiplier. Consult the following table.

Blood Potency
0 x5
1 x4
2 x3
3 x2
4 x1
5 x1/2
6 0 END Cost

Complications

All kindred have the following complications: Vulnerability: Fire (2x STUN), Vulnerability: Fire (2x Body), Susceptibility: Sunlight 3d6 per segment, and Distinctive Features: Kindred, Not concealable, noticeable by special senses. Berserk Fire/open flames 14-/11-. Physical complication blood to wake frequently/slightly (costs 2 end to wake each day).

They will also have 50 points of other “matching” complications of the player’s choice.

List of Disciplines

The kindred possess many powers which are catalogued by the elders. There are 17 which are the most commonly known.

Animalism: Communicate with and control animals.
Auspex: Supernatural perception.
Celerity: Supernatural swiftness.
Coils of the Dragon: Teachings of the Ordo Dracul.
Cruac: Blood sorcery from the Circle of the Crone.
Dementation: Insight into the very nature of the beast within.
Dominate: Controlling the minds of kindred and kine.
Majesty: Influence on those around you.
Nightmare: Supernatural fear.
Obfuscate: Avoiding the senses of others.
Protean: Legendary shapeshifting abilities.
Quietus: The feared assassination tools unique to the blood.
Resilience: Supernatural toughness.
Theban sorcery: Divine magic of the blood, practiced by the Lancea Sanctum.
Vigor: Supernatural strength.

A Note on Disciplines

Since we are converting an existing mythos into a different system, there may be time where the Hero system would make a discipline (power) act in a way that is contrary to how the same would work in WoD. In cases like this, we will default to the WoD description of the power, even if this is expressly not how it should work in Hero. Talk to the GM if you have a question or concern regarding this.

I have a separate word doc with all of the disciplines in it, stripped down for ease of use. If you wish to see it, let me know and I will email it to you.

Generation/Blood Potency

Blood is handled differently in Requiem versus Masquerade, and Hero necessitates a different tack as well. From an abstract sense, the more powerful the blood, the greater the ability to use it to accomplish goals. One of the great equalizers in Requiem was the escalation of blood thickness which makes it nearly impossible to remain awake when the blood becomes too powerful.

To simulate increased blood potency/generation, increase the size of the Blood Pool END reserve. For each 5 points added, assume the approximate equivalent of one blood potency or level of generation is added. No more than 20 END can be purchased this way.

Additionally, the REC for the pool may also be increased to a maximum of 5.

Any points spent to increase the value of the Blood Pool do not count toward the 95 freebie points from the kindred prefab.

Blood, Visualized

When we play the game, each player will be given a number of poker chips equal to their END in the blood pool. When a power is used, they will pay the chips to the GM. This will be a handy way to ensure we actually pay attention to END, since in our other games we tend to forget.

Normal Characteristic Maxima

All kindred have normal characteristic maxima for no cost. Any characteristics increased above the maximum level must be powered by blood, as described above.

Willpower

In both Masquerade and Requiem Willpower is a vital portion of the game. Characters can exert themselves when necessary, and the pool of available points is refreshed based on adherence to a particular set of values/goals that de facto enforce genre tropes. They provide a framework for what it means to be a supernatural creature in the given World of Darkness.

Hero is built to work based on assumptions and choices made by players at character generation, rather than by designers of settings during world creation. Willpower as a concept is good, so I have developed a potential Willpower build in the kindred prefab. The rules for using it are in a note on the power. Players may choose to have a type of Willpower if they wish.

Humanity

The concept of humanity in WoD is even more nebulous than Willpower. The way it worked is, if you do something that is against your code (or the generic one, if you have not defined one), you risk having your Humanity decrement.

Why do I care if my Humanity is low? Kindred social dice pools are limited to their number of dice in Humanity, when dealing with humans. Become a monster, lose the ability to interact with a human.

This is a great idea in theory, but I have yet to determine how to bring it to fruition.

Staking

Being staked is a big deal in woD. There is not a good way to simulate it with Complications, but assume that it happens as written in the VtR rules.