Prime Chapter One (1.0)

Character Guidelines

Concept (1.01)

All of a player's characters must be designed in such a way as to not conflict and/or interact with each other in any way. Interactions, relationships, or other deliberate connections between two characters played by the same player are prohibited. Concepts that give characters backgrounds specific to another venue (i.e. a Kindred that used to be a mage, Changeling, Garou, etc.) require High Approval.

Any historical figure or character taken from White Wolf materials or from any work of fiction, without direct, written consent of the author, may not be recognizably used as the basis for a character.

Some Important Changes (1.02)

The system of free monthly Lore Traits that was previously given is now changed. All Lores on the old seven point scale must be converted to the new five point scale. Lores currently on the five point scale do not change in value. Some level of Lores have changes in Approval required, as listed below:
Lore Conversion Table
Lore Level
Approval Level
New Lore Level
Approval Level
7
Top
5
High
6
High
4
Mid
5
High
4
Mid
4
Low
3
Low
3
Low
2
Low
2
Low
1
Low
1
Low
1
Low
Characters with Influence no longer get double the normal number of monthly Influence actions for each level.

The Supernatural Ally Merit has been altered to curb rampant abuse. Previously existing supernatural allies will not be grandfathered. Any that are to remain in play must satisfy the new approval requirements.

Further guidelines for the Movement in Combat rules have been provided, to reflect what Storytellers have learned in the years since those rules were introduced into the MET mechanics.

Types (1.03)

No player may have more than one Primary character that is considered to be of an unusual "Type" (a clan, Tribe, kith, etc. which requires High or Top Approval). Because of this limitation, each venue supplement will list the venue's Types as a separate set of approvals in the Character Creation chapter. A character approved for permanent cross-venue play counts as a special approval Type for these purposes (see Venue Cross-Overs in Chapter Three).

Membership Benefits (1.04)

Members who have performed certain duties or attained positions in the real world organization (as described in the Camarilla's membership materials), receive higher levels of Member Class (MC), allowing them to create more experienced characters for use in Sanctioned games. If your country does not make use of the Camarilla's International Prestige System, skip this section and consult the membership benefit documentation provided by your National Coordinator.

Each player is limited to one Primary character for each Sanctioned venue. A player may choose to have a second Primary in one venue, at the cost of selecting a venue to not have a Primary in. A player may only have one venue "doubled up" in this manner at any given time. Players should not in such cases play two characters of the same Type (see Concept limitations, above). A Primary that has approval for permanent cross-venue play (see below) is considered to take up two Primary slots, one for both venues. Characters that are not Primaries are called Secondary characters, and are made as though the player were MC 1. The distinction between Primary and Secondary is applied to a character at its creation and may not be changed afterward.

Primary characters may all begin with five extra Experience Traits for each of the player's MCs. Secondary characters only begin play with five extra Experience Traits (as though the player were MC 1). Some venues apply additional character creation guidelines based upon MC. Specifics can be found in the appropriate Version Six venue supplements.

When a player gains MC, all of his Primaries may apply an additional five Experience Traits per MC gained. If a player loses one or more MCs, the Experience Traits granted to the character for the player's lost MCs must be re accounted for. These Traits are not removed from the character sheet. Instead an Experience Trait "debt" is applied which must be paid off before the character can spend Experience Traits on anything else.

Experience Trait Restrictions (1.05)

The maximum number of Experience Traits that a player character can earn in a month is four, though some countries make use of a "graduated Experience Trait cap". (Check your national addendum to see if this is the case.) Experience Traits gained for MC are an exception, as are the Experience Traits granted from the Lore of the Stage Ordeal (if the Camarilla's Ordeals are used by your nation). High or Top Approval may be given for a character to exceed their cap in a given month by one or two Experience Traits respectively. This exception is usually reserved as an "exceptional role-playing award" given to a few players at regional or national events.

ET expenditures after character creation take a minimum of one week to implement, though the Storyteller (or certain items noted specifically in the venue supplements) can require a longer "training period".

Character Sanctioning and Records (1.06)

All characters must be approved by the player's Low Approval Storyteller. A copy should be kept up to date and on file with that Storyteller. Low Approval Storytellers register their characters with their Mid Approval Storyteller. See Chapter Four for approval level information.

A complete character record should include a character sheet, the character's Experience Trait log, and records/verification of any special approvals made on the character. An Experience Trait log will detail how starting Traits (including Free Traits) were spent at character creation, and how Experience Traits earned after were spent. It will also list games attended and the Experience Traits gained for each game. Dates should be noted for each entry in the Experience Trait log. Games in which the PC crossed into another Venue must also be noted. If there is uncertainty over a discrepancy between what is on the player's character sheet and the copy kept in the Storyteller's records, the copy in the records will be considered accurate.

Character Retirement (1.7)

Since a player is limited to a specific number of Primary characters, they will sometimes wish to retire a Primary from play to allow them to utilize the slot on a new character. Retired characters are considered dead for all intents and purposes, and may not later be brought back into play.

Non-Player Character Limitations (1.8)

The creation process of non-player characters is limited in the same manner as it is for player characters, except that Experience Traits may be added to reflect the length of the chronicle. The Type is still subject to the Storyteller approval levels shown in the venue supplements, but is one level lower than indicated for player-characters. Venue-specific antagonist such as Fomori for the Garou venue or Autumn People for Changeling venue, are allowed with Low Approval. Types eligible to be player characters in other venues require Mid Approval, or the same Approval as the type in question, whichever is higher. Please note that only "types" are subject to the "one level lower" clause. Thus, a Samedi NPC in the Cam/Anarch Venue would be Mid Approval (one level lower than the High Approval needed to have a Samedi PC) but a Brujah NPC with True Faith would be High Approval, as True Faith is a Merit, not a "type".

Certain non-player characters should remain the sole province of National Storytellers; specifically unique non-player characters from the source material (Caine, Gaia, the First Ronin, High King David, Charon, Voormas, etc.), and very powerful non-player characters (Methuselah vampires, Justicars, Ferrymen, Malfeans, Celestian Spirits, Changeling Kings and Queens, Garou Legends, Archmasters and Oracles, world leaders and national level politicians, etc.) Use good judgment, and when in doubt, consult with your National Storyteller to see which non-player characters are appropriate for use.

Because creatures in most venues have no reasonable means of protecting themselves from wraiths, they have additional restrictions outside their own venue. High Approval is required for NPC wraiths outside the Wraith venue, unless they are made as "common wraiths" (see Merits and Flaws in Chapter Two).

Players may only play NPCs that their MC would normally allow them to create (not counting Type restrictions and Experience Trait totals). Any of these limitations above may be superseded with High Approval.