Consult the list below to determine which Storyteller equates to each approval level in your country. If your country is not listed below, consult your National Storyteller to determine the approval level equivalents used.
High Approval is required to approve a character for permanent cross-venue play. Special rules regarding Primary characters are applied to permanent cross-venue characters (see Membership Benefits, above).
The power comparison chart on page 94 of Dark Epics should only be used when specifically opposed powers interact. By far the most common instance is with detection powers attempting to pierce illusions or concealment powers. The use of Archmaster-rank Spheres compare to Superior level Disciplines on the chart.
By giving a character over to a Storyteller for proxy play, the player grants the Storyteller all rights to the character for the duration of the proxy scene. The requirements above are the minimum. If a Storyteller wishes to further limit proxy play, she should list any restrictions in the game's Venue Style Sheet.
Example: Michael is an 8th Generation Malkavian. Thus, he can not bid more than 28 Traits in a challenge. Natasha is a Shadow Lord Fostern. Thus, she can not bid more than 24 Traits in a challenge. But Natasha can take Crinos form, and the +8 traits that she receives from doing so does not apply to her cap, allowing her to bid a maximum of 32 Traits.
Example: The baby Thunderwyrm attacking the Caern has 35 Traits. Even in Crinos, Natasha can only bid a maximum of 32 Traits. However, Natasha has her pack at her back, and in a mob challenge, the +4 Traits that her four packmates lend to her does not apply to her cap, allowing her to bid a maximum of 36 Traits.
In cases of vampire cross-venue interaction, the "bomb" is kept, but the "Win All Ties" mechanic is replaced by a +10 trait bonus when declaring Traits. This bonus is not subject to the above limitation.
Example: Natasha, now overconfident, attacks Billy. Billy is an 8th Generation Brujah with Fleetness and Puissance. Billy could normally bid up to 28 Traits in a challenge. Because of the cross-venue rule, Billy retains use of the "bomb", but his "Win All Ties" turns into a +10 Trait bonus. Billy may now bid up to 38 Traits against the overconfident Fostern.
First, the narrator must decide who is challenging whom among the group. This is usually obvious, but when it's not, have the players all point to the person they are challenging on the count of three. Each combatant must bid one Trait, plus an additional Trait for each person attacking her beyond the first (no more than five individuals may attack a character at a time). If the defender cannot match the required number of Traits to be bid, she automatically loses the challenge. If she does have enough Traits, she tests as normal with the leader of the group. The group has five seconds to choose the leader, and should not compare stats while doing so. If a leader is not chosen, then the leader is selected by the defender.
Only the leader of the group calls out Negative Traits. The defender against Negative Traits need only bid extra Traits once for each Negative Trait applicable, not each Negative Trait per person challenging.
The leader of the group may apply a number of bonus Traits to his total (for ties and overbids) equal to the number of people assisting him (up to four).
If the defender wins, she remains unharmed and can choose to affect any single member of the attacking group (usually by inflicting a wound), and the attackers lose all Traits they bid. If the attackers win, the leader may choose which attacker's victory condition applies (usually inflicting a wound), and the defender loses all of the Traits she bid. Continue the process until all who declared an action have been the target of a challenge or donated Traits as appropriate.
A minimum of High Approval is required if metamorphosis changes the character's venue. (Approval is also required appropriate to what the new Type would normally take if the character stays in the same venue.) For example, a character at home in the Mortal venue gets killed, and the player would like the character to become a wraith. Wraiths are not one of the character types appropriate for the venue, so the character must receive High Approval, either to stay in the venue, or to change to the Wraith venue. Conversely, a mortal in one of the vampire venues requires no special approval to get Embraced, unless she is Embraced into a clan that requires special approval.
Characters that undergo metamorphosis normally lose access to all their previous Type's powers (though some exceptions exist for mortal characters). They also lose all Arete, Glamour, Gnosis, Rage, and similar Traits, unless their new Type normally possesses them. Ability, Attribute, Willpower, and similar Traits that are carried over remain at their current level, regardless of the new Type's starting amount. (The number of these cannot exceed the new Type's maximums, so any excess Traits are lost.)
Unspent Experience Traits may be carried over. Any Experience Traits spent on things that are lost as a result of metamorphosis are subtracted from the character's "earned Experience Trait" total (for those countries who make use of a varying monthly cap based on earnable Experience Traits).
Most Backgrounds, Merits, and Flaws from the old creature Type are lost or rendered useless with a metamorphosis. The Storyteller will work with the player to choose new Backgrounds, Merits, and Flaws from the source material for their new Type, attempting to duplicate the old ones as closely as possible. In rare cases, characters may be allowed to keep one or more out-of-venue Merits or Flaws, in accordance with the approval guidelines given in Chapter Two.
Contrasting rules for bashing damage are presented in some of the MET source books. To clarify, bashing damage is not halved in the Sanctioned chronicle. Living creatures heal one level of bashing damage after an hour of rest.
Normally creatures require a week to heal each level of lethal or aggravated damage through such means as rest and medical attention. Many supernatural creatures suffer from aggravated damage on a more frequent basis than normal humans do, and heal it more slowly than they do other damage types. Some supernatural creatures have different or faster means for healing, as described in the applicable supplements.