Backgrounds
Backgrounds describe advantages of relationship, circumstance, and opportunity: material possessions, social networks, and the like. Backgrounds are external, not internal, Traits, and you should always rationalize how you came to possess them, as well as what they represent. Who are your contacts? Why do your allies support you? Where did you meet your retainers? What investments do you possess that yield your four dots in Resources? If you’ve put enough detail into your character concept, selecting appropriate Backgrounds should be easy.
Although it’s uncommon to make rolls involving Background Traits, your Storyteller might have you do so to see if you can obtain information, goods, or favors. For example, you might have to roll Wits + Resources to keep your stock portfolio healthy, or Manipulation + Contacts to wheedle that extra favor from your smuggler “associate.”
Certain Backgrounds may be “pooled” among characters in a coterie. See “Pooling Backgrounds” at the bottom for more information.
- Age
- Alternate I.D.
- Allies
- Arcane
- Arcane (Mage)
- Avatar
- Black Hand Membership (Sabbat)
- Blessing
- Chantry
- Chole
- City Specific Knowledge Rating
- Cloaking (Arcane)
- Contacts
- Cult
- Creativity
- Destiny
- Destiny (Technocracy)
- Demesne
- Domain
- Esprit
- Fame
- Generation
- Guide
- Haven
- Herd
- Horoscopes {Kuei-jin}
- Influence
- Inquisition Membership (Sabbat)
- Jade Talisman {Kuei-jin}
- Library
- Magic Artifact {Kuei-jin}
- Mana
- Mentor
- Military Force
- Node
- Nushi {Kuei-jin}
- Prestation <i.e. Boons>
- Requisition {Mage?}
- Resources
- Retainers
- Rites {Kuei-jin}
- Spirit Companion
- Status
- Stolen Memories {New Background}
Pooling Backgrounds (VDA 157-158)
