RAPTURE

Social Flaws

 

Bad Liar (1 Trait)

 

It’s said that children develop the capacity for deception as early as two years old, but your

talent for fabrication hasn’t progressed much since that tender age. You might have obvious

behavioral tell tales when you try to lie, such as stammering or blushing, or maybe you just tend

to invent situations that are just too fantastic for anyone to give them credence. Regardless you

should roleplay this difficulty whenever possible, and you are two Traits down on all Social

Challenges involving deception in a social situation. 

 

Bully (1 Trait)

 

You like to throw your weight  around and don’t see anything wrong with getting your

way through social pressure or physical force when you feel like it. Inaddition to these charming

traits, youdon’t tend to dealwell whencompelled to follow amore forcefulpemnality, andtend

tobe atroublemaker when you’re not incharge. You’re oneTrait downonall Social Challenges

when you’renot the figure incharge, due toyour irritation.

 

Children (1 Trait)

 

You have children who depend on you for the necessities of life, not to mention

love and support. Fortunately for them, you treasure your role as a provider and take

pride in being there for your kids; unfortunately, the demands of the hunt can quickly

place a strain on your relationship with them, and no matter how they feel about it,

the guilt of neglecting your responsibilities takes a terrible toll on you. This Flaw

requires a lot of downtime attention to be significant enough to count, and should only

be chosen if you and the Storyteller are willing to mind it often enough for it to have

a real presence in the character’s life. (A good idea to start with is to have the player

draw up a weekly schedule of his character’s obligations as well as the kids’ activities,

which not only gives him an idea of the ways they might overlap, but also a framework

for the kinds of actions he can perform in downtime without threatening his

responsibilities.) If you go more than three days without seeing your kids, either due

to the hunt or other obligations, you cannot regain Willpower until you have achance

to be with them again for a like amount of time. At the Storyteller’s discretion, this

penalty may also apply for a time if you miss a particularly important event -

championship game, class play, graduation, etc. - especially if you promised to attend

or it would naturally be expected for a parent to be there.

 

Chronic Pessimist (1 Trait)

 

Determined to make Eeyore look like Shirley Temple, you learned long ago that

everything sucks, and what’s more, you’re happy to share this knowledge with others.

Nothing ever looks like it’ll turn out right, and even if it does you’re sure it’s only

because that success is a prelude to an even greater failure down the road. Even for one

someone who knows that horrifying monsters kill people and poison the planet every

day. Naturally, take delight in roleplaying this doomsaying at every opportunity, but

remember that such fun does have a price: you’re down two Traits on all Social

Challenges involving motivating people (such as Leadership challenges) or cheering

them up in any way (such as Empathy tests) - it’s just not.. . you.

 

Chronically Late (1 Trait)

 

Delays, delays, delays - something always seems to come up whenever you’re

trying toget somewhere on time.This isasmuchareflectionofnaturalprocrastination

or inattentiveness on your part as it is external factors. Anytime you have an

appointment to make, formal or informal, you must make a successful Willpower test

against three Traits to be there on time-failure means you’re at least 10 minutes late.

This can include entering the game later than other characters, if the time of your

arrival is important. Alternately, the Narrator may choose to increase your effective

travel times by as much as a third, to represent your inability to start a trip on time.

 

Chronically Shy (1 Trait)

 

People? Eep! Above and beyond the Negative Trait of the same name (though

you likely possess that as well), you’re incredibly wary of strange people, and even

worse with crowds. You’re one Trait down on all Social Challenges with people you

don’t know, and two Traits down on all Social Chalelnges that address a crowd of any

kind. And yes, these penalties are cumulative for crowds that are composed of more

strangers than familiar faces.

 

Clannish Family (1 Trait)

 

Sure, your family loves and supports you, it’s just that, well, they don’t like

outsiders much. It’s not that they’re necessarily mean, it’s just that they prefer to keep

matters (and favors) within the family. This might not even have been much of a

problem before, but since the imbuing they’ve noticed that you’ve been hanging

around a lot with people they don’t know, or worse still, bringing these strangers home

before the family felt comfortable with them. If your family constitutes or accounts for

your Allies, Contacts, Resources or Roots, they flat-out refuse to do anything that

requires them to directly or indirectly aid others outside the family, and will do their

best to make outsiders feel uncomfortable whenever they interact with them.

 

Collaborator (1 Trait)

 

Whether it was a devil’s deal to remove a larger threat to both sides, or just an

innocent exchange of information, sometime in the recent past you’ve worked with

one or more monsters to achieve your goals. Or maybe you haven’t, but word-of-mouth

in the hunter community says you have, and for one reason or another it’s been

impossible to prove otherwise so far. Either way, this reputation can put a serious strain

on your relations with more conservative imbued, and the Storyteller should take care

to inform other player characters of your supposed collaboration, so that they might

roleplay their reaction accordingly.

 

Crude (1 Trait)

 

You may be a trusted friend in private and valued ally on the hunt, but when it

comes to situations that require a certain amount of manners or refinement, even your

best friends try to pretend they don’t know you. You seem to break all the rules of

etiquette, deliberately or otherwise, and thus are two Traits down on all Social

Challenges in situations where tact or social grace are required. This Flaw can be taken

in addition to Negative Traits such as Tactless or Obnoxious, because it reflects a

general ignorance of social mores as opposed to a more specific difficulty with

particular behaviors.

 

Cultural Snob (1 Trait)

 

Yes, yes, we’ve all heard how much you appreciate fine art, classical music, the

best wines and the sublime ambiance of a good French restaurant - the problem is,

we’ve also heard how much abuse you heap on those who demonstrate the least bit of

knowledge or enjoyment of pop culture. In short, it’s obvious to everyone that you’re

a cultural snob of the worst sort, and you should do your best to roleplay this grating

distaste for all things “popular” as well as possible. What’s more, when it comes to

dealing with people who aren’t equally snobby about such things (read: just about

everyone), you’re two Traits down on all Social Challenges.

 

Defensive (1 Trait)

 

Whether from a lingering amount of immaturity or an endless drive for perfection

(in your mind, at least), you have trouble taking responsibility for your actions. Any

time anything goes wrong, you always find a way to blame someone or something else,

and become downright hostile to anyone who tries to point out this tendency as well.

You are one Trait down on all tests that would involve accepting responsibility for one

of your failures, and one Trait down on all Social Challenges with someone who tries

to point out this lovely habit of yours.

 

 

Eccentric Appearance (1 Trait)

 

Perhaps you run with a particular clique -Goth, punk, raver, etc. - or maybe

you’ve just got a truly unique sense of style, but either way your appearance immediately

makes you stand out in a crowd (at least among more ordinary folks). Aside from

occasionally drawing negative attention from others who disapprove of your clique or

style, you’re also easily remembered by other people. Any attempts to track you down

through witnesses are two Traits up, and you cannot take the Everyman Background

or the Forgettable Merit. Obviously, this Flaw also requires that you wear suitable

costuming and makeup to mark your unique appearance, and repeated failure to do so

will force you to buy off this Flaw.

 

Gambling Addict (1 Trait)

 

You can’t help it - whenever there’s a possible wager on the table, you just have

to take it. This is bad news because while you probably have extensive experience with

gambling, you’re addicted to it as well, which means that you tend to lose a lot more

than you win because you can’t pull yourself away from the table when you’re ahead.

Aside from the obvious impact this might have on your Resources, you must also make

a Willpower test against four Traits to pass up achance to gamble. Once you’ve started,

you must spend a Willpower Trait or make another test to stop gambling for any reason

less than adirect threat, regardless ofwhether you’re winning (“I’m aheadnow, so why

stop?”) or losing (“I have to at least break even!”).

 

Ghoulish Sense of Humor (1 Trait)

 

Youhave anhighlyactive senseofhumor, butnot exactlyahealthyone-in fact,

you tend to find amusing what other people consider disturbing or outright disgusting,

and thus have a bad tendency to crack inappropriate jokes at the worst possible times.

Any time you’re faced with a gory scene or otherwise uncomfortable moment (such as

someone consoling a crying victim), you are two Traits down on all Social Challenges

due to your habit of belittling the situation or those involved in it. Needless to say, you

should roleplay this behavior as well as possible, so long as you remember to keep all

the jokes in character.

 

Icy Demeanor (1 Trait)

 

Whatever that intangible quality is that makes people open up to others, you just

don’t have it. No matter what you’re like on the inside, you habitually project a cool and

hostile demeanor to those around you, and most don’t bother trying to get to know you

any better than that. You are two Traits down on all Social tests with someone during

the first scene that you meet them, due to your innate difficulty with presenting a likable

face to others. This is distinct from the Callow Negative Trait in that it represents an

ineptness at presenting yourself well rather than actual emotional isolation, though the

two may be combined in to create a truly heartless and distant S.O.B.

 

Impractical Dresser (1 Trait)

 

Nothing says your sense of style isn’t that great, but your sense of timing could

definitely use an improvement, at least in regards to what you should - and shouldn’t

-wear when on the hunt. Whether due to job constraints, wardrobe limits or simple

force ofhabit, you always seem to be caught wearing high heels when you need to chase

someone, or tight-fitting clothes that restrict your movements as you try to climb a

chainlink fence. Even some painful past experiences haven’t broken you of the habit.

You are assumed to begin each session somehow attired inappropriately for the needs

of the hunt, and thus are considered oneTrait down on all athletic- or combat-related

Physical Challenges unless you specifically acquire extra clothes in-game and take

time out to change during the session. This Flaw should be simulated as safely as

possible with appropriate costuming, but should you ignore or readily circumvent this

Flaw too often you may be required to buy it off, as it is obvious that you have finally

learned how to dress to kill (so to speak).

 

Insensitive (1 Trait)

 

Relating to people in an emotional context is an awkward and uncomfortable

experience for you, and your typical method of avoiding such unpleasantness (being

very blunt about everything) doesn’t usually do much to smooth things over either.

Most of the time you wind up apologizing without knowing exactly what you did to

offend someone, since you have a difficult time figuring out how other people are

feeling. You are one Trait down on all Social Challenges with someone in the grip of

a strong emotion of any kind, and two Traits down on all uses of the Empathy Ability

(these penalties are cumulative).

 

Intolerant Neighbors (1 Trait)

 

Your neighbors are every hunter’s nightmare: they like their neighborhood nice

and peaceful and quiet, and don’t hesitate to call the authorities at the first sign of

suspicious activity or even a loud party. This is generally up to the Storyteller to bring

into play, but a hunter with this Flaw had best tread carefully in regards to some of her

wilder activities lest the police or other agencies pay her an unwelcome visit. You

cannot possess this Flaw and the Vibrant Neighborhood Merit or the Roots Background

unless you have a truly strange living situation (and Storyteller approval).

 

 

Misinformed (1 Trait)

 

Some time ago you latched onto a theory or idea that’s far from mainstream and/

or flies in the face of accepted science, and for better or worse you’ve incorporated it

into your worldview, so much so that you tend to interpret events through the lens of

this belief. You need not be pushy about it, but you do truly believe in it, and will stand

steadfast by it if it is ever called into question whenever you make an ability test

that involves your skewed worldview (such as Science or Awareness), the difficulty is

increased by two as you try to fit the events or information you’re seeing into your own

perspective instead of vice versa. Note: You cannot take simply “the existence of

monsters” as your skewed belief, though you might be able to persuade your Storyteller

to allow it if your character passionately (read: blindly) believes that all monsters are

actually space aliens from the planet Zorg or some similarly outlandish belief.

 

Mistaken Identity (1 Trait)

 

They say everyone has a twin out there somewhere; problem is, yours is up to no

good, and everyone knows it. You bear a striking resemblance to a notorious figure of

some kind, whether a prominent criminal, infamous celebrity or even a feared monster

or radical imbued. You must wear a description tag indicating this unfortunate

resemblance. It doesn’t usually take much effort for others to figure out that you’re not

your “evil twin,” but some hotheads or glory hounds might not stop to make the

distinction before confronting you, and even then your presence is easily remembered

by those who recognize you.

 

Needy Friends (1 Trait)

 

Perhaps you’re just too soft-hearted to ever say no, or perhaps you have (or are

perceived to have) time and money to bum, but regardless, you’re the one your friends

and other non-imbued acquaintances always seem to come to when they need help.

From posting bail to giving a ride to holding someone’s hand, their need for you never

seems to end, and while you still consider them real friends as opposed to moochers,

that only makes it less likely you’re going to break free any time soon. In game, the

Storyteller may reflect this from time to time by temporarily lowering your Resources,

asking for additional favors from an Ally or Contact, limiting your downtime activity

between sessions or otherwise indicating how your friends need you as the chronicle

progresses.

 

No Internet Access (1 Trait)

 

Whether or not you’re familiar with computers or not, you have no ability to

access email or the Internet of your own, and must rely on friends or local libraries to

access this invaluable resources. Of course, this also makes it difficult for you to keep

up with hunter-net, assuming you are even aware of it in the first place. The Storyteller

may adjust theamountoftime it takes tousecertainBackgroundsor Abilities toreflect

the difficulty it takes to get in touch with you

 

No Phone (1 Trait)

 

You do not have a regular phone number others can use to reach you, nor do you

carry a pager or other electronic messenger. This can make it exceedingly difficult to

track you down on short notice, and you must rely on other means such as e-mail or

face-to-face meetings to keep in touch with your fellow hunters or plan for upcoming

activities. The Storyteller may adjust the amount of time it takes to use certain

Backgrounds or Abilities to reflect the difficulty it takes to get in touch with you.

 

Nonconfrontational (1 Trait)

 

Bringing up subjects you know others would prefer to avoid is acutely uncomfortable

for you, and you often find yourself giving in and accepting compromises you

regret later on down the road. It’s not that you’re weak, it’s just that you hate being

thought of as causing unhappiness to those you care about, so much so that you will

go to great lengths to avoid it if at all possible. Any time you find yourself the bearer

of bad news or in need of telling a friend or love one some unpleasant things, you are

two Traits down on all Social Challenges for the rest of the scene as a result of your

hesitation and unhappiness.

 

 

Poor Online Demeanor (1 Trait)

 

Sure, you’ve discovered hunter-net or a similar online community of the imbued,

but now they almost wish you hadn’t- whether you intend it to be or not, your online

persona is exceedingly grating and obnoxious to others, and they will aid you only

grudgingly because of it. Add two to the difficulty of all attempts togather information

or ask for aid from the online hunter community; what’s more, you are one Trait down

on all face-to-face Social Challenges with other hunters who recognize you from your

online postings.

 

 

Stubborn (1 Trait)

 

There are pit bulls, there’s ngmmmtis, and then there’s you- all three unwilling

to let anything go once they’ve got a hold of it. All of your beliefs enjoy your full,

unwavering support, and anyone who attempts to challenge them finds herself the

recipient of as much grief as you can muster. Any time someone questions one of your

beliefs, you are two Traits down on all Social Challenges with that character for the

rest of the scene as you naturally close yourself off to her (not to mention the

embarrassment if she’s actually right).

 

Superstitious (1 Trait)

 

Whether a cautious trait you acquired since learning that monsters existed, or a

habit you’ve had all your life, you adhere rigidly to a number of superstitions, to the

point where you frequently attribute the success or failure of your plans to how well you

adhered to “the rules.” You need not risk your life or the lives ofothers on these foibles,

however. Not only should this tendency be reflected on a constant level in your

roleplaying, but you are such a stickler for your superstitions that you are two Traits

down on all Social Challenges with anyone who disapproves of them due to your

conflict of belief. (As a rule of thumb, if you could imagine the person in question

reacting incredulously or unfavorably to you performing one of your regular superstitions,

this Flaw applies.)

 

Trusting (1 Trait)

 

You can’t help it - you just naturally take people at face value, whether due to

an optimistic view of people or just a limited amount of contact with people whose

motivations aren’t as noble as yours. Not only do you take them at their word, but you

also do such incautious things as accept rides home from recent acquaintances or walk

through bad areas at night, simply because you truly don’t believe something bad will

happen. You are two Traits down on all attempts to detect a lie or judge the character

of someone you’ve met for the first time that session.

 

Abusive Partner (2 Traits)

 

Monsters don’t just roam abroad - you live with a perfectly human beast at

home, who abuses you physically whenever you’re home. Any time you spend the

night at home, you must make a Simple Test - success means that you take no

damage, while a tie means that you come into play next time with a level of bashing

damage from the abuse. Aside from obvious social and psychological problems, this

Flaw can also significantly impair a character’s healing times, and the Storyteller

should make sure the character feels its weight appropriately.

 

 

Compulsive Liar (2 Traits)

 

Whether or not you’re good at it, you tend to inject your own special blend of the

truth into what you say, ranging from little white lies to untruths that might potentially

hurt others (especially when it comes to fellow hunters). At this point you might even

believe the lies you invent, since you tell them so often. Regardless, you should roleplay

this constant level of fabrication as best you can; additionally, in order to tell the

complete truth for a scene, you must spend a Willpower Trait or win a Willpower

Challenge against four Traits. This is also the case when you must tell a truth that

openly exposes a previous lie.

 

Conspicuous Consumer (2 Traits)

 

Saving money is difficult when there are so many cool things out there to buy, and

you tend to tax your finances buying brand names and a host of products you don’t

really need. Add two Traits to the difficulty of all tests related to using your Resources,

and cut the amount of monthly allowance it usually affords you by a third to reflect the

amount of money you spend.

 

Dogged by Fringe Media (2 Traits)

 

The truth is out there, but the sad fact is that lots of people went over the edge

right along with it, and for one reason or another you’ve got one such “colorful”

individual following you around. Worse still, this person is an amateur journalist for

an paranormal Web site or ‘line of some kind, and thus while you needn’t worry about

his work landing you on the front page of the local paper anytime soon, he can still draw

lots of unwanted attention toward you, especially if monsters happen to monitor the

local fringe media. What’s more, he has the most annoying habit of showing up just

in time to witness something bizarre or difficult to explain, which naturally only fuels

hiscuriosity further. Youshould workwith the Storyteller tocome up withsome details

about him and how the two of you met, although it will be up to the Storyteller to

determine his true abilities and motivation.

 

 

Foreigner (2 Traits)

 

While you might very well be fluent in the language and generally familiar with

the customs, you are still not native to the area where you currently live (and hunt).

You tend to be ignorant of small cultural details, and might have additional legal

restrictions on you as well. Whenever you attempt Streetwise or Etiquette tests, you are

two Traits down dealing with this strange foreign culture, and should adopt a

distinctive accent or other mannerism that clearly marks you as a foreigner (without

resorting to cultural stereotype).

 

Honest to a Fault (2 Traits)

 

Telling lies or even just bending the truth is contrary to your nature, so much so

that you will not do it unless it’s necessary to save human lives. Naturally, this lack of

practice tends to make you a pretty poor deceiver when you do attempt to twist the

truth, and you are two Traits down on any Social Challenge involving deception.

 

Infamy (2 Traits)

 

You’re well known in the area that you live, but for all the wrong reasons. You

might be a well-known criminal associate, or perhaps you were involved in a

prominent local scandal that has never quite lifted from your reputation. While you

won’t necessarily be attacked on the street, people do tend to look down on you or treat

you with some hostility, and so you are two Traits down on all Social Challenges with

those who know about your past. The Storyteller may also require you to wear a tag

denoting your infamous status, to ensure that you get the kind of reactions that you

deserve.

 

Lustful (2 Traits)

 

There are plenty of words for people like you, but regardless of how you want to

look at it, even you admit that you seldom put up much of a fight when it comes to

resisting the sensual charms of the gender you fancy. All attempts to seduce you are

two Traits up, and in general you make very poor decisions when it comes to people

that you find physically attractive, which should be roleplayed accordingly within the

rules of Mind’s Eye Theatre.

 

Monstrous Connections (2 Traits)

 

Most hunters spend nights out monster hunting, but you needn’t look far to find

at least one of the creatures - you have to deal with one in your daily life, whether

it’s your boss, a key family figure or another regular fixture of your existence. The

creature doesn’t necessarily know what you are (yet), but it’s in a prime position to

cause trouble for you should it choose to do so. This Flaw assumes that the monster is

in some position where you cannot easily avoid it, if not actually in a role that your

hunter would have a great deal of trouble justifying taking action against (such as a

parent or child).

 

 

Poor Judge of Character (2 Traits)

 

No matter how hard you try, you always seem to fall in with the wrong crowd.

Aside from (or perhaps including?) your fellow imbued, your “friends” tend to be

moochers, petty criminals and other undesirables, and suffice it to say that your

romantic history is probably long, tragic and highly repetitive. You are two Traits

down on all Awareness-, Empathy- or Intuition-related Challenges in social situations,

due to your difficulty in judging people correctly, and at the Storyteller’s discretion you

may face occasional difficulties with Backgrounds such as Allies or Contacts if they

involve your questionable associates.

 

Technophobe (2 Traits)

 

You hate modem technology, especially computers, and you’re pretty damn sure

it hates you right back. While you’re at home with tried-and-true things like cars and

telephones, making any sense of cell phones, pagers, laptops or other newfangled

gizmos is quite beyond you. You must make a Mental Challenge against five Traits to

perform even simple tasks on a computer, ATM machine or other technological

device you’re not comfortable with (which is most of them), and the Storyteller will

probably restrict some of the Abilities you can take at character creation to reflect this

deficiency as well.

 

Moneygrubbing (3 Traits)

 

Money makes the world go round, and you intend to ride the merry-go-round for

all it’s worth. Everything is secondary to the pursuit of wealth, and you’re capable of

performing some extreme things so long as there’s enough money in it for you. Any

time you’re offered a bribe, even by a monster or other loathsome figure, you must

either spend a Willpower Trait or make a Willpower test against six Traits to avoid

accepting the bribe. This difficulty increases by one if you’re pretty sure the task

required won’t hurt anyone (that you know of). In addition, you must make a similar

test to avoid searching the bodies or dwellings of fallen opponents for valuables.. . or

looting fallen allies for the same.

 

Wavering Faith (3 Traits)

 

There was a time when you thought your faith could get you through just about

anything, but that was before.. . .The horrors you’ve experienced since your imbuing

have shaken your faith to the core, and you have trouble mustering courage of

conviction when everything you once believed is so obviously wrong. After all, how

could a loving deity allow monsters to roam free causing suffering and anguish? And

it only takes one encounter with a ghost or a rot to see that the afterlife is obviously

not how you always thought it was. Aside from the wonderful roleplaying opportunities

this Flaw offers, all difficulties on Willpower tests of any kind are increased by one,

due to your shattered sense of confidence.