Ghoul Rules

Vampires have been part of a secret society for a very long time. Throughout their unlives they’ve used mortals as tools - in some cases, Ghouls. These servile creatures are made to work in the sun where Vampires cannot normally tread.

Advantages to playing a Ghoul:

• Access to Vampire Powers up to Level 3 using the same methods Vampires use to learn them
• No Vampire costume requirements
• Feed to and from Vampires at double rate
• Vampiric Knowledge
• Native Realm: Realm

Disadvantages to playing a Ghoul:

• Bound to Regnant
• Primary Energy source is feeding from vampires

Building a Ghoul

Follow the normal Mortal rules with the following modifications:

• Choose a single Innate Discipline tree from your Domitor's Clan. You may take powers from this tree up to level 3. The first level is free. You may spend your Free XP on your normal options and any Discipline from your Domitor's Clan, however only the first tree is considered Innate for spending purposes. In the case of Disciplines with multiple trees, such as Thaumaturgy, the innate tree is the tree your parent Clan receives.
• You receive a free level of the Potence Discipline, but it is not considered innate. If Potence is your Innate discipline, you still receive a free level of the Potence Discipline (Level 2).
• Ghouls may take any Mortal merits or flaws and/or the Vampire merit Extra Discipline at character creation. Extra Discipline cannot be taken during conversion.

Ritual and Fetish access

Use the Vampire rules for Ritual and Fetish access.

Regnant and Domitor

A Regnant is the vampire who holds another in Thrall through use of a blood bond, a Domitor is the Vampire who created a ghoul. A ghoul's clan is determined by their domitor. While the terms are often used interchangeably, and they are often one and the same, Regnant and Domitor can be two different vampires to the same ghoul.

Changing Clan/Domitor

A ghoul who wishes to change innate disciplines may do so by changing their Domitor. This process requires a minimum of four game sessions. 1) The ghoul must first remove all blood bonds, either by stepping down over several games, or through use of a power such as Break Bonds. 2) Then the ghoul must spend one full game without consuming any vampire blood. At the end of this game, their ghoul merit will become inactive. 3) At the next game, the character may drink the blood of a new domitor, reactivating their ghoul merit and access to their disciplines. 4) At check-in of the following game, the player may register their new clan and change their innate discipline. They may not purchase any new disciplines until the exp debt from the previous innate has been paid off. If you have the revenant merit, you may not change your innate disciplines.

Parent Clan relationships Most ghouls don't suffer the flaws drawn from their parent clans because the blood isn't thick enough to impact their physical bodies, however there are a few notable exceptions. Revenants suffer a modified version of the flaw; Tremere ghouls - because of the intense and mystical inductions - suffer the standard Tremere flaw.

Becoming Inactive

• A character with the ghoul merit may only learn vampiric powers while the merit is active and they have access to the blood energy type; they may purchase previously learned vampiric powers as long as the merit remains on their sheet.
• A character who was not fed blood at all during the previous game and does not have any level of the blood bond on them loses access to vampiric powers and reverts to the normal mortal energy mechanic.
• A character who has has not fed blood during the previous game but does have a level of blood bond on them continues to use the ghoul mechanic.
• Revenants generate vampiric blood.

Power Access

Ghouls gain access to a single Vampire Power Tree as Innate, this tree must be chosen from their original Domitor's clan. Ghouls also get the first level of Potence for free, but unless chosen as the innate tree other levels cost as normal. They may purchase up to the 3rd level of any discipline they can get their hands on except for Protean, Quietus, Serpentis, Vicissitude and Thanatosis, as changing the body to these levels is beyond the power of the living.

While the Ghoul merit is active the Ghoul Energy mechanic replaces all other Energy mechanics on your character. If a Ghoul also has the Gnosis Access Merit, that merit goes dormant as long as the Ghoul merit is active. As a Ghoul, your energy pool still detects as a normal Essence pool, but your Essence Pool no longer regenerates naturally at sunrise. Ghoul energy counts as both an Essence pool and a Blood pool for most purposes and you are able to use items which require Blood or Essence energy types. You may regain energy from items or powers which restore either Blood or Essence, or by feeding from a vampire's blood pool - feeding from any creature's health does not restore your energy. When being fed from by a vampire, your energy pool is drained before your health pool. You may be Given Blood by a vampire character, or you may take blood from a vampire. In order to take blood as a ghoul you must cut a target - you may use a thrown weapon prop or a bladed weapon prop to cut (call “cutting 1, cutting 2, cutting 3”) the target will take no damage from this process. Afterward you may drain as much blood as you wish, 1 at a time, unless the target breaks the drain. Ghouls drinking this way receive 2 Essence for every Blood drained. You may not be fed from or use any form of 'grant energy' for 1 hour after feeding from a vampire. If someone attempts to feed from you during this time, you must respond “No effect.” If you have been fed from by a vampire you may not feed from a vampire for 1 hour.

Ghouls are not damaged by sunlight as vampires are, and thus do not have the vampire costume requirements.

Frenzy

Ghouls have one type of Frenzy: Rage.

Rage Frenzies are generally caused by the Enrage power but can come from other sources. When a character enters a Rage Frenzy they gain an instant level of Augment and become immune to Mentals except for Quell Beast. While in this state you cannot use active resists, Mentals, or Status powers, but can use any other powers on your character sheet. While in Frenzy you may not choose the targets of your wrath, you simply attack your nearest possible target. If you do not have a weapon or brawl boffers you may instead choose to behave like an aggressive beast. Upon entering Frenzy it is recommended that if you have a form power you enter it. You may enter any Form you have once for no additional cost when entering Frenzy. This effect lasts 60 seconds.

Ghoul Merits

Unbondable - 4 point Merit - You cannot be effected by a blood bond, however you only feed to and from vampires at a 1:1 rate and all feeding cooldowns remain in effect. Bond-like effects like Love still affect your character. When being fed from, for each blood drained you may spend an extra blood to provide the "take 2 blood" response to the character feeding from you.

Revenant - 2 point Merit - Restricted; See the section on Restricted Concepts in chapter 1. Your energy pool fills completely at dawn each day. You do not receive the free level of Potence, but may choose an additional Innate Discipline tree. You may not purchase the Unbondable Merit. As a Revenant you have a version of your parent clan’s flaw.

Brujah: Costs 2 Willpower to resist the Enrage power.

Lasombra: Take exposure damage from the sun every 5 minutes if you do not meet the Vampire costume requirements.

Malkavian: Must take at least one Derangement Flaw for only 1 point. This derangement can never be bought off.

Nosferatu: Required to wear makeup that makes you either look diseased or disfigured. This is considered a costume requirement.

Toreador: The first time you experience a new piece of art you become Frozen (unable to move or act) for 60 seconds while you study it. Being attacked or physically moved will break this effect.

Tremere: Two-steps blood bound to Clan Tremere

Tzimisce: Must keep 2 “Earth Fetter” jars with you. If you are without either of them for 24 hours your health pool is reduced by 1/4. Without both, your health pool is reduced to 1/2.

Ventrue: You may only receive Blood from Vampires of the following clans: Ventrue, Toreador, Lasombra, Cappadocian, Tzimisce, and Brujah.

Assamite: Must ingest at least 1 point of vampire blood every session. Failing to do so halves the blood that you replenish at dawn each day.

Giovanni: Take the Obsession flaw for "watching death" for 1 point.

Ravnos: Derangement: Compulsion for a specific criminal activity

Setite: Take exposure damage from the sun every 5 minutes if you do not meet the Vampire costume requirements.

Daughters of Cacophony: There are no DoC Revenants

Gangrel: There are no Gangrel Revenants

Salubri: There are no Salubri Revenants

Samedi: There are no Samedi Revenants.

Caitiff: There are no Caitiff Revenants.

Gargoyle: There are no Gargoyle Revenants.