Elysium Nights Theater Haven Rules: v2.4 02/14/2001
Comments are welcome.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction;
Ownership;
Haven Attributes;
Downtime Attacks;
Links;
Version Control.
INTRODUCTION:
- All five influence categories are considered primary for haven construction.
- Any character that is in play but not at the game (such as telepaths, projectors, or possessors)
is by definition in a haven. If there are no points spent in the haven, it is still considered
a haven and subject to the rules in this document.
- Havens have two structures: an outer haven and at least one crypt.
- Characters may have up to two solitary havens (each with an outer haven and one crypt)
or be part of up to two communal havens (each with an outer haven and several crypts),
or one of both (for a total of up to two crypts).
- All kindred characters start off with 10 free single-use influences to be used on
haven construction.
- A character's haven cannot be found either at the game or during downtime, or attacked in downtime for the
first three months of that character; communal havens are not subject to this rule.
- Herd, ghouls, conditioned creatures, or other NPCs are not used as part of haven defense.
PCs may be.
- Ventrue get a 25% bonus (round fractions down) to all influences spent.
Examples: Normally, an alarm costs 5 influences, but a Ventrue can buy one for 4 influences.
If a Ventrue wants to reinforce her haven, she can spend 4 influences and get 4 * 1.25 * 10 = 50
reinforcement points.
- Havens may only be built by spending influences which may be matched with money (as per influence rules) during downtime.
- Havens must be found before they are attacked. Because Mobile havens move every downtime, they must be found either at the game or during the previous downtime if they are to be attacked at an event.
- Havens may be found in one of two ways: by spending influence either at the game or during downtime (see Searching, Hiding, and Sewer Lore), or by in-game play.
- Havens may be constructed in the sewers or normally.
If constructed in the sewers, use the Sewer Lore rules on searching for a location. Otherwise, use the rules below in the Searching section.
- Havens may be attacked in one of two ways: by spending influence during downtime (see Influence Attack and Influence Resistance), or by in-game play.
- During in-game play, a structure may be penetrated in several different ways:
physical attacks (see Reinforcement), defeating lock(s) (see Two-way Locks), mist form
(see Seals), or collusion with someone on the inside.
- Attributes of outer havens: Alarms, Cameras (and their related items), Hiding, Influence Resistance, Locks, Mobility, Reinforcement, Rituals, and Seals.
- Attributes of crypts: Alarms, Alternate Exits, Cameras (and their related items), Locks,
Reinforcement, Rituals, and Seals.
OWNERSHIP:
-
Storytellers keep track of ownership information. In case of any addition,
change, or removal of ownership, the Storytellers must be informed.
Ownership changes or destruction of structures occur during downtime.
-
Outer havens have at least one owner. Crypts may only have one owner. If a structure has only one owner, he is the exclusive owner, otherwise he is considered a partial owner. Both type of owners may add or change the design of that structure and non-owners cannot make any additions or changes to that structure. One exception - an exclusive owner or a simple majority of the partial owners
of an outer haven of a communal haven can destroy (but not make any other change)
any crypt inside.
-
Only the owner(s) of a structure know the structure's attributes
(unless the owner(s) chooses to tell another character).
-
Characters who own crypts inside of a communal haven may or may not have any
ownership of the outer haven.
-
All structures are created with an exclusive owner - the character who spent the
first influences constructing it.
-
Ownership may be transferred or divided between characters, either by choice or
if the character dies and wills the ownership to a character in-game. Crypt
ownership cannot be divided, but it may be transferred.
-
Ownership may be forsaken by an owner voluntarily, upon character death (if
he does not will the ownership to another character), or if the character is not
in-game for six games in a row.
If an exclusive owner abandons an outer haven, the outer haven and all crypts
contained within it are destroyed.
If an exclusive owner abandons a crypt, that crypt is destroyed.
If a partial owner abandons a structure, and if there was only one other partial
owner, the other partial owner becomes the exclusive owner.
-
The ownership of a particular structure may only be determined in-game.
-
Havens may be stolen by other characters. Mobile havens may simply be taken if there are no unfriendly
characters nearby. Static havens may be occupied (assuming the owner(s) can be driven off and prevented
from retaking it). If the thieves control a haven for two games, it becomes theirs. At that point, the
haven's alarms and locks become inoperative and may be replaced by the new owners.
HAVEN ATTRIBUTES:
- Alarms: There may be alarms on all structures; each is bought separately.
- Cost: Cost is 5 influences per alarm. Each alarm has one trigger and one effect.
- Test: No test from outside. Alarms cannot be destroyed.
- Possible Triggers: physical attack of a structure, physical penetration of a structure,
or failure to open a set of two-way locks.
- Possible Effects: audible alarm, silent alarm, awaken a possessor or projector,
or paging one or several characters.
- Alternate Exits: A crypt can have hidden one-way doors leading to different areas.
- Cost: 5 influences per exit; maximum of 5 alternate exits per crypt. Cannot be bought if the haven is mobile.
- Test: No test. Anyone in the crypt may choose to leave through any of the available
exits. However, the attackers may choose to cover various other areas where the
exits may open into. Alternate exits cannot be destroyed. Each exit is out of line of sight
of the other, but each exit is 20 paces from the other. Obfuscate is not broken by opening
one of the exits.
- Camera: There may be any number of cameras covering an area, collecting audio and video.
Each camera must be obvious to all characters (represented by a red card taped to a wall or a ST informing the players there are camera(s) present). The cameras are breakable. The camera signals cannot be intercepted or jammed.
- Cost: 1 influence per camera.
- Test: No test.
- Camera taping system: This is used to record the output of
a camera. Recorders may be in a different location from the source cameras or
monitors. Recorders are obvious and breakable. There must be one recorder per
camera that is taped. Searching characters must be PCs. If a scene wants to be
replayed, the player whose character is searching the tape must find a ST who
was present at the scene to be replayed. If no ST was present, then the scene
was not taped.
- Cost: 1 influence per recorder.
- Test: No test, but see above.
- Hiding: Hiding an outer haven makes it more difficult for an attacker using influences to find it.
- Cost: 15 influences
- Test: See Searching. Hiding a outer haven effectively doubles the number of hiding points that a haven has. This attribute is mutually exclusive with the mobility attribute (ie. one haven cannot have both). Hiding cannot be destroyed.
- Influence Resistance: An outer haven can be made resistance to influence attacks in
downtime. This has no effect on in-game play.
- Cost: 1 influence per 3 influence resistance points.
- Test: See Influence Attacks.
- Locks: There are three kinds of locks: two-way, one-way, and timelock.
- Two-way locks allow people outside to get in if they have the correct secret, item, or appearance. There may be many two-way locks on each structure.
- Cost: Two-way locks cost 2 influences per lock.
- Test: Static test for each lock. Attacker wins on ties. One test every 5 minutes. When each two-way lock has been defeated, that structure has been penetrated. The attacker can choose if the locks have been bypassed or destroyed. If the locks have been destroyed and not repaired, anyone can enter through that entrance. Repair costs are half of the original construction costs. Failing a test to penetrate a lock may cause an alarm.
- One-way locks allows someone inside to allow others to enter.
- Cost: One-way locks cost 2 influences per lock.
- Test: No test from outside. Only a PC inside can open a one-way lock.
One-way locks cannot be destroyed.
- Timelocks are generally used by projectors and possessors seeking to defend against
summoning or certain dominate attacks.
- Cost: Timelocks cost 2 influences.
- Test: If a timelock is active, the person inside the lock cannot leave the structure
for 15 minutes. No test from outside. Timelocks cannot be destroyed.
- Mobility: The haven must be reasonably capable of moving. Havens in the sewers cannot be mobile.
- Cost: Costs 15 influences.
- Test: No test. A mobile haven is easier to hide and cannot be attacked through influence attacks, but cannot be reinforced and cannot have alternate exits. Every downtime, a mobile haven must be found again before it can be attacked again. Mobility cannot be destroyed. This attribute is mutually exclusive with the hiding attribute (ie. one haven cannot have both).
- Monitor: This is used to view and hear the output of a
camera. Monitors may be in a different location from the source cameras.
Monitors are obvious and breakable. One monitor may be used to view multiple
source cameras; the viewer must manually flip through the sources. Viewing
characters must be PCs.
- Cost: 1 influence per monitor.
- Test: No test, but see above.
- Reinforcement: Reinforcement makes a structure resistant to physical attack.
There may be reinforcement on all structures; each is bought separately.
Windows cannot be reinforced.
Once a structure has 100+ reinforcement points, it is considered soundproof.
- Cost: 1 influence gives 10 reinforcement points per structure normally;
cannot be bought if the haven is mobile.
- Test: Attacker's potence bid vs. structure's reinforcement points,
one test every 5 minutes. The attackers may not spent blood or willpower.
However, if any of the attackers have potence 3a, then the structure will be
breached after a maximum of 10 minutes.
When the reinforcement has been beaten once, that structure has been penetrated.
Until the reinforcements are repaired, anyone can enter through the new opening.
Repair costs are half of the original construction costs.
Physically attacking a structure or physically penetrating a structure may cause an alarm.
- Attacker's potence bid: Sum of the three strongest attackers' potence by: (2 + level of
potence)^2. So an attacker with potence 3a (level 5) and two attackers with
potence 2a (level 3) would be: (2 + 5) ^ 2 = 49 for the 3a and (2 + 3) ^ 2 = 25
for each of the 2a's, for a total of 49 + 25 + 25 = 99.
Ten influences would need to be spent on reinforcement to win on ties against this
attack (10 influences * 10 = 100 reinforcement points).
- Rituals:
Rituals may be cast on the haven per the normal rules.
- Seals: Seals are used to prevent mist from entering.
- Cost: Seals cost 10 influences per structure.
- Test: No test. If seals are not bought for a structure, a mist form can freely penetrate
that structure. Seals cannot be destroyed.
DOWNTIME ATTACKS:
- Searching:
All haven's have a base hiding point value equal to the primary owner's (Mental Traits + Influences) * 2. If the haven has been hidden as per the hiding attribute, double this number. If the haven has multiple partial owners use the owner with the highest number of Mental Traits + Influences.
The searcher(s) choose a character whose haven they want to discover.
For each haven that character has, the searchers find it if the searcher's total influences spent is greater than that haven's hiding points. All haven location information will be given to the searcher(s) at the next game (if searching during downtime) or at the current game (if searching at the game).
If several searchers are cooperating, then all the searcher's influences are summed
for the "searcher's total influences spent".
However, if several searchers are looking for the same character's haven,
but are not cooperating, then these are counted as separate searches.
Every downtime, a mobile haven moves for no cost and must be found again before it can be attacked. However, if an attacker has found a mobile haven either at the game or during the previous downtime, the mobile haven can be attacked in-game.
- Influence Attack:
The attacker(s) can weaken a haven (that has been found) and eventually have it
destroyed through mundane means during downtime.
For each influence the attackers spend on attacking this haven, the haven permanently
loses an influence resistance point.
If a haven's influence resistance is reduced below zero, the haven has been destroyed.
None of the contents of the haven are damaged; however, the characters must
find or create a new haven from scratch.
A mobile haven cannot be attacked through influence attacks.
LINKS:
VERSION CONTROL:
- 1998/11/29: v1.0 beta 1: First version.
- 1998/12/09: v2.0: Added primary influences and cash.
- 1999/07/26: v2.1: Added ownership and a few new attributes.
- 2000/03/24: v2.2: Cameras changed to red cards, hiding multiplier changed,
and searching allowed downtime or at the game.
- 2000/06/21: v2.3: Added theft and limits.
- 2001/02/14: v2.4: Changed hiding to smaller formula. Made mobility and hiding mutually exclusive. Removed concealed doors.