Merits

Ability Aptitude (1 Pt. Mental Merit)

You have a natural aptitude for some Ability that goes beyond simple proficiency. With one non-combat capability (such as Computer or Drive) you gain a two-Trait resolution bonus. This can't apply to a combat skill or an exotic/esoteric Ability like Firearms or Vampire Lore.

Acute Sense (1 Pt. Physical Merit)

One or more of your senses are particularly sharp (must specify one of your five senses). You are two Traits up on all challenges involving this particular sense. You may have multiple acute senses, but you must purchase this Merit once for each sense.

Ambidextrous (1 Pt. Physical Merit)

You have a high degree of off-hand dexterity, and you can perform tasks with the "wrong" hand at no penalty. You must still use the rules for taking multiple actions, but you do not suffer a difficulty penalty if, say, you usc two weapons or are forced to use your off hand.

Animal Affinity (2 Pt. Merit; Fae Only)

You possess some of the legendary fae affinity for animals, and with a successful Social Challenge you may calm down a frightened or enraged animal, or befriend a neutral one. By spending two Social Traits, you may gain a rudimentary ability to understand the intentions of a particular animal, and even communicate with it in a way it understands well.

Art Affinity (5 Pt. Merit; Fae Only)

You possess a great degree of natural skill with one Art of changeling magic (your choice). You are automatically one Trait up on any tests with this Art, and it costs one fewer experience Traits than normal to learn new powers in that Art. This Merit may only be purchased once.

Busy Helper (5 Pt. Merit; Fae Only)

This Merit is identical to the boggan Birthright: Craftwork.
Boggans can perform any kind of task that requires hands-on craftswork in one-third normal time, as long as there are no witnesses and they are undisturbed. Other boggans may assist without imperiling the time bonus, however. In addition, to reflect their expertise at their chosen trades, boggans receive a free level of Crafts that can never be permanently lost.

Cat Senses (5 Pt. Merit; Fae Only)

This is identical to the sluagh Birthright: Heightened Senses, except you may not speak to wraiths, and you do not suffer the sluagh difficulties of Heightened Senses (susceptibility to light, etc.).

Sluagh have very keen senses, especially hearing and vision, and can act at no penalty in lightless or dimmed environments. 

Chimerical Craftsman (5 Pt. Merit; Fae Only)

This is identical to the Nocker Birthright: Forge Chimera
Forge Chimera: Nockers are the craftsmen and artisans of the fae, and with proper time and tools they can create chimerical objects of all kinds, weaving them out of pure Glamour and hard work. These objects cannot require radiation, electricity or active chemical reactions to function, however. Nockers receive either a free level of Crafts or Repair to demonstrate this affinity. Created items require a Static Mental Challenge with a Storyteller-assigned difficulty, and also an expenditure of Glamour based on the complexity of the item:
One Glamour - Hammer, door, business card
Two Glamour - Locks, candelabra, knife
Three Glamour - Sword, siege engine

Code of Honor (2 Pt. Merit)

A specific code of behavior and ethics, separate from your Path of Enlightenment (if any), guides your actions. This code is very personal, shaped by your own experiences. You should work with your Storyteller to build an appropriate code (which should include some hindrances and prohibited activity in addition to beliefs and passions). You gain one free retest whenever facing a Mental or Social situation that might cause you to violate your code, be it supernatural persuasion or possible frenzy. You must construct your own personal code of honor in as much detail as you can, outlining the general rules of conduct by which you abide. As always, double-check what you create with a Storyteller.

Common Sense (1 Pt. Mental Merit)

This merit is free for new players.

Your have a significant amount of practical, everyday wisdom. Whenever you are about to do something contrary to common sense, the Narrator should alert you to how your potential action might violate practicality. This is an ideal Merit if you are a novice player; it allows you to receive advice from the Narrator concerning what you can and cannot do, and (even more importantly) what you should and should not do.

Fae Songs (1-5 Pt. Merit; Fae Only)

Through accident or training, you have learned some of the ancient songs of the fae, which allow you to weave special powers over your audience with a successful Performance Challenge. You have learned one song per Trait of this Merit, and each has a different supernatural effect - sleep, passion, lure a type of target (rodents, children) away, or happiness. These songs are covered by the Mists, meaning that any mundanes affected will be unable to remember the tune that so enchanted them except in dreamy snatches... See Bardic Gift on p. 155 of the Shining Host Player's Guide for more options.

Higher Purpose (1 Pt. Merit)

Everyone has “reason to live,” but you have a special commitment to a single ideal. Your chosen goal drives and directs you in everything. You do not concern yourself with petty matters, because your higher purpose is everything. Though you may sometimes be herded along by this aim and find yourself forced to behave in ways contrary to the needs of personal survival, having this sort of motivation can also grant you great inner strength. You have two extra Traits on any challenge having to do with your higher purpose. You need to decide what your higher purpose is before you start playing; make sure you talk it over with the Storyteller first. (You cannot take both this Merit and the Flaw: Driving Goal.)

Immortal Passions (5 Pt. Merit / 4 pt. Flaw; Fae Only)

You possess one of the legendary passions of the fae, and tend to feel this emotion with a depth unfathomable to most mortals. You must work with your Storyteller to determine what your passion is, and to what situations it might apply. Whether or not you are able to easily control this passion, however, dictates whether this is a Merit or a Flaw. If you take this trait as a Merit, you receive a free retest on any test directly pertaining to your passion (this does not include most combats, unless the object of your passion is defenseless or otherwise in dire need of your aid), and any attempts (magical or otherwise) to create emotions in you that would contradict your passion automatically fail. However, if you take this trait as a Flaw, your passion can also take control of you at inopportune moments, and you must either spend a Willpower Trait or make a Static Challenge of your current Willpower against six Traits to retain control of yourself.

Note: This does not mean that you must act unbalanced or melodramatic when it comes to expressing your passion; indeed, some of the most emotional moments in our lives are times of quiet strength and devotion. This Merit is also not cumulative with the effects of the True Love Merit, although they can be combined (most wonderfully) for roleplaying purposes, and taking this Flaw with True Love is one way to ensure an epic, though most likely tragic, romance. Some passions include: love, honor, compassion, righteous anger, freedom and a desire to learn. At the Storyteller’s discretion, you may take darker passions (lust, greed, etc.), but they are generally only acceptable as Flaws.

Iron Resistance (4 Pt. Merit; Fae Only)

Although cold iron is still a threat to your faerie soul, you suffer less from its proximity than other fae do. You can tolerate touching cold iron without the detrimental physical side effects that most fae suffer. Cold iron still inflicts aggravated wounds on you, however, and a fatal wound from the metal will still destroy your fae soul utterly.

Jack-of-All-Trades (5 Pt. Merit)

You have a large pool of miscellaneous skills and knowledges obtained through your extensive travels, the jobs you’ve held, or just all-around know-how. You may automatically attempt any action even though you do not have the appropriate Ability, although you must risk an extra Trait to do so. However, if you lose this challenge, both Traits you bid are also gone. You can, of course, spend a Willpower Trait to avoid losing the Traits you just bid.

Loyal Heart (5 Pt. Merit; Fae Only)

This is identical to the Troll Birthright: Strength of Duty
All trolls are loyal to a cause and extremely stubborn. This devotion manifests as an extra Willpower Trait per story that can only be counted or spent in direct support of an oath that the troll has sworn.

Mass Appeal (1-5 Pt. Merit; Fae Only)

You have learned how to harness the Glamour of an appreciative audience to your own ends; for each Dreamer in the vicinity, or for every five mundane beings enjoying a performance of which you are a part, you are considered to have one extra Glamour Trait, up to the limit of the number of Traits of the Merit. These extra Glamour Traits may only be spent on enchantment or cantrips directly related to the performance, and fade away once the performance is over if they are unused. You must successfully employ a Performance Social Challenge to use this Merit.

Natural Appreciation (5 Pt. Merit; Fae Only)

This is identical to the ghille dhu Birthright: Nature's Bounty.

Ghille dhu may harvest Glamour from beautiful natural scenes. Consider this process a form of Reverie, only it allows the ghille dhu to take the Dreamers Background as a favorite park or vista instead of a person. The time taken to gain Glamour is the same as usual, the ghille dhu must be relatively undisturbed and the scene pristine. A natural site may be Ravaged, by accident or design, rendering it useless for the purposes of a ghille dhu.

Spin the Wheel: Childling ghille dhu can retest any challenge, no matter what it may be and without cost, once per story.

Rose and Oak: Wilder ghille dhu receive free Gorgeous and Wiry Physical Traits, reflecting the splendor of their Summer forms.

Wisdom of the Ages: A grump ghille dhu can use her deep connection with the Dreaming and its cycles to get the answer to a single question. She must meditate in a natural setting (not with a potted plant at the mall!) for one hour, out of game, during which time she cannot communicate with anyone, and spend a Willpower and Glamour Trait. She may then ask a single question of the Storyteller, and make a Simple Test. If she wins, the answer the Storyteller provides will be mostly straightforward; if she ties, a more cryptic answer may be provided. If she loses, the question may not be asked again for at least a month. She may retest, but only at cost of another Glamour and Willpower Trait per retest. This Birthright, meant to be used once per
lunar cycle, can fail or even backfire with false information on the ghille dhu if used for trivial purposes. Those who use it too often may find themselves gone into the wilds for good one night...

One Bad Dude (5 Pt. Merit; Fae Only)

This is identical to the Redcap Birthright: Bully Browbeat
Redcaps have such bad attitudes that even chimera are intimidated by their tough talk. All redcaps receive a free Intimidating Trait, and are two traits up on any Social Challenges involving sheer bad attitude.

Poetic Heart (3 Pt. Merit; Fae Only)

You possess a truly romantic, inspired soul, and are destined to be a great hero or artist. In any event, Glamour shields you from some of the worst effects of Banality; once per story, you may spend a Willpower Trait to avoid gaining Banality Traits from one test.

Water Baby (5 Pt. Merit; Fae Only)

This is identical to the selkie Birthright: Ocean’s Grace

All selkies automatically succeed at any non-combat or non-cantrip challenges or tests related to swimming in any form, and are two Traits up on any challenges made while in the water. However, selkies are one Trait down on all Physical Challenges made on dry land.

Winged (4 Pt. Merit / 2 Pt. Flaw; Fae Only)

You have beautiful wings, be they feathered bird’s wings or bat wings or a brilliant butterfly’s tapestry. They are chimerical, but you must accommodate them nonetheless, which can make for some bizarre scenes as you try to explain why you’ve cut slits in the backs of all of your coats. If your wings are restrained improperly, you are down on Trait on all Physical Challenges. If you take Winged as a Flaw, you cannot fly, but are one Trait up on all uses of Wind Runner. If it is a Merit, you may indeed fly for short periods of time (no more than a scene or two at a stretch), although you may not use this ability in the presence of the unenchanted.

Merits for All Races

  • Berserker 3 pts (F&F, p. 137)
  • Bruiser 1 pt (Laws of the Night Camarilla Guide, p. 24)
  • Catlike Balance 1 pt (F&F, p. 134)
  • Celestial Attunement 1 pt (F&F, p.137)
  • Clear Sighted 5 pts (Laws of the Hunt, p. 154)
  • Coldly Logical 1 pts (Laws of the Night Camarilla Guide, p. 25)
  • Common Sense 1 pt (F&F, p. 137)
  • Concentration 1 pt (F&F, p. 137)
  • Crusader 1 pt (F&F, p. 140)
  • Danger Sense 3 pts (F&F, p. 142)
  • Daredevil 3 pts (F&F, p. 134)
  • Debt of Gratitude/Favor 1-3 pts (F&F, p. 140)
  • Dual Nature 2 pts (The Long Night)
  • Eidetic Memory 2 pts (F&F, p. 137)
  • Enchanting Voice 2 pts (Laws of the Night Revised, p. 113)
  • Friendly Face 1 pt (Laws of the Night Camarilla Guide, p. 24)
  • Huge Size 4 pts (F&F, p. 134)
  • Insensible to Pain 5 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion, p. 68)
  • Iron Will 3 pts (F&F p. 138)
  • Lightning Calculator 1 pt (Laws of Ascension Companion, p. 75)
  • Lucky 3 pts (F&F, p. 142)
  • Magic Resistance 2 pts (F&F p. 141)
  • Medium 2pts (F&F, p. 141)
  • Misplaced Heart 2 pts (The Long Night)
  • Natural Leader 1 pt (F&F, p. 140)
  • Natural Linguist 2 pts (Laws of the Night Revised, p.116)
  • Nine Lives 6 pts (F&F, p. 142)
  • Oracular Ability 3 pts  (Laws of the Night Revised, p. 120)
  • Perfect Liar 3 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion, p. 94)
  • Pitiable 2 pts (F&F, p. 140)
  • Poker Face 2 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion, p. 93)
  • Prestigious Sire/Mentor 1 pt (F&F p. 140)
  • Sanctity 2 pt (Laws of the Night Sabbat Guide, p. 73)
  • Shivers 1 pt (Laws of the Hunt, p. 150)
  • Sorcerous Awareness 4 pts (Laws of the Hunt, p. 152)
  • True Love 4 pts (F&F, p. 142)
  • Unbondable 3 pts (Laws of the Night Revised, p. 120)

Vampires

  • Eat Food 1 pt (F&F, p. 134)
  • Blush of Health 2 pts
  • Efficient Digestion 3 pts
  • Light Sleeper 2 pts
  • Calm Heart 3 pts
  • Faerie Affinity 2 pts
  • Bright Aura 1 pt (Laws of the Night Camarilla Guide)
  • Healing Touch 1 pt (Laws of the Night Camarilla Guide)
  • Inoffensive to Animals 1 pt (Laws of the Night Camarilla Guide)
  • Early Riser 1 pt (Laws of the Night Sabbat Guide)

Mages

  • Light Sleeper 1-3 pts  (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Conditional Magic 1-6 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Green Thumb 1 pt (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Parlor Trick 1 pt (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Circumspect Avatar 2 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Unaging 2 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Cyclic Magic 3 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Manifest Avatar 3 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Natural Channel 3 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Unbondable 3 or 6 pts  (Laws of Ascension Companion, Character Creation Only)
  • Fae Blood 4 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Kinfolk 4 pts (Laws of the Hunt)
  • Twin Souls 4 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Ghoul 5 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Legendary Attribute 5 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Shattered Avatar 5 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Gnosis 5-7 pts (Laws of the Hunt)
  • Avatar Companion 7 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Dual Tradition 7 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Inner Knight 5 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Physical Enhancement 3+ pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Personal Talisman 1 pt (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Resistant Pattern 7 pts (Laws of Ascension Companion)
  • Immunity 2-7 pts  (Laws of Ascension Companion, Must be approved by Storyteller)
  • Bardic Gift 1-5 pts (Fae Blood Merit) pg. 155 Shining Host Players Guide
  • Honored Birthrights 5 pts (Fae Blood Merit) pg. 158 Shining Host Players Guide
  • Riastradh 5 pts (Fae Blood Merit) pg. 159 Shining Host Players Guide

Shifters

  • Silver Tolerance 7 pts (Laws of the Wild West p.192 use silver rules form LWW)
  • Bad Taste 2 pts (Laws of the Wild)
  • Fair Glabro 2 pts  (Laws of the Wild)
  • Lack of Scent 2 pts  (Laws of the Wild)
  • Metamorph 6 pts (Laws of the Wild)
  • Moon-Bound (Lilith) 2 pts (Laws of the Wild)
  • Natural Channel 3 pts  (Laws of the Wild)
  • Resistant to Wyrm Emanations 6 pts (Laws of the Wild)

Nuwisha Only

  • Large 1pt (Changing Breeds 1)
  • Umbral Affinity 2 or 3 pts (Changing Breeds 1)
  • Favored by Coyote 6 pts (Changing Breeds 1)

Corax Only

  • Quick Learner 2 pts (Changing Breeds 1)
  • Double Draught 2 pts (Changing Breeds 1)
  • Guardianship 2 pts (Changing Breeds 1)
  • Birdseye 4 pts (Changing Breeds 1)
  • Strong Claws 4 pts (Changing Breeds 1)

Bastet Only

  • Graceful 2 pts (Changing Breeds 1)
  • Photographic Memory 3 pts (Changing Breeds 1)
  • Gift of Seline (Lilith) 5 pts (Changing Breeds 1)

Gurahl Only

  • Early Maturation 3 pts (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Umbral Affinity 3 pts (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Rip Van Winkle 3-6 pts (Changing Breeds 2)

Mokole Only

  • Manshape 1 pt  (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Mnesis of the Lost Ones 1 pt (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Terrible Footsteps 1 pt (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Yathamaya 1 pt (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Bite of the Monitor 1-5 pts (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Retain Eggs 2 pts (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Retain Seed 2 pts (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Temperature Control 2 pts (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Farm Ties 3 pts (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Sacred Crocodiles 3 pts (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Gold Tolerance 5 pts (Changing Breeds 2, use LWW page 192)
  • Eidetic Memory 5 pts (Mokole only)
  • Color Change 7 pts (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Step Sideways 7 pts (Changing Breeds 2)
  • Veiled to Garou 7 pts (Changing Breeds 2)

Ratkin Only

  • Caged Folk 3 pts (Changing Breeds 3)

Mummy

  • High Pain Tolerance 1 or 3 pts (Laws of the Resurrection)
  • Noble Bearing 1 pt (Laws of the Resurrection)
  • Fascinating Gaze 2 pts (Laws of the Resurrection)
  • Osiris’ Gift 1pt (Laws of the Resurrection)
  • Immune to Disease 3 pts (Laws of the Resurrection)
  • Immune to Poison 3 pts (Laws of the Resurrection)
  • Gift of Thoth 5 pts (Laws of the Resurrection)