[BEGIN CHARACTER CREATION SPREAD SIDEBAR. LIKE THE ONE FOR VAMPIRES, JUST SMALLER.

] <2>Character Creation Process <n> Step One: Character Concept Choose concept, Nature and Demeanor, then Vassal, Independent or Revenant. Step Two: Select Attributes Prioritize the three categories: Physical, Social, Mental (6/4/3). Your character automatically has one dot in each Attribute. Rate Physical Traits: Strength, Stamina, Dexterity. Rate Social Traits: Charisma, Manipulation, Appearance. Rate Mental Traits: Perception, Intelligence, Wits. Step Three: Select Abilities Prioritize the three categories: Talents, Skills, Knowledges (11/7/ 4). Choose Talents, Skills, Knowledges. No Ability higher than 3 at this stage Step Four: Select Advantages Choose Disciplines (1, plus Potence 1), Backgrounds (5) and rate Virtues (5 for revenants and Sabbat ghouls, 7 for all others). Your character automatically has one dot in each Virtue. Step Five: Finishing Touches Record Humanity (equal to Conscience + Self-Control), Willpower (equal to Courage) and Blood Pool. Spend freebie points (21).

<3>Freebie Points <b>Trait Cost <n>Attribute 5 per dot Ability 2 per dot Discipline 10 per dot Background 1 per dot Virtue 2 per dot Humanity 1 per dot Willpower 1 per dot
[END CHARACTER CREATION SPREAD SIDEBAR] <2>Step One: Character Concept <n>Character concepts for ghouls cover just as broad ground as those for Kindred. A ghoul can be anybody, and have been been ghouled for just about any reason. If a Toreador catches sight of a pretty face in a crowd, ghouling said darling is far less risky than giving her the Embrace. When the vampire grows tired of her, no one will complain when she turns up on a milk carton. A childe is forevera ghoul is only for as long as it suits you. Since the standards for ghouldom are less exacting, your basic concept could range anywhere from a world-renowned linguist to that quiet guy next door. Your concept includes your basic image (and self-image), Nature and Demeanor. It also defines your role in the chronicle. Generally speaking, your character begins the game either as a vassal under the Blood Bond to a domitor, as a member of a revenant family, or as an independent with alternate means of obtaining vitae to preserve her powers. Whichever disposition you pick, consider the following questions to flesh out your character.

How did you first find out you were twice as strong as before, and what did you do with your newfound power? Whats your day job; do you have trouble there these days? Have you ever been driven into a frenzy, and how? Do you know youre an addict, or do you fool even yourself? How do you rationalize your habit? Do you hate anybody enough that you now feel like doing something about itor have you done it already? How would you describe the Blood; what metaphors best sum up that incredible rush? Would you let a loved one become a ghoul or would you try to stop her? For vassals, what sort of person were you before you became a ghoul? Do you define yourself mainly by relation to your master? Why were you chosen; what do you have to offer your domitor? Were you tricked into becoming a ghoul, or did you go willingly? Are you treated fairly, or is your liege abusive? What your masters clan, and what do you know about her role among the citys Kindred? Have you ever felt anything as powerful as the Blood Bond? If you were born a revenant, what family do you belong to? How strong are those family ties? How did your extremely prolonged childhood affect you? Were you abused by your family? Do you have any sibling rivalries? Have you run into trouble with the ghoul-hating members of your sect? Why are you away from home? Will you ever go back, and if so, how will you be received? As an independent, how did you receive your first taste of vitae? How do you maintain your all-important supply of the Blood? Do you interact with Kindred on their own terms, or do you deliberately avoid becoming entangled in their politics? Are you an escaped vassal? If so, what was your role: paramour, soldier, aide? Do you know about any other denizens of the World of Darkness? Do you want to? <2>Step Two: Select Attributes <n>A ghoul has fewer dots to divide among her Attributes, as her starting capabilities are more mundane than a vampires. However, youll get a bit more flexibility with freebie points in Step Four. You begin play with one free dot in each Attribute. After prioritizing Attribute categories, spend six dots among primary Attributes, four among secondary, and three among tertiary. <2>Step Three: Select Abilities <n>Select primary, secondary and tertiary groups for Abilities. The primary group receives 11 dots, the secondary group gets seven and the tertiary group receives four. Unlike Attributes, characters do not begin the game with automatic dots in any Ability. No Ability may be purchased above three dots during this stage of character creation. You may raise Abilities higher with freebie points in Step Four. <2>Step Four: Select Advantages <n>Although weaker than Cainites, ghouls still have an edge over ordinary men and women. All ghouls begin play with one dot of Potence, which they learn instinctively and immediately. Each ghoul also has one dot in another Discipline, which should be chosen according to your character concept. If youre playing a vassal, you must pick a Discipline that your domitor knows. Check with your Storyteller; your domitors clan will usually be a guide. If youre playing a revenant, you should choose your second Discipline from your familys traditional Disciplines.

Independent ghouls have no clan restrictions, but if you are creating an independent character, the Storyteller may require you to choose your second dot from among the innate physical Disciplines (Celerity, Fortitude and Potence). The two exceptions to this rule are Protean and Thaumaturgy. These highly specific Disciplines are available only to Gangrel and Tremere vassals, respectively. Ghouls (and revenants) are typically limited to learning only the first level of any Discipline; their borrowed vitae simply isnt potent enough to bestow more powerful abilities. However, they can exceed this limit by consuming blood from more powerful vampires. The potency of said blood is directly connected to the donors generationthe closer the vitae to Caine, the more powerful the Disciplines a ghoul may learn. The ghoul must drink this potent blood for a considerable period of time (generally, long enough to gain the requisite experience points to buy such advanced Disciplines). The chart below gives the standard correlation between a donors generation and the level of Disciplines a ghoul may attain. [PRODUCTION TABLE] Donors Generation 13th-8th 1 7th 2 6th 3 5th 4 4th 5 [END TABLE]

Maximum Discipline Level

<2>Finishing Touches <n>The finishing touches are pretty much the same for ghoul and vampire characters. However, ghouls receive 21 freebie points. This reflects their mortal flexibility, as well as the traits that initially made them attractive or useful to vampires.

<sb1>Experience Points Chart <sb2> [PRODUCTION TABLE] Trait Cost New Ability 3 New Discipline 20 New Thaumaturgy Path 20 Willpower new rating Humanity new rating x 2 Virtue new rating x 2 Ability new rating x 2 Attribute new rating x 5 Thaumaturgy Path new level x 15 (Tremere ghouls only) Clan/Family Discipline* new level x 15 Other Discipline new level x 25 [PRODUCTION END TABLE]

* A vassal gets a cost break on the clan Disciplines of her first domitor, regardless of the domitors actual Disciplines. So, while a Toreador may know Dominate, his ghoul still pays current level x 25 for it. An independent gets a cost break on Potence, Celerity and Fortitude. A revenant gets a cost break on her familys Disciplines. <sb3>A vassal who leaves a vampires service is treated as an independent from that point on, while an independent who becomes Blood Bound to a domitor is treated as a vassal.