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How Ghouls Work

Becoming a Ghoul-

When a mortal is fed at least 3 BP, they become a Ghoul. This BP must be fed all at once.

As long as a mortal has vitae in his system, he remains a Ghoul. If /all/ the vitae is used up, he reverts to being mortal. Ghouls who are beyond their natural age immediately age to catch up to where Time's clock stopped ticking for them. Ghouls beyond their natural life span shrivel up and die. Very old Ghouls who are Embraced quickly enough do not suffer this shrivelling detriment.

Benefits of being a Ghoul-

Ghouls may use blood in their system as if they were Vampires. They can blood buff (their blood buffed stats may only reach 5) and heal with vitae.

They soak lethal damage with their Stamina, and count as supernatural creatures for purposes of being dazed (Stamina +2 levels of damage in one hit are required to daze them).

Ghouls recieve access to Vampiric Disciplines.

Ghouls stop aging as long as vitae is in their system.

Detriments of being a Ghoul-

Ghouls may check for frenzy as if Vampires (not rotschreck), but they do so at a -2 difficulty.

Ghouls are addicted to vitae. If they have less than 7 - Self Control BP in their system, they must roll check for withdrawl. This is a difficulty 5 Self Control roll, +1 for each week that the Ghoul has not fed on vitae. If the Ghoul accumulates 15 - WP total successes, they conquer the withdrawl until fed again. The Ghoul may roll once a day.

If a Ghoul has no more vitae in his system, he is no longer a Ghoul.

Ghouls burn BP at a rate of 1 per month, plus any active use. (This will not have much effect in our setting unless a Ghoul is explicitly without a blood source.)

Creating a Ghoul

The following specifics are aimed at character creation and development for ghouls.

NPC Ghouls

Faceless NPC Ghouls only have Potence 1 and access to 5 BP. Named NPC Ghouls may be created with the following templates.

Ghoul Templates

Fresh Ghoul - 2 discipline dots, 10 BP. 1/turn

The Fresh Ghoul template includes PC ghouls who are created ICly, and include Ghouls who have been a Ghoul for less than 10 years.

Experienced Ghoul - 4 discipline dots, 12 BP. 1/turn. Clan flaw.

The Experienced Ghoul has been around the block. He's served 11+ years under his Domitor, as it's unlikely an independent would last this long. He is skilled in the use of Vampiric disciplines, and is better at handling blood. He manifests a lesser version of a clan flaw (listed under Clan Flaws), as he has internalized a very large amount of vitae.

Ancient Ghoul - 5 discipline dots, 14 BP, 2/turn, Clan flaw and derangement.

The Ancient Ghoul has served at least 50 years under a single Domitor. He is very experienced at the manipulation of vitae, and has an array of powers to show for it, as well as mastery over his blood. However, living for what is almost definitely beyond his natural mortal lifespan reliant on vitae and the whims of a master tends to drive Ghouls who reach this age inevitably insane. This can manifest in something as harmless as a cleanliness OCD to serial killer tendencies.

Clan Flaws

Assamite -
Warrior Caste - Difficulty 4 frenzy check every time the Ghoul consumes vitae.
Sorceror Caste - Aura sight shows up sparkles of magic use perpetually. All magic that targets the ghoul is at -1 diff.
Vizier Caste - Compulsion or Obsession flaw.
Brujah - More prone to outbursts, +1 diff on all social rolls except intimidation, which recieve -1 diff. +1 diff to resist frenzy
Cappadocian - +1 diff on social rolls.
Giovanni - Derangement related to death.
Followers of Set - The ghoul gets blisters on their skin from prolonged sun exposure + add an addiction flaw temporarily (this may carry over after ghouls become a normal human again or gets embraced).
Gangrel - After three frenzies the ghoul loses a point of appearance and gains an animal mannerism like growling when angry, scratching in public, sniffing people to discern their identies, etc. This penalty only applies once.
Lasombra - The ghoul's reflection is hazy. Prone to acting pretentious.
Malkavian - The ghoul gains a temporary derangement for as long as they're ghouled.
Nosferatu - The ghoul loses a dot of appearance.
Ravnos - Add a compulsion flaw.
Toreador - Add an obsession flaw with something beautiful.
Tremere - +1 difficulty resisting dominate or presence powers.
Tzimisce - Add the territorial flaw.
Ventrue - The ghoul only wants its master's blood, difficulties on withdrawls are increased by +1.

Ghoul Disciplines and You

Every Ghoul has access to their Domitor's in clan disciplines and Potence. These consist of their 'in clan' disciplines.

Ghouls buy up 'in clan' disciplines and Potence at x7 and 12XP. Ghouls buy up 'out of clan' for x8 and 14 XP.

Clans that /already/ have Potence as an In Clan discipline (meaning that Lasombra, Brujah, and Nosferatu Ghouls only have 3 in clans, instead of 4) get an XP discount to Potence. It costs 10 XP to purchase and x5 to raise Potence for Ghouls of these clans.

The Domitor's generation determines how high a Ghoul may raise their disciplines.

Important: In the case of rogue Ghouls, this is the most potent vitae currently flowing through their veins. For example, if a rogue Ghoul possesses Potence 3 but all of his current vitae is from a 12th Generation vampire, he can only use Potence 1.

13th through 11th Ghouls may raise their disciplines to 1.
10th through 9th Ghouls may raise their disciplines to 2.
8th and 7th Ghouls may raise their disciplines to 3.
6th Ghouls may raise their disciplines to 4.
5th Ghouls may raise their disciplines to 5.

Ghouls Being Embraced

Ghouls may be trained for the Embrace. This only applies to PCs.

A Ghoul who is groomed for the Embrace may submit one substantial log of RP per month spent as a Ghoul proving that said Ghoul participates in Vampiric activities and recieves training.

For each log thus submitted, to a maximum of four logs (at four RL months spent as a Ghoul), the Ghoul may keep ONE Discipline dot post-Embrace. This includes Potence. The Embracee recieves one dot in each in clan discipline, as normal. No discipline may be put higher than 3.

Example:

Joe Toreador takes on a prodigal artist, Jaque. Joe Ghouls Jaque, and Jaque spends two RL months as Joe's Ghouled servitor. For each log of RP sent proving Jaque's training or involvement in Vampiric endeavors, (intrigue, serving Joe, and so on), he may keep one dot of a discipline he possesses as a Ghoul.

Joe eventually Embraces Jaque at the end of two months. Jaque possessed Auspex 1 and Presence 1, as a Ghoul. After the Embrace, Jaque possesses Auspex 2, Presence 2, and Celerity 1, to represent time spent as a Ghoul.

Revenants

Revenants may apply with the neonate and ancilla Vampire templates, representing their extended time and special status as inherited Ghouls. Most Revenants are older than Ancient Ghouls.

Revenants who are NOT actively Ghouled age at a rate of 1/4 normal human, beginning at the age of 16. That is, a Revenant who is 20 years old is physically only 17, and a Revenant who is 26 years old physically is actually 46. Revenants who are Ghouled do not age, as normal.

Revenants do not need to be Ghouled to possess all the advantages of Ghouls, with the exception of aging.

Revenants produce their own blood pool at a rate of 1 BP per day. This does not count for purposes of being Ghouled.

Revenants who are Ghouled do not recieve additional discipline dots.

When a Revenant is Embraced, they do not use normal Ghoul rules. Instead, they have a choice. EITHER,

They purchase the 3 point merit Revenant Disciplines, for 3 points of flaws or 6 XP. This allows them to keep their Revenant disciplines as in clan disciplines, AND allows them to keep their Revenant discipline dots. BUT, they do not recieve 3 additional discipline dots on Embrace.

OR.

They need purchase no merit, and recieve 3 dots of disciplines in their Sire's in clans as a normal member of that clan.