OWBN Rare & Unique PolicyIn order to maintain a degree of genre-adherence,
as well as a degree of global courtesy amongst our shared games with
their shared stories, OWBN is in the process of creating a definitive
and comprehensive list of character types that are considered Rare,
Unusual or Unique. The following list outlines the vast
variety of character types that are/may be considered R&U throughout
owbn, regardless of genre, as well as the Council-approved policies
for handling each individual type. After all, some things are more rare
than others. For players, this list may be helpful
in determining what types of new characters you may want to play. For
Storytellers, it provides a clear list along with the methods by which
Rare and Unusual/Unique characters should be approved through Council. Players wishing to create new R&U
characters, or undergo plot changes that would “upgrade” their characters
to such status, should inform their STs. If the STs approve, then the
players should work with the Storytellers to fill out an application
form, located here, and
send it off to the R&U Coordinator to begin
the correct approval process. Note that ALL character types listed
below as R&U, regardless of their requirement for council approval
before entering play, MUST be logged with the R&U Coordinator for
the purpose of maintaining the owbn R&U database. Unique CharactersAll unique characters, whether historical, real-life, fictional, or White-Wolf published, must always go up for a vote before they are used in-game, and whether or not they are PC or NPC. In addition, all such characters, whether active, inactive, dead, etc., should be carefully logged with the R&U coordinator for tracking. It is the policy of the R&U coordinator that any unique figure that has not been logged by an ST with the coordinator's office loses it's priviledge of being the "real" character. This obviously applies only to characters used before the creation of the R&U database or were put into play without R&U approval--anything that goes through the normal, current R&U approval process will be automatically logged by the coord. So, for example, if Chicago: Dark Requiem had used Vlad Tepes in the past, and even if Vlad had shown up and openly proclaimed himself, passing the battery of supernatural truth tests and proceeded to lay waste to the game, if he had not been logged with the R&U coordinator, then he wasn't the "real" Vlad Tepes...just someone who pretended to be him and had supernatural means of pulling off the lie. The following tables list Rare or unique designations by Genre.
|
GENRE |
CHARACTER TYPE |
DEFINITION |
APPROVAL REQUIREMENT |
Vampire, Sabbat |
Blood Brothers |
Any members of the Sabbat ritually-created bloodline of Blood Brothers. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs have no approval requirement. |
Vampire, Sabbat |
Salubri Antitribu |
Any members of the Salubri bloodline embraced or recruited into the Sabbat. (See LotN:R s Sabbat guide.) |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Sabbat |
Any Antitribu of a Bloodline |
Any Sabbat members of any of the non-Sabbat bloodlines.(Including Samedi, Daughters of Cacophony, etc.) |
PCs require council vote, NPCs require council vote. |
Vampire, Sabbat |
Harbingers of Skulls |
Members of the Harbingers of Skulls bloodline as outlined in the LotN:R Sabbat guide. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Vampire, Sabbat |
Tremere Antitribu |
Any Tremere who, for whatever exceedingly special and strange reason, managed to survive becoming Sabbat after the recent culling of Sabbat Tremere, or survive the purge itself. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Vampire, Sabbat |
Path of Harmony |
Sabbat members still on Path of Harmony |
PCs and NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Sabbat |
True Hand members |
Any still-living members of the sect secret organization of the "True Black hand." |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
GENRE |
CHARACTER TYPE |
DEFINITION |
APPROVAL REQUIREMENT |
Vampire, Camarilla |
PCs with 7 personal status |
Any PC with a 7th personal status, typically granted by a Justicar. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Camarilla |
City Gangrel Antitribu |
City Gangrel who are Sabbat by blood, but not by political affiliation. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Camarilla |
Lasombra Antitribu |
Non-Sabbat members of the Lasombra Clan. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Camarilla |
Gargoyles |
Any gargoyle, as outlined in the Camarilla Guide, regardless of “independence.” |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Camarilla |
Unusual Caitiff |
Caitiff who possess any Disciplines "in clan" that are not already in-clan for two or more standard vampire clans, or Caitiff that have their own custom/unique disciplines. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs require council vote. |
Vampire, Camarilla |
Rogue Thaumaturgists |
Characters outside of any Clans with “in-clan” access to Thaumaturgy, who possess Thaumaturgical paths. (AKA, folks with Thaum who AREN’T Pyramid-loyal Tremere, Tzimisce Koldouns, Assamite Sorcerers or Setites with Path of Corruption.) |
PCs must be notified to council before use, NPCs have no approval requirement. |
Vampire |
Out of Genre Path's of Enlightenment |
Characters who are on a Path of Enlightenment are not members of a sect, clan or bloodline that has developed that path. |
PCs must be notified to council before use, NPCs have no approval requirement. |
GENRE |
CHARACTER TYPE |
DEFINITION |
APPROVAL REQUIREMENT |
Vampire, Bloodline |
Ravnos |
Any vampire of the Ravnos Clan (having now survived the Week of Nightmares) |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Bloodline |
Kiasyd |
Any members of the Kiasyd bloodline. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Bloodline |
Samedi |
Any members of the Samedi bloodline. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Bloodline |
Daughters of Cacophony |
Any female members of the Daughters of Cacophony bloodline. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Bloodline |
Sons of Discord |
Any male members of the Daughters of Cacophony bloodline. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Vampire, Bloodline |
Children of Osiris |
Any kindred who have undergone the appropriate rituals to convert into a Child of Osiris, whether newly embraced or converted after embrace. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Bloodline |
OWBN-specific Caitiff Bloodlines |
Caitiff who "breed true" and their disciplines carry over automatically to any others that they embrace. Also, when blood-tested, the blood reads as a "bloodline, unfamiliar in origin." This status is independent of any unique/custom disciplines. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Bloodline |
Nagaraja |
Any members of the formerly True Hand affiliated Nagaraja bloodline. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Vampire, Bloodline |
True Brujah |
Any members of the True Brujah bloodline, typically possessing the discipline of Temporis in-clan. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Vampire, Bloodline |
Ba'ali |
Any members of the Ba'ali bloodline, including those "re-embraced," or "apostates." |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Bloodline |
Salubri |
Any of the members of the Salubri bloodline, non-Sabbat. This term typically refers to the seven known remaining members, but can also include ancient characters who've awakened from torpor. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
GENRE |
CHARACTER TYPE |
DEFINITION |
APPROVAL REQUIREMENT |
Vampire, Elder |
6th Generation or better |
Any vampire of 6th generation or better. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Tzimisce |
Tzimisce Kolduns |
Tzimisce who possess the ability to cast Koldunic sorcery. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Tzimisce |
Old Clan Tzimisce |
Tzimisce embraced prior to the clan's development of vicissitude and the creation of the Sabbat. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Vampire, Tzimisce |
Tzimisce Antitribu |
Non-Sabbat Tzimisce |
PCs require council vote, NPCs require council vote. |
Vampire, Assamite |
Sabbat Assamite Viziers |
Assamite Antitribu of the Vizier caste, defined as possessing Quietus, Celerity, and Auspex in-clan. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs have no approval requirement. |
Vampire, Assamite |
Sabbat Assamite Sorcerers |
Assamite Antitribu of the Sorcerer caste, defined as possessing Quietus, Obfuscate, and Assamite Sorcery in-clan. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Assamite |
Assamite Bedoin Warriors |
The Bedouins are a small band of nomadic Warriors with a fourth in-clan (Animalism), and they never leave North Africa. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Assamite |
Assamite Byzantine Viziers |
The Byzantines are a small group of Viziers who exchange either Auspex or Celerity for Presence. They rarely leave the courts of Ashirra. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Assamite |
Assamite Loyalists |
Assamite characters who remain loyal to The Mountain after the Schism. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Gangrel |
Mariner Gangrel Bloodline |
Bloodline of marine/aquatic Gangrel with special variants of Protean. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Setite |
Setite Daitya |
Shiva-worshipping Setites based out of India. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Vampire, Setite |
Setite Tlacique |
Native American Setites (with Protean). Tlacique are VERY RARE and are found only amongst native americans in south america (with a few mestizos and perhaps one or two anglo environmental activists...) they are not going to be in North America. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs require council vote. |
GENRE |
CHARACTER TYPE |
DEFINITION |
APPROVAL REQUIREMENT |
Werewolf, Wyrm |
Skin Dancers |
Garou characters who have undergone the Skin Dancing ritual, having formerly been kinfolk and magically enabling themselves to become full shapechangers. |
PC's require council vote, NPC's require council vote. |
Werewolf, Wyrm |
Fomori |
Characters who have been granted additional powers through high-levels of "wyrm taint." |
PCs require council vote, NPCs have no approval requirement. |
Werewolf, general |
Stargazers |
Any werewolf of the Stargazer tribe (which has now left the Garou Nation and retreated to Tibet.) |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Werewolf, general |
White Howler throwbacks |
Kinfolk or the odd full Garou character who, through latent genetics, breeds true as a member of the extinct tribe of Garou once known as white howlers. The white howlers eventually became the black spiral dancers, but some "pure" genes managed to escape the fall of the tribe. |
PCs and NPCs of this type are disallowed. |
Werewolf, general |
Bunyip |
Members of the now-extinct tribe of Garou known as the Bunyip, local to Australia. This definition includes any umbral remnants of the tribe. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Werewolf, general |
Siberakh |
An obscure bloodline formed from the breeding of Silver Fangs and Wendigo in Siberia. They keep to themselves and no one but the Wendigo and Fangs know they exist. The Wendigo are content to leave themalone and the Fangs consider them ronin. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Werewolf, general |
Croatan |
Members of the now-extinct tribe of Garou known as the Croatan, formerly a Native American tribe. |
PCs and NPCs of this type are disallowed. |
Werewolf, General |
Black Spiral Dancer Ronin |
On occassion even BSDs want to be redeemed. They are usually hunted down in short order by their former tribe and not many people would trust them. |
PCs and NPCs of this type require council vote. |
Werewolf, general |
Garou Legends |
Garou who have achieved the rank of Legend, Rank 6. |
PC's of this type are disallowed, NPC's require council vote. |
Werewolf, general |
Relatives of famous/politically important Garou |
Due to the Werewolf genre's focus on relations, these characters would be precedented by the rule regarding R&U approval for the use of any historical/famous real-life person, or any White-Wolf published character, and would be handled under that subcategory. |
PCs and NPCs of this type require council vote. |
Werewolf, general |
Supernatural Kinfolk |
Kinfolk characters (blood relatives of Garou with certain qualities due to the genetics) who have any additional "supernatural" status in addition to being Garou kinfolk. Example: A Garou kinfolk who later becomes embraced as a vampire would be a vampire kinfolk. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
GENRE |
CHARACTER TYPE |
DEFINITION |
APPROVAL REQUIREMENT |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Ratkin |
Were-rats |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Nuwisha |
Were-coyotes |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Corax |
Were-ravens |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Bastet |
Balam (were-jaguar) |
PCs and NPCs of this type require council vote. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Bastet |
Bubasti (were-egyptian0wildcat) |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Bastet |
Simba (were-lion) |
PCs and NPCs of this type require council vote. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Bastet |
Qualmi (were-lynx) |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Bastet |
Ceilican (Were-American-Wildcats) |
PCs and NPCs of this type require council vote. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Bastet |
Bagheera (Were-panthers/Were-leopards) |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Bastet |
Khan (were-tiger) |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Bastet |
Pumonica (Were-cougar) |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Bastet |
Swara (were-cheetah) |
PCs and NPCs of this type require council vote. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Bastet |
Ajaba (were-hyena) |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Ananasi |
Were-spiders |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Mokole |
Were-alligators |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Nagah |
Were-snakes |
PCs and NPCs of this type are disallowed. |
Werewolf, changing breed |
Rokea |
Were-sharks |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Werewolf, changing breed/Eastern |
Kitsune |
Were-foxes |
PCs and NPCs of this type require council vote. |
Werewolf, Eastern |
Hakken |
(a "camp" of Shadow Lords)- they are only in Japan |
PCs and NPCs of this type require council vote. |
GENRE |
CHARACTER TYPE |
DEFINITION |
APPROVAL REQUIREMENT |
Wraith |
Spectres |
Those wraiths who are controlled by their "darker half" more than not, who may not even have the remnant of a "lighter side" |
PCs require council vote, NPCs have no approval requirement. |
Wraith |
Dead PC Wraiths |
A Wraith of a now-dead PC from any other player-character category. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Wraith |
Risen |
(includes Hidden, Walkers, and Shamblers) - those ghosts who have inhabited a corpse (their own or someone else's) within two years of death by striking a deal with their shadow. Risen have conduits and access to arcanoi, use pathos, gain angst, and possess passions and fetters. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs have no approval requirement. |
Wraith |
Malpheans |
(onceborn or neverborn) - ancient creatures that have either amassed enormous power or predate time that control the labyrinth. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Wraith |
Ferrymen |
Those beings who have been seperated from their shadow by the Ritual of Severence |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs have no approval requirement. |
GENRE |
CHARACTER TYPE |
DEFINITION |
APPROVAL REQUIREMENT |
Mage |
Tradition |
Mages of any of the standard Traditions, of Arete higher than 5. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Mage |
Marauder |
Mages who are not in control of how they change reality, usually related to deep insanity. |
Mages who are not in control of how they change reality, usually related to deep insanity. |
Mage |
Nephandi |
Mages belonging to an infernal group who serve the forces of corruption and oppose the works of Tradition mages. |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
GENRE |
CHARACTER TYPE |
DEFINITION |
APPROVAL REQUIREMENT |
Changeling, Kith |
Ghille Dhu |
One of the green men, made scarce by the circumstances of the modern world. |
PCs and NPCs of this type must be notified to council before use. |
Changeling, Kith |
Selkies |
The rare seal changelings, only really playable near large bodies of water... |
PCs and NPCs of this type must be notified to council before use. |
Changeling, Art |
Chronus |
A changeling who possesses this art, which includes the ability to alter time on a small scale. |
PCs must be notified to council before use, NPCs have no approval requirement. |
Changeling, Art |
Naming |
A changeling who possesses this art, which includes the ability to discover and alter the runes in a true name. |
PCs must be notified to council before use, NPCs have no approval requirement. |
GENRE |
CHARACTER TYPE |
DEFINITION |
APPROVAL REQUIREMENT |
Mummy |
Standard Mummy |
Those beings who recently joined with a tem-ahk (the fragment of an egyptian ghost) to become one creature who may return from the dead in their own body, granted certain unique abilities by Osiris and the Spell of Life. |
PCs and NPCs of this type require council vote. |
Mummy |
Imkhu |
Those souls who were granted the Ritual of Life by the Cult of Ises in ages past and recently experienced the new Ritual of Life under Osiris. |
PCs and NPCs of this type are disallowed. |
Mummy |
Shemsu-Heru that aren't Imkhu |
Shemsu-Heru that aren't Imkhu |
PCs and NPCs of this type are disallowed. |
Mummy |
Ishmaelites |
those mummies who were granted the Spell of Life by the Cult of Isis but who forsook the Code of Horus |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Mummy |
Cabiri |
those mummies granted the Spell of Life by those outside of the Cult of Isis - same as the Ishmaelites |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Mummy |
Bane Mummies |
One of the seven mummies created by Set. |
PCs and NPCs of this type are disallowed. |
Mummy |
Asekh-Sen |
Semi-mummies created by the bane-mummies with a limited number of reincarnations. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Mummy |
Capococha |
(includes chaskimallki, intimallki, pachamallki, and uchumallki) - meso and south american creatures whose bodies have been preserved and the right spells have been performed to allow them to return to their bodies. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Mummy |
Wu T'ian |
Oriental scholars granted the ability to resurect by the eight immortals, similar to egyptian mummies. Mortals dedictaed to Osiris and Isis, knowledgeable of the ancient spells that assist in the creation of mummies. |
PCs and NPCs of this type require council vote. |
Mummy |
Cult of Isis |
Mortals dedictaed to Osiris and Isis, knowledgeable of the ancient spells that assist in the creation of mummies. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Mummy |
Children of Osiris |
Mortal cult, some of who once were vampires, similar to the cult of Isis. |
PCs must be notified to council before use, NPCs have no approval requirement. |
Mummy |
Amkhat |
Mortal cannibal cult that gains the strength from those they consume. Evil and nasty, they especially like to eat mummies. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
GENRE |
CHARACTER TYPE |
DEFINITION |
APPROVAL REQUIREMENT |
Miscellaneous R&U |
Abominations |
Were-creatures that have been successfully embraced by a vampire. |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Miscellaneous R&U |
Kuei-Jin (Dharma 5 or less) |
(also called Cathayans or Kindred of the East) - those ghosts of the orient who have excaped Yomi and returned to animate their body within 49 days of dying. Kuei-Jin have access to their own unique "disciplines", gain and lose various forms of Chi, and have access to their own unique rituals. |
PCs and NPCs of this type require council vote. |
Miscellaneous R&U |
Kuei-Jin (Dharma 6+) |
See Kuei-Jin |
PCs of this type are disallowed, NPCs require council vote. |
Miscellaneous R&U |
Akuma |
(those kuei-jin who have forsaken their dharma for "infernal power".) restructions: equivalent power ratings: see kuei-jin retsrictions |
PCs and NPCs of this type must be notified to council before use. |
Misc. True Faith |
Supernaturals with True Faith |
Any Non-Mortals (Mortal defined as a human that has NO supernatural abilities other than True Faith) that has ANY level of True Faith |
PCs and NPCs of this type must be notified to council before use. |
Misc. True Faith |
Mortals with True Faith |
Any mortal with a rating of 3 or better in True Faith |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Misc. True Faith |
Unusual True Faith |
ANY appearance of True Faith in a religion that is NOT of a major, established, recognized sect. (example: True Faith in Buddha is not R&U, but True Faith in Chuthulu would be.) |
PCs require council vote, NPCs must be notified to council before use. |
Contact RUCoord@owbn.org