OWBN Rare and Unique Procedure

This list is to be considered a guideline for ALL games within the One World by Night network. As such, it crosses the lines of genre whether a game is focused on Sabbat vampire, changeling or werewolf. These categories are to be used as an extrapolated guideline. As character concepts are beasts of wild creativity and vast imagination, any list cannot hope to cover the scope of what the players of One World by Night wish to portray.

The R&U coordinator has the right to assign a category to any character type that is not well captured by these guidelines. Disputes between the R&U coordinator's interpretation and the submitting Storyteller(s) may be appealed to the Head Coordinator and/or Council. Additionally, by using the methods set forth for genre-related proposals, the R&U Coordinator may re-assign any element of a guideline into a different category.

With any system of this nature, flexibility and fluidity are a necessary component. The population types of One World by Night are likely to ebb and flow over the years, and the guidelines must be flexible to reflect the growth and change of the organization and its goals and needs.

Classifications:

  • Unique: Includes all characters that would be unique in the World of Darkness. This includes all characters published in White Wolf books, as well as historical figures, real-life persons, and fictional personas used as character concepts. (Examples: Caine, Vlad "Dracula" Tepes, the vampire Lestat, former President Bill Clinton, Sir Lancelot, wrestling person "The Rock", etc.) All characters in the Unique category require a simple majority vote of council before use, whether as a PC or NPC.
  • Very Rare: Includes characters of very small groups in the World of Darkness, as well as creatures of very extreme power levels. (Examples: Harbingers of Skulls, Nagah, Ferrymen, Methuselahs, Bane Mummies, etc.) All characters in the Very Rare category require a 2/3 majority vote of council before used as PCs (when of a type eligible for PCs), or a simple majority vote of council on an NPC level.
  • Rare: Includes characters of small groups and bloodlines, characters of a power level where free inter-game interaction could become a concern, and characters of types considered fringe to a main genre. (Examples: Daughters of Cacophony, Bastet, Selkies, etc.) All characters in the Rare category require a simple majority vote of council before used as PCs, and a notification sent to the council and storyteller lists before used as NPCs.
  • Unusual: Includes characters of slightly unbalancing power levels or are members of larger groups that stand outside of mainstream genres, that are noteworthy enough to be brought to the attention of neighboring games before use. (Examples: Rogue Thaumaturgists, sect defectors, etc.) All characters in the Unusual category require that notification be sent to the council and storyteller lists before use as PCs, and NPCs, while having no usage requirement, must be logged with the R&U coordinator before use for the purposes of record-keeping and open communication.
  • Noteworthy: Characters of groups that, while not of a category that would warrant council intervention, should be tracked for the purposes of population keeping and genre-maintenance. All characters in the Noteworthy category must be logged with the R&U coordinator for the purpose of record-keeping and communication, although they may be logged after their initial use, so long as the characters are logged in a timely fashion (typically before a second in-game appearance/use.)

Groupings:

  • Sect Defectors: Incorporates any character who was embraced or raised into one major sect of a game genre, but is no longer a member. This includes Bloodline Antitribu, City Gangrel Antitribu, Black Spiral Dancer Ronin, and Hakken from the old R&U list. Notable exceptions to this grouping: Salubri Antitribu, Tremere Antitribu, and Lasombra Antitribu.
  • Unusual Enlightened: Incorporates those on the Path of Harmony and on other out-of-genre paths, but not non-Assamites on Path of Blood
  • Near-Extinct: (includes the actually extinct as well): Incorporates Tremere Antitribu, True Hand Members, Sons of Discord, True Brujah, vampiric Children of Osiris, Salubri, Setite Tlacique, White Howler Throwbacks, Bunyip, Croatan, Bubasti, and Ajaba.
  • Assamite bloodlines: Incorporates Bedoin Warriors, Byzantine Viziers and Web of Knives members
  • Assamite Converts: An Assamite converting from Schismatic to Loyalist, or vice versa.
  • Dispossessed to Loyalist: An Assamite converting from Dispossessed to Loyalist.
  • Dispossessed to Schismatic: An Assamite converting from Dispossessed to Schismatic.
  • Bastet: Incorporates all varieties of Bastet not specifically mentioned elsewhere in this document.
  • Rogue Thaumaturgist: Any practicitioner of Thaumaturgy (Tremere), Sorcery (Assamite), or Koldunism out of clan.
  • Common changing breeds: Incorporates Ratkin, and Corax
  • Unusual changing breeds: Incorporates Bastet, Nuwisha, Rokea and Ananasi
  • Rare changing breeds: Incorporates Kitsune, Gurahl, Mokole, and Nagah
  • Standard Mummies: Incorporates new mummies, Imkhu, and other Shemsu-Heru
  • Non-standard mummies: Incorporates Ishmaelites, Cabiri, Asek-Sen, Capococoha, and Wu T'ian.
  • Mummy cultists: Incorporates members of the Cult of Isis, the mortal Children of Osiris and the Amkhat
  • Perfect Ventrue Infiltrators: A perfect "Ventrue infiltrator" is any non-Ventrue character that is attempting to circumvent the Clan Advantage by having a "Sire" in the clan cover for them that follows with the Clan's Lineage or impersonate/replace/pose as a Ventrue well enough to not arouse suspicion.
  • Perfect Giovanni Infiltrator: A perfect "Giovanni infiltrator" is any non-Giovanni character that is attempting to circumvent the Clan Advantage by having a "Sire" in the clan cover for them that follows with the Clan's Lineage or impersonate/replace/pose as a Giovanni well enough to not arouse suspicion.
  • Rare Revenants: Enrathi, Marijava, and Rafastio Revenants are to be considered a "Rare" class of character.
  • Warrior Setites: Setites with Potence in clan as opposed to Obfuscate
  • Sect Specific Sect Defectors: Lasombra (defined as those not embraced by a Camarilla-loyal Lasombra of a traditional and documented line of Lasombra), Tzmisce, and Tremere Sect Defectors

Guidelines for determining R&U Category:

  • Unique: Named characters (see category definition).
  • Very Rare: Blood Brothers, Harbingers of Skulls, Kiasyd, Nagaraja, Ba'ali, Siberakh, Malpheans, Ferrymen, Abominations, Dharma 6+ Kuei-Jin, Bane Mummies, Near-Extinct, Rare changing breeds, non-standard mummies, Assamite Converts.
  • Rare: Salubri Antitribu, Lasombra Antitribu, Gargoyles, Unusual Caitiff, Ravnos, Samedi, Daughters of Cacophony, OWBN-specific Bloodlines, Tzmisce Kolduns, Setite Daitya, Mariner Gangrel, Skin Dancers, Stargazers, supernatural kinfolk, dead PC Wraiths, Risen, Marauders, Nephandi, Assamite Loyalists, Dispossessed to Loyalist, Assamite Bloodlines, Dharma 5- Kuei-Jin, Akuma, Unusual True Faith, Selkies, unusual changing breeds, Children of Damballah, standard mummies, non-Assamite on Path of Blood, Perfect Ventrue Infiltrators, Perfect Giovanni Infiltrator, Sabbat Assamite Sorcerers and Viziers, Old Clan Tzmisce, Rare Revenants, Sect Specific Sect Defectors
  • Unusual: Rogue Thaumaturgists, Rogue Necromancers, Warrior Setites, Sect Defectors, Dispossessed to Schismatic, Fomori, Relatives of famous Garou, spectres, Tradition Mages, Ghille Dhu, Chronus, Naming, PC Sired Ravnos, Ravnos Antitribu, Supernaturals with True Faith, Mortals with True Faith, Common changing breeds, Dominate Malkavian Antitribu
  • Noteworthy: Unusual Enlightened, mummy cultists.

Special cases:

  • 7th generation: Not allowed as PCs, but are not considered R&U for NPC use. PCs diablerizing to this generation must retire to NPC status.
  • 6th generation or better: Not allowed as PCs, and NPCs must either be notification or voted upon, at Coordinator's discretion (usually depending on length of use, range of scope, etc.)
  • PCs with 7 personal status: Handled through R&U coord's office for tracking, always require a vote, but NPCs may be created and used freely (although responsibility is encouraged).
  • Garou Legends: Not allowed as PCs, and NPCs must either be notification or voted upon, at the Garou Coordinator's discretion (usually depending on length of use, range of scope, etc.) PCs attaining this Rank must retire to NPC status.
  • White Wolf Locations: The chronicle wishing for the location must notify council two weeks (or more) prior to usage. Provided there are no objections, the chronicle may utilize the location from that point onward. If objection is made, a vote may be called for forbidding the chronicle from utilizing the location. The chronicle may not use that location until the voting is settled.
  • White Wolf Items: Specific unique objects mentioned in the White Wolf books (such as the True Cross, Siklos, or Hesha the Setite's personal lap-top computer) are more problematic, and require strict council approval. The chronicle wishing for such an object must make their request to the OWBN Council, detailing why the object is necessary for the plot, and the length of time that the object is required. Council will then vote on the request. If approved, the chronicle gets the object for the length of time specified, after which the item is considered out of play. If the plot goes awry and said object ends up in the hands of a player, Council will either inform the player that the object "disappeared one day" (or some other such line), or will appoint a liaison (such as the nearest coordinator) to monitor the use of the object, if it is deemed unobtrusive to the integrity of OWBN continuity. Alternately, Council may simply decide to allow the object to be released freely into the hands of the chronicle, with no stipulation for later taking it back out of play. This may be specified before release of the object, or in response to plot development. Note that in allowing a chronicle to have, even temporarily, an object, OWBN is allowing for the possibility that said object may be destroyed, harmed, or otherwise altered due to PC and NPC interaction.

Clarification: Setites AND Followers of Set (non-Setite) with any Setite Sorcery Path, are NOT Rogue Thaumaturgists. Non-Setite Followers of Set are defined in the Setite Genre Packet as apostates of Set that have completed all of their Revelations successfully, have been named Pious by their High Priest, and have gotten Coord approval to be considered a Follower of Set for the purpose of the in-genre learning of Setite Sorcery.

Contact RUCoord@owbn.org