Backgrounds describe the way you interact socially with society. Characters receive 5 points to distribute into Backgrounds. A list of available backgrounds can be found below.
When choosing backgrounds during CharGen, please consider the following:
1) Neonate CharGen limits for non-influence backgrounds are '4'. For Influence backgrounds, the CharGen maximum is '3' or less (1-2) when your character is new in town. You can find details on what a specific influence-level represents below (or via '+explain <influence>' when logged in). The exact scope of you influence will be described in your +jnotes.
Please keep in mind that influences tend to require time to keep up. Hence, when you wish to buy a large amount of influences, you may want to consider buying Retainers to do the maintenance for you.
2) You need 'Resources' if you want to use +taxi-code, email-code, cellphone-code or use the Automated Housing option.
Please adapt your resources-level to the Theme of the Los Angeles district you reside in. South Central is thematically poor (whereas Housing tends to be relatively cheap) and most residents do not have Resources above '2', unless they are Ventrue or Ancilla. Santa Monica on the other hand, tends to be rich, with relatively expensive Housing opportunities.
3) You need not buy Standing, Status, Reputation or Prestige. These stats are managed via in-game mechanics.
4) Some backgrounds are not available for everyone: 'City Secrets' is Nosferatu only. 'Rituals' is only available to Tremere with Thaumaturgy. 'Maskings' can only be bought when you have the corresponding powers.
Mortals can only choose backgrounds appropriate for them.
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Table of Contents
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List of Available Other Backgrounds
City Secrets
This background represents how well connected into the Nosferatu (or other comparable) information gathering system you are. It allows you access to certain rumor arenas and other information sources.
This taps into the underlying information feeds through animal spies, repositories collected by the Nosferatu, etc. It does not give access into every secretive arena - like the occult, the Camarilla, the Sabbat, or clans.
Fame
This stat determines your level of Fame in mortal society. This can be as much a curse as a blessing. In Los Angeles, the famous have a great deal of trouble staying out of the public eye. Each level of fame roughly corresponds to the following:
- You're known to a select subculture of Los Angeles.
- You're known throughout Los Angeles. Or you're known to a select subculture throughout California.
- You're known throughout California. Or you're known to a select subculture throughout the United States.
- You're known throughout the United States. Or you're known to a select subculture throughout the world.
- You're known throughout the world.
Herd
This stat describes the circle of mortal vessels upon whom you can regularly feed. These vessels cannot be relied upon for anything other than feeding. Each level of herd roughly corresponds as follows:
| Level | # of vessels |
| 1 | 3 vessels |
| 2 | 7 vessels |
| 3 | 15 vessels |
| 4 | 30 vessels |
| 60 | vessels |
The effects of this background are coded into the +hunt system.
A character can move their herd (via +feedback/request), but they incur the following penalty for doing so: For 1 RL week per level of Herd, the Herd is unavailable (set to 0). The IC reasoning for this is, as anyone who has moved will tell you, moving takes a lot of time and effort.
Maskings
This stat represents additional discipline options:
Obfuscate 3 disguises that have been studied over long periods of time (decades), and can be adopted without spending a willpower point. Each level of Maskings is one additional disguise.
Presence 3a emotions that have been honed for projection. (One additional emotion per level). Note one level of Maskings is free with purchase of the Presence3a power.
Mentor
This stat describes one or more elders who look after you. Higher levels indicate greater support you can expect from your mentor(s). The elders who act as your mentor may not be player characters, typically they will be elders in other cities. Your mentors may also expect you to occasionally do favours for them.
Resources
This stat determines your material resources and standard of living. Resources levels may change if your circumstances do.
The Los Angeles area is known as a playground of the rich and famous. People who would be considered fabulously wealthy in other parts of America are merely "well-off" here. On the other hand, the cost of living is so high that those who could live quite comfortably in somewhere like Arizona are often occupied trying to make ends meet. Therefore, our Resources scale is somewhat different than White Wolf's. It can be presumed that a given dot rating here would be roughly equivalent to the next higher rating in published White Wolf material; for example, a character who might be considered Resources 5 in White Wolf terms would be Resources 4 here. Being "Poor" does not necessarily mean you live in slums, in fact you could have a tiny apartment in a decent part of town, trying to keep afloat between rent and student loans. There is some room for interpretation here, just in general please keep in mind that Resources 3 is plenty rich for your average vampire with hundreds of years of stock portfolio to draw upon, and anything higher than that will require immense justification. Refer to our scale on the following pages for more concrete guidelines:
The following presents a very general scale:
| Resources | Life-style |
| 0 | Destitute: You are either homeless, or barely making ends meet on minimum wage. |
| 1 | Poor: You make little money at all, enough to pay rent on a small apartment, or lease a house in an area with low property values. You may or may not own a car. |
| 2 | Comfortable: You have a nice apartment or are paying off a house. You still live paycheck to paycheck, but probably make between $40,000 and $100,000 per year. |
| 3 | Wealthy: You have a considerable amount of money, and don't worry about spending on the day to day requirements of life at all. You probably own several cars, including an SUV. |
| 4 | Rich: You are a multi-millionaire, own a very nice home or mansion in a good area (perhaps more than one), and have considerable assets that provide you with nearly every reasonable material need that you could have. Many movie stars, high-level Forbes 500 execs, and sports figures are at this level. |
| 5 | Filthy Rich: You are a multi-billionaire and can easily afford estates in Beverly Hills and Malibu. Your wealth is institutional, and those at the lower levels of Resources probably don't really understand the scope of your economic power. Top line movie stars, producers, and the heads of the very largest multi-national corporations are this rich. You want it? You can afford it: White tigers, personal jets, $3 million birthday parties. Please note that only a rare few PCs, if any, will have a Resources level this high. |
Retainers
This stat determines how many mortal (possibly ghoul) followers you have who support you totally.
Though mortals can have loyal servants, retaines are typically the blood bound followers of a vampire. Such retainers are generally ghouls. The number of retainers is determined by the Retainer background. In this game, there are three different types of retainers: unstatted retainers, statted retainers, and played retainers. You control your character's statted and unstatted retainers, and they should be described fully in a +jnote, preferably with names.
Unstatted Retainers
The number of unstatted retainers available to a character is directly determined by their Retainer rank as follows:
| Rank | No. |
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 5 |
| 4 | 9 |
| 5 | 15 |
Unstatted retainers can be used as puppets in room descriptions, and in poses. All unstatted retainers are considered to have a 2 for all contest purposes. They cannot expend willpower. As a default, they can only Brawl, Evade, and Grapple in combat. Their CBT/DMT is 2, and their HIGH damage is 1 while their LOW damage is 0. If your RETAINERS +jnote permits, unstatted ghouls can have a generic melee weapon or firearm with a CBT/DMT of 2, HIGH damage of 2, and LOW damage of 1. (See Combat.) Additionally, an unstatted retainer is incapacitated if it takes more than 2 levels of damage in any one scene and dies if it takes more than 4 levels of damage. If an unstatted retainer dies, it's assumed that it can be replaced rather easily, subject to IC social/legal consequences.
Statted Retainers
Statted retainers are, well, retainers with stats. They are necessarily puppets. Each is permitted to go through the mortal Chargen process and can be ghouled, subject to IC social/legal consequence, of course. Each statted retainer is basically another character in its own right, but it does not earn experience points and cannot possess background traits of its own. Statted retainers can only gain exceptional (3+) abilities and stat increases beyond mortal Chargen basics and the ghouling process by way of their controlling character spending experience points.
A character can obtain a statted retainer by giving up permanent Retainer ranks. In doing this, the character gains 1 statted retainer for every 5 unstatted retainers he or she gives up. For example, a character has Retainers at rank 4, which entitles them to 9 unstatted retainers. If they give up Retainers 4 and lower it to Retainers 2, they will be losing 6 available unstatted retainers. In exchange, they can obtain 1 statted retainer. And yes, this means that one unstatted retainer is unreimbursed.
Statted retainers can possess Weapons and basically do whatever their stats allow. However, they are a non-renewable resource. If a statted retainer dies, it is not easily replaced.
Played Retainer
A character can have as many PC retainers as Staff approves or else obtains through roleplay. A player does not control the PC retainers of his or her character. A PC retainer is played solely by the player of the PC retainer. However, a PC retainer can earn its own experience points.
Rituals
This stat shows how many rituals you knew at character generation. It serves no purpose after character generation, and will be removed from your sheet when your character is approved. Rituals may not be purchased at a higher level than your Thaumaturgy. It grants a number of levels of rituals as noted below, eg Rituals 2 would allow you to learn 4 level 1 rituals, or 2 level 2 rituals, or some mixture:
| Level | # of Rituals known at CharGen |
| 0 | 1 |
| 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 4 |
| 3 | 7 |
| 4 | 11 |
| 5 | 16 (you're dreaming) |
Standing
This stat shows summarizes the territorial power your character is recognized to have. This statistic is subject to in-game mechanics and cannot be bought during CharGen.
List of Available Influence Backgrounds
Academic Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the academic world. The academic world includes universities, community colleges, school boards, students, professors, teachers, deans, Greek orders, et cetera. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Limited influence over one K-12 school or a collegiate department.
- Limited influence over a small, K-12 school district or a small college. Or control over one K-12 school or collegiate department.
- Control of a small, K-12 school district or a small college, or limited influence over a large, K-12 school district or a university.
- Control over a large, K-12 school district or a large university, or limited influence of all K-12 school districts or colleges in a single domain.
- Control of all K-12 school districts or universities in a single domain, or limited influence over all K-12 school districts or universities throughout greater Los Angeles.
Art Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the art world. It can be used to influence art dealers, agents, gallery owners, and sometimes artists. The types of art are varied, but the following are some rough guidelines per level of influence:
- Limited influence over a small gallery, museum, or studio.
- Control over a small gallery, museum, or studio. Or limited influence over a large gallery, museum, or studio.
- Control of a large gallery, museum, or studio. Or limited influence over many galleries, museums, or studios in a Domain.
- Control of many galleries, museums, or studios in a Domain. Or limited influence over many galleries, museums, or studios throughout greater Los Angeles.
- Control of many galleries, museums, or studios throughout greater Los Angeles. Or limited influence of galleries, museums, or studios throughout the West Coast.
Church Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the world of orthodox religion. It can be used to influence events in the church. More esoteric religions are usually covered by the Occult Influence background. The types of orthodox religions are varied, but the following are some rough guidelines per level of influence:
- Limited influence over a single church, synagogue, or temple.
- Control of a single church, synagogue, or temple. Or limited influence over a diocese (i.e. several related churches in a Domain) or its equivalent.
- Control of a diocese or its equivalent. Or limited influence of all related churches, synagogues, or temples of one religion in a domain.
- Control of all related churches, synagogues, or temples of a religion in a domain. Or limited influence over an archdiocese (e.g. all related churches throughout greater Los Angeles) or its equivalent.
- Control of an archdiocese or its equivalent, or limited influence of an orthodox religion throughout the Western United States.
Civil Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the local government bureaucracies and related entities. It can be used to influence events in the local government bureaucracy and the services it controls. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Limited influence over a minor government building or localized department (e.g. a branch library, a public park, a DMV office).
- Control of a minor government building or a localized department. Or limited influence over a minor government department (e.g. park district, library district, or building inspectors) within an average-sized Neighborhood (e.g, see '+map/list').
- Control of a minor government department within an averaged-sized Neighborhood. Or limited influence over a large government department (e.g. planning commissions, tax assessors, zoning boards) in a Domain.
- Control of a large government department within a Domain. Or limited influence over several government departments within a Domain.
- Control of several government departments within a Domain. Or limited influence over many government departments throughout all of Greater Los Angeles.
Corporate Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the world of business enterprises, whether in the manufacturing or service sector, that are not covered by any other influence category. It focuses on the world of management. For influence over workers, see Union Influence. The following are the general parameters per level of this influence:
- Limited influence over the management of a corporation or its division corporation with up to 50 employees.
- Control of the management of a corporation or its division with up to 50 employees. Or limited influence over the management of corporations or their divisions with up to 500 employees.
- Control of the management of corporations or their divisions with up to 500 employees. Or limited influence over the management corporations or their divisions with up to 5,000 employees.
- Control of the management of corporations or their divisions with up to 5,000 employees. Or limited influence over the management of corporations or their divisions with up to 50,000 employees.
- Control of the management of corporations or their divisions with up to 50,000 employees. Or limited influence over corporations or their divisions with many, many employees.
Criminal Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the organized, criminal underworld. This influence is distinct from Gang and Street Influence. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Limited influence with one small, criminal organization that has little territory and engages in modest criminal activities.
- Control of one small, criminal organization that has little territory and engages in modest criminal activities. Or limited influence over one criminal organization with a presence in one average-sized 'neighborhood'.
- Control of one criminal organization with a presence in one average-sized 'neighborhood.' Or limited influence over the criminal operations of a large syndicate in a Domain.
- Control of the criminal operations of a large syndicate in a Domain. Or limited influence over the criminal operations of a large syndicate throughout Greater Los Angeles.
- Control of the criminal operations of a large syndicate throughout Greater Los Angeles. Or limited influence over the criminal operations
of a large syndicate throughout Southern California.
Financial Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the world of high finance and financial institutions: equity brokerage firms, stock markets, mutual funds, real estate brokers, banks, et cetera. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Limited influence over a local, financial institution or a branch office of a regional institution.
- Control of a local, financial institution or a branch office of a regional institution. Or limited influence over a regional financial institution.
- Control of a regional financial institution. Or limited influence over a national financial institution.
- Control of a national financial institution. Or limited influence over a financial sector throughout greater Los Angeles.
- Control of a financial sector throughout greater Los Angeles. Or limited influence of a financial sector throughout the region.
Gang Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the multifarious gangs of Los Angeles. This is separate from Criminal Influence. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Limited influence with one, small gang with a loose organization and little territory.
- Control of one, small gang with a loose organization and little territory. Or limited influence with a somewhat organized gang that has a presence in one average-sized Neighborhood.
- Control of a somewhat organized gang that has a presence in one average-sized Neighborhood. Or limited influence with one, organized gang with a presence throughout a Domain.
- Control of one, organized gang with a presence throughout a Domain. Or limited influence with several gangs in a Domain.
- Control of several gangs in a Domain. Or limited influence over several gangs throughout Greater Los Angeles.
Health Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the world of organized Health Care, including hospitals, mental asylums, and HMO's. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Limited influence over a hospital ward or a private medical practice.
- Control of a hospital ward or a private medical practice. Or limited influence over a hospital or asylum.
- Control of a hospital or asylum. Or limited influence over a hospital system or HMO in a Domain.
- Control of a hospital system or HMO in a Domain. Or limited influence of a hospital system or HMO throughout greater Los Angeles. Or limited influence over all hospitals in a Domain.
- Control of a hospital system or HMO throughout greater Los Angeles. Or control of all hospitals in a Domain.
Hollywood Influence
Not to be confused with Media Influence or Stage Influence, this background shows your degree of control and involvement in the world of studios, producers, casting agents, and starlets. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Limited influence in a small talent agency or an independent production studio.
- Control of a small talent agency or an independent production studio. Or limited influence in a large talent agency or a minor, mainstream production studio and distributor.
- Control of a large talent agency or a minor, mainstream production studio and distributor. Limited influence in a major production studio and distributor.
- Control of a major production studio and distributor. Or limited influence in a large talent agency and up to two major production studios and distributors.
- Control of a large talent agency and up to two major production studios and distributors. Or limited influence in all major production studios and distributors in greater Los Angeles.
Legal Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the legal world; lawyers, judges, bailiffs, etc. It can be used to influence events in the legal world. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Control of one lawyer. Or limited influence over a small law firm or a small office of government lawyers (e.g. a small office of Legal Aid, of a District Attorney, or of a Public Defender).
- Control of a small law firm or a small office of government lawyers. Or limited influence over a large law firm, one courthouse, or a department of government lawyers (e.g. Legal Aid, District Attorney, or Public Defender departments of a municipality within a Domain.)
- Control of a large law firm, one courthouse, or a department of government lawyers. Or limited influence over the equivalent to a large law firm, a courthouse, and a department of government lawyers within a Domain.
- Control of the equivalent to a large firm, a courthouse, and a department of government lawyers within a Domain. Or limited influence over several large firms, courthouses, and departments of government attorneys throughout greater Los Angeles.
- Control of several large firms, courthouses, and departments of government attorneys throughout greater Los Angeles. Or limited influence over many large firms, courthouses, and departments of government lawyers throughout the State of California.
Media Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the media; newspapers, radio, television, et cetera. It can be used to influence events in the media. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Control of one minor reporter. Or limited influence over a section of one minor newspaper or a local television or radio program.
- Control of a section of one minor newspaper or a local television or radio program. Or limited influence over a local television or radio station, a minor newspaper or a section of one major newspaper.
- Control of a local television or radio station, a minor newspaper, or a section of one major newspaper. Or limited influence over a couple of local radio or television stations or a major newspaper.
- Control of a couple of local radio or television stations or a major newspaper. Or limited influence over a couple of local radio and
television stations and a major newspaper.
Occult Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the occult world. It can be used to influence events in the world of the occultists. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Limited influence among the occult communities of an average-sized Neighborhood.
- Substantial influence among the occult communities of an average-sized Neighborhood. Or limited influence among the occult communities of several Neighborhoods.
- Substantial influence among the occult communities of several Neighborhoods. Or limited influence among the occult communities of a Domain.
- Substantial influence among the occult communities of a Domain. Or limited influence among the occult communities of Greater Los Angeles.
- Substantial influence among the occult communities of Greater Los Angeles.
Police Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the police. It can be used to influence the police. Please note that there are over two dozen separate police departments in Los Angeles, as well as Sheriffs and CHP. The following are general parameters per level of influence:
- Control of one police officer. Or limited influence over one police station.
- Control of one police station. Or limited influence with a division of a police department within an average-sized Neighborhood.
- Control of a division of one police department within an average-sized Neighborhood. Or limited influence over one police department in several Neighborhoods.
- Control of one police department in several Neighborhoods. Or limited influence over one police department throughout a Domain.
- Control of one police department throughout a Domain. Or limited influence with police departments throughout Greater Los Angeles.
Political Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the organized party politics. It can be used to influence political events, and possibly even events in government care of elected officials. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Limited influence with the organization of one political party within an average-sized Neighborhood.
- Substantial influence with the organization of one political party within an average-sized Neighborhood. Or limited influence with the organization of one political party within several Neighborhoods.
- Substantial influence with the organization of one political party within several Neighborhoods. Or limited influence with the organization of one political party within a Domain.
- Substantial influence with the organization of one political party in a Domain. Or limited influence with the organization of one party throughout Los Angeles.
- Substantial influence with the organization of one political party throughout Greater Los Angeles. Or limited influence with the organization of one political party throughout California.
Society Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in the high society of Los Angeles. This influence can be closely related to other influences, such as Hollywood and Political, but Society Influence is purely social. Its virtue is access. This is the arena for bypassing the red-velvet rope and to obtain exclusive dinner reservations. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Limited influence among the high society of an average-sized Neighborhood.
- Substantial influence among the high society of an average-sized Neighborhood. Or limited influence among the high society of several Neighborhoods.
- Substantial influence among the high society of several Neighborhoods. Or limited influence among the high society of a Domain.
- Substantial influence among the high society of a Domain. Or limited influence among the high society of Greater Los Angeles.
- Substantial influence among the high society of Greater Los Angeles.
Stage Influence
This background shows your degree of influence in the non-Hollywood entertainment industry. This is a diverse industry that relates to any form of live act, including music, dance, theatrical, or performance art, as well as related production companies (e.g. record companies). This influence specifically excludes anything covered by Hollywood Influence or Media Influence. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Limited influence over an independent record label, a performance troupe/act, or a theatre.
- Control of an independent record label, a performance troupe/act, or theatre. Or limited influence over a large performance company, a few major acts, a minor record label, or several theatres.
- Control of a large performance company, a couple of major acts, a minor record label, or several theatres. Or limited influence over a major record label, several major acts, or a ticket company.
- Control of a major record label, several major acts, or a ticket company. Or limited influence over a major record label, several major acts, and a ticket company.
- Control of a major record label, several major acts, and a ticket company.
Street Influence
This background shows your degree of influence on the streets; with, prostitutes, the homeless, travelers, and bartenders. It can be used to influence events at street level. This is separate from Gang and Criminal Influence. The following are the general parameters per level of influence:
- Limited influence on the streets of an average-sized Neighborhood.
- Substantial influence on the streets of an average-sized Neighborhood. Or limited influence on the streets of several Neighborhoods.
- Substantial influence on the streets of several Neighborhoods. Or limited influence on the streets of a Domain.
- Substantial influence on the streets of a Domain. Or limited influence on the streets of Greater Los Angeles.
- Substantial influence on the streets of Greater Los Angeles.
Union Influence
This background shows your degree of control and involvement in organized labor movements in the public sector or private enterprises. The following are the general parameters per level of this influence:
- Limited influence with a union with up to 50 members.
- Control of a union with up to 50 members. Or Limited influence with unions with combined membership of up to 500.
- Control of unions with combined membership of up to 500. Or limited influence with unions with a combined membership of up to 5,000.
- Control of unions with a combined membership of up to 5,000. Or limited influence with unions with a combined membership of up to 50,000.
- Control of unions with a combined membership of up to 50,000. Or limited influence over unions with many, many members.
Utility Influence
This background shows your degree of influence over the various utility companies (e.g. water, garbage, gas and electric, cable, et cetera) in Los Angeles. The following are the general parameters per level of this influence:
- Limited influence over one utility within an average-sized Neighborhood.
- Substantial influence over one utility within an average-sized neighborhood. Or limited influence over one utility in several Neighborhoods.
- Substantial influence over one utility in several Neighborhoods. Or limited influence over one utility in a Domain.
- Substantial influence over one utility in a Domain. Or limited influence of a utility throughout Greater Los Angeles.
- Control of one utility throughout Greater Los Angeles.
