Havens Background (mechanics discussion)

[Kendra of the Wood]

I was asked to specify some things on the Haven background, and would like input from the players. Please read and let me know what you think.

Haven: Havens are where Cainites spend their daytime hours. From foreboding mansions to castles filled with serfs, or the backroom of a busy tavern every kindred has a place they go to be safe from the sun, the inquisition or other more nefarious things. For everyone point put into haven the character may purchase one item from the list below. (This list is not all inclusive, please see ST if you have anything special you would like to add.)

-A spacious living area with all the comforts of the medieval era, there are multiple rooms with and without access to the sun or the surface. – No mechanical benefit, just able to have more than 10 people living within the haven

- A dungeon, a quiet place to keep prisoners for torture, feeding, or whatever your undead heart desires. – Win on ties while “questioning guests”

-Secret passages and chambers, your haven is littered with secret pass ways and chambers, only you know all the ways in and out of there. – Gain 1 secret room, and 1 secret passage in and out of the haven per dot. Secret passages can be discovered by investigation with a static 15 (12/10 if they actually know you have one, and which room it’s in)

- Guards – Loyal to the death, humans, animals, ghouls or something more fiendish – Guards do not count towards military force/conscript/naval force etc. They are their own category, and may not be used for anything other than protection of a haven. They have no backgrounds, or disciplines.

– Armory – A collection of functional weapons and armor. – Craft 2 items, add one level of craft per point in armory

– Water access – A sealed well that leads into a river, the ocean or some other waterway, much too deep for any mortal to traverse without drowning, but you’re not mortal. – Water is potable, cold, and deep.

– Luxury – Your haven is filled with luxuries from around the western world, when people visit you they know you’re rich. – Characters who are down on their luck can add up to two dots in resources per point in luxury, provided they sell the luxuries
– Sprawling – An entire estate the size of most villages, several dozen people owe fealty to you. – Similar to domain, but does not give free domain actions. While the people owe you fealty they may revolt if they find out you drink blood and turn to ash in sunlight, unless of course you’ve somehow managed to let them know what you are and accept it.

- Hidden – Hard to find, and harder to get into. – Static 15 to locate while searching, the door is hidden, requires a special made key, and may have traps for those who break in.

– Warded – Crosses, sigils, salt, relics, whatever it takes to keep the uninvited out. - Wards to havens force characters attempting to stealthily enter a haven to lose on ties, for chops involving getting caught by guards and/or haven owners.

– Haunted – People know it’s there, but they refuse to go there, merely mentioning it causes people to cross themselves and say silent prayers. They wouldn’t think of going there. – Gain free retest on intimidate while in your haven (one per point in haven) this is a commonly known fact about your haven, if you invite people in, it should be announced.
- Holy – The opposite of Haunted, people fear going there unless they need to, some obscure saint performed a miracle there, and now the land your haven is on is considered sacred. – The ground is sacred, Baali and Infernal creatures may not enter without taking damage, this is a commonly known fact about your haven, if you invite people in, it should be announced.

- Antiques – Your haven is filled with objects from the classical era, Greek statues, Roman writing, bronze age weaponry and art from places that have not yet been discovered and you’ve only just started your collection. – Gain points in academics while in your haven (history or a cultural lore- must be defined at creation)

- Elysium – Your haven was once considered an Elysium, while it no longer carries that prestigious name many kindred still refuse to disobey the laws of Elysium while there. – Characters must win a static social challenge vs 10 traits before they can attack someone inside the building

- Workshop - You have an alchemy lab, forge or a workshop – You have the things you need to craft items, you must have this in order to create anything of crafts 3 or higher inside your haven.

[Simon Molendinarius]

Will these rules be hard and fast or does common sense also apply? For example, if I hold a private meeting in my haven, which i often do, will the wards and hidden aspects no longer apply for thise i bring into my area?

[Kendra of the Wood]

Would be common sense, if you show the wards and secret passages to someone, then they will know they are there, otherwise the passages would be hidden, and the wards would require occult ability and chops

[Lord Jacob William]

do wards hinder scrying/astral projections and the like?

[Kendra of the Wood]

No, but rituals can be made to do so if you spend the time to make them.

https://buffaloavalon.rpg-board.net/t71-ritual-creating-copying-and-learning

[Thomas the Bastard]

Does Scrying reveal a Hidden haven's location, or can you use it to find such?

[Guest]

I have Scry and I just want to say that I'll be really disappointed if the answer to the above question is yes.

[Kendra of the Wood]

No, the ritual allows you to watch a place or a person, assuming you've never been to the place they are scrying all you will see is the room they are in. Unless you happen to know exactly what room they are in, or manage to pick out very obviously clues to their location (tower of london in the background through a window, hotel with name on it on other window) you'll have no idea where the room they are in is located.

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