New Ties

By Rev.K.

Some overlap with media ties and entertainment ties. Perfect for Toreador,Ventrue, Fianna Garou, Cult of Ecstasy Mages and wraiths.

The character is known to a small army of painters, sculptors, actors,poets,make-up artists, costumers, carpenters, designers, electricians,musicians and assorted art weirdoes and techies. Especially good for Kindred as artists are easy feeding, and most theaters and galleries have underground areas.(" Who, him? Nahh. I don't know him but he's down here all the time. Don't bother trying to wake him, he sleeps like the dead.") Many theaters also have prop storage areas which contain crates, coffins and fake sarcophagi. This is also appropriate for Wraiths as many theaters are haunted. Little wonder, after all, theaters can be dangerous places.(cue the Phantom of the opera C.D.) and they are of course, A fount of Pathos of all types. Changelings have obvious benefits that can be gleaned from this tie. although while Sidhe,Satyrs and Pooka might be cozying up to the actors and singers. any Boggan or Nocker will tell you that their is just as much Glamour to be had from designers and techies. Theaters and their adjacent bars often make great and lasting freeholds. In my campaign there is at least one Cult of Ecstasy Mage that is working in the Off-Broadway stage who is able to reach an ecstatic state through "performance high."

Arcanum Ties:(2)

Good for: Hermetic Mages,Batini Mages,Mummies,and other suchlike.

You are acquainted with some members of the Arcanum. This doesn't mean that they don't watch or study you...But it does indicate that you can feed them info and lead their research in directions you desire. And while you won't have access to their library,each member of the Arcanum is an extremely well educated person with experience of the supernatural.

Band(2-3)

You either know,manage,Roadie, or are a groupie of a Band. For another point you are actually in the band. Good for cultists of ecstasy, hollow ones, toreador,Nephandi,bone gnawers,Fianna, Kithain of many types, and yes, even the Celestial Chorus.(remember Stryper?)

The fame of the band is entirely at the mercy of the Storyteller of course. A band with street and underworld ties is indicative of a garage band,while one with corporate,media,and entertainment ties is a signed band. There are some obvious uses for a band of course, spreading a message,feeding from groupies,unlimited sex and drugs, money, fame, and... oh yeah. Art.

Granted, there are pitfalls of course.Nuisance lawsuits,overdoses,the National Enquirer, bad relationships, and worse, scrutiny by ones enemies. ( it is said that the Technocracy has been trying for decades to destroy the Cult of ecstasy Master John. They've even gone so far as to replace his wife and his best friend Paul with clones....They haven't caught him so far though...) The only other downside of this merit is that it requires storyteller approval. Other players should possess this merit, simply because rehearsing and touring are extremely time consumptive activities. Taking this merit should be a group decision.

Bete Ties(4)

Good for: Nosferatu,Gangrel,Mummies,Gypsies,Dreamspeaker,Virtual adepts,Verbena

This entails knowledge of a given community of shape changers or of particular tribe of same. It is not impossible to have Garou ties and Bete Ties however most shape changers hate one another and each set of ties must be purchased separately.

Clan ties:(3)

Good for: Euthanatos,gypsies,Technomancers,Hermetics,and any Garou unfortunate enough to be blood bound. also Glass walkers and Bone gnawers.

The character has knowledge of one of the Kindred clans and is known by them too. Alternately for the same cost they may know and be known by all the kindred in a given city. Sure they're lying,untrustable,backstabbing, bloodsucking freaks but they do have their uses. Technocrats often take this merit as a means of working with the elder vampires who are as interested in maintaining the status quo as they are

Charity Ties: (2)

Good for: Celestial Chorus,Syndicate,kindred of many types,bone gnawers and Children of Gaia.

This a connection to an organization like unicef,greenpeace or amnesty international. Granted,such ties are limited in scope and useless in a firefight.(with the possible exception of Greenpeace) But they often have Monetary resources,Lawyers,diplomatic access,and sometimes international holdings.

Circus Ties: (3)

Good for: Malkavians,Nosferatu, "Copperfield" Mages, Gypsies,and Kithain of all types.

Carny operators,roustabouts,freaks and performers.This is the circus subculture and it is close knit as any family. This sort of environment is a natural for crossover games with a traveling theme.(again this one will require ST approval and the help of the other players.) It might be useful to know a really strong strongman or a mentalist with Auspex or a the Tattooed Verbena...and her snake. Kithain that travel with a Circus or Carny have very few problems reaping Glamour. Even Sluagh and Redcaps can get jobs in the House of Horrors that will scare the glamour right out of one of the rubes.

Clone(5)

Good for: Progenitors or Sons of Ether, Any others better have a damn good reason and probably will pay more points.

Somebody decided that you and your research are valuable or you accidentally built or intentionally built a clone of yourself. It is initially identical to you in every way and unless harmed, or magically modified , will stay that way. Unless the clone is built by yourself you may have to accept that it might be a spy for your higher-ups. Unless you are powerful enough as a Mage to actually make a clone with your Magick,better get ST approval buddy.

Cult Ties: (3)

Good for: Damn near any

You were or are a member of a cult. This could be anything from the Sufis to an Osiris Cult to a Verbena Hedge Magick coven to the Orphic circle to any number of other real world cults.

Cults spring up for any number of reasons,occasionally have odd resources, and sometimes harbor dangerous fanatics.(can you say Branch Davidian?) You may or may not be aware of any manipulation at the upper levels. There might be deeper reason for some of the things that the cult does.

Cult/Church leader (6)

Good for: see above

Instead of being in a cult,or in a church, you are it's top dog. It is wise to load up on social attributes and skills. How big the cult is is dependent on your backgrounds: Allies=(your lieutenants) Contacts/retainers= (Cultists and guards) Influence=( impact on the outside world) If your character is the head of some weird Midwestern cult he could have low scores in his backgrounds. but if you character is a catholic archbishop, well...

Before you start whipping your parishioners into an apocalyptic frenzy. it should be remembered that most cultists are undisciplined and untrained rabble and are useless in a firefight or siege unless the leader also purchases military forces from the Elysium book.

Educational Ties (2)

Good for: all

You are connected with, teach at or attend an institution of higher learning. Colleges are easy places to make friends in,find knowledge in, or get lost in. (intentional or not.) With a little mind Magick or Dominate getting a set of master keys or super user status on the school mainframe is a cinch. ( note: While this is a useful merit, it is seasonal and it's impossible to build a reliable power base out of it. even though it is impossibly easy to manipulate this environment.)

Espionage ties(4)

Good for: Humans of many types,technocratic Mages,Euthanatos,an extremely rare vampire of werewolf.

You were or you are a member of some government agency with clandestine operations of some sort.(note that this include the F.B.I,the D.E.A.,the national reconnaissance office,Military intelligence and counterintelligence,the N.S.A. the navy Seals and Delta force, as well as the C.I.A. This might also include having contacts with other "outside"agencies such as the K.G.B. or the Mossad or MI6

Either you were a spy, or an assassin,or a commando or maybe an administrator or analyst. This is, of course, a very useful merit as it allows a character access to unusual equipment,opportunities to learn unusual skills and access to more information than they or the government can ever use. It's also very useful to know a few people who can do extremely ugly things,fade into the woodwork and keep their mouth shut.

There is however a downside to all this. They will try to keep tabs on you and may suspect you if your behavior is erratic. If you are an active member of the agency in question you are effectively on call all the time. (again a bit time consumptive,get ST approval.) Infiltrations can take months even years. You are at the mercy of government bureaucracy and occasionally are denied in the worst possible way. (it's no secret anymore that the C.I.A. has used south American drug kingpins as intelligence "assets" and routinely quashes Drug enforcement agency operations targeted against them. Believe me I couldn't make this stuff up.)

Finally, there is always the risk that someone might decide that you know too much. Sure, you ought to be used to that by now and might not even get upset but let me remind you that these guys are professionals. They got tech,materials,well-trained personnel and Intel on you.They might decide to take out an entire city block just to get to you...

Foreign Ties(1)

Good for: Anybody, but especially Gangrel,Ravnos,Assamites,Virtuals, Celestial chorus,Silent striders,Eshu, and of course Gypsies and Mummies.

This basically means that you have Friends,family,enemies and contacts in a faraway place. You may have come from there. you may have traveled there and back or you may have never been there (this is common for Virtuals and Tremere with childer spread out all over the world.)

As a result,your backgrounds could change for better or worse when visiting that locale. How exactly is this useful? Suppose there are rumors of the stirring of an ancient enemy long thought dead. Instead of packing the bags and going to see for yourself,you could always call Uncle Boris and find out. Suppose you need to lurk around Europe and don't want to have to deal with surveillance. Skip the bugged hotel and go stay with the relatives. Suppose you are a mummy who has a descendant working on a dig site in the old country who is smuggling items of power to you...

The list could go on. Foreign ties should be looked at by the storyteller as an investment by the player in storylines involving other countries.

It should also be noted that this merit can be purchased multiple times and probably should be by characters of an advanced age.

Gangsta Ties(3)

Good for: Brujah,Urban Gangrel,Many types of Sabbat,Setites,Euthanatos, Glass walkers,Street level syndicate Mages,Progenitor Pharmacopoeists, Bone gnawers,Some street level Cultists of Ecstasy or Akashic Brothers. Some overlap with Underworld ties,black market ties and street ties.

I list this group separate from underworld ties as there is a whole different culture to learn. Also, increasingly, organized crime is moving away from using street gangs as their soldiers. most of them see the gangs as violent and uncontrollable. This does not preclude them from being used as a drug distribution network.

Still, there are uses for having contact with a large number of heavily armed maniacs who have access to as much drugs and money as they want. Life is cheap down on the street.(cue up Coolio's Gangsta Paradise on the C.D. now if you want.)

Gypsy ties (3)

Good for: Gangrel,Ravnos,Silent Striders,Eshu,Some Mages,and Wraiths

While Gypsies have some long-standing pacts with various supernaturals those who break those pacts will quickly find themselves persona non grata. News travels fast among the Rom,and bad news travels even faster.

Conversely, a Gypsy is almost always well disposed to any Gaje(non-gypsy) who can speak Romani and understands the Gypsy way of life. They suppose that the Gaje must have been adopted by some other gypsies for some reason and usually embrace the Gaje as an honorary gypsy.(at least until he screws up.) A Mage with a decent dream score,a good cover story, and a lot of patience can cozy up to a lot of Rom.

The Rom are inevitable travelers,talented lorekeepers,Insanely brave knife fighters, Potent seers, Powerful hedge Magi, and slick con-artists. they have abilities that are unique and yet are rarely at the center of any supernatural conflict. Having a Gypsy Ally means having a brother or sister for life.

Hacker/r0dent Ties (3/1)

Good for:Virtual adepts,computer oriented Sons of ether,Void engineer cybernauts,Project Twilight characters,Malkavians,Tremere,Glass Walkers,Computer literate Boggans and Nockers,Nosferatu and sluagh.

You are hip to the Internet culture and you may have friends who can crash corporate systems,make Ma Bell grab her ankles,Code viruses and run computer surveillance. To Virtual Adepts,these folks are natural extensions of their intelligence network and possibly potential acolytes.

To others, these folks may be the only way into a system. To the government these folks are criminals and accessories.

Be aware that sometimes people cultivate a weird or unusual "net personality" You friend might be a Malkavian Methuselah, a Son of Ether, or just some 9 year old who plays to many Black Dog Games.

For only 1 pt, your contacts are people who are users of the Internet but are not programmers. Don't underestimate them however,these are folks from all walks of life who might have info on many diverse subjects. and information from all over. Obviously,if you are reading this, I'm preaching to the saved. Tool around the web for a while and realize that there is already more info here than anybody can read all of.

Hate Group Ties(3)

Good for: Brujah,Ventrue,Baali,Celestial Chorus,Nephandi,Get of Fenris, and other less than scrupulous individuals.

If it's anti-something, odds are fairly good that somebody is using it. the K.K.K., the American Nazi Party, as well as minority racist groups are ready made playgrounds for those with an agenda. Militia groups also fall under this group whether from political or religious belief.

These groups often have mountain retreats,with dogs and razor-wire, mines and liquored-up morons with assault weapons.

It's up to your ST to decide how militant and organized the group is. the Backgrounds scores are usually a good yardstick for this. Is the group able to produce badly spelled manifesto's or do they have their own BBS? Are they likely to burn a cross on your lawn or are they likely to blow up a federal building?

Home Town Ties(2)

Good for: Garou,hunters,mummies,Mages,wraiths,commoner Kithain, and while unusual for vampires not impossible.

You live in a small town. You know nearly everyone and nearly everyone knows you. They may not like you,but you're their problem not any damn out-of towners if you take my meaning sir.

Nearly every town has its eccentrics and some of your fellow townsfolk might be just as supernatural as you. They might also be aware that you are more than you seem.

The fact is that small towns are insular and very sensitive to change. while you might have enemies in town,they might look askance at outsider help. And quite frankly,its also good to have decent neighbors....

"Hey, Carl?"

"Yes, Mr. Westerby?"

"Couple fellas came in here...Looked like feds to me....Might still be in town....Don't know what it's all about. Don't even reckon it's any of my business...All I'm saying is that you're welcome to go out the back door... if you want."

"Why thank you sir. Remind me to have the missus bake you a pie."

Small town ties is also pretty good for wraiths as people who die in small towns generally are truly mourned. Some small towns are perversely proud of their ghosts.

What does this mean? Well...Tons of Memoriam(as adjudicated by the ST.) If your character is some jerk who buys it in a barfight,people might talk.("sum-bitch! ahm glad e's daid!") But if you are a teen killed in an accident on prom night the city will probably buy you a damn monument.

Of course there is a downside to that, People who talk about the ghost in the barn are likely to bring the hunters around. this is a good general rule about any small town chronicle. Any strange behavior on the character's part that is observed soon becomes common knowledge in town. Sometimes stories are told and exaggerated too.

Small town chronicles can be fun. These towns can be rife with scandal,intrigue,corruption,secret hatreds,open feuds and yes, even Supernatural threats. ( Tool around New England, visit Arkham, Innsmouth, Jerusalem Lot and scenic Derry and tell me this isn't so.) Believe me these sorts of campaigns can very strange, but if strange is your cup of tea and you don't feel like creating 20 or 30 vampires, give it a try.

Hunter Ties(3)

Good for: Any humans,Celestial chorus,and really cagey vampires and werewolves.

You know some hunters,either loners or affiliated. Odds are fairly good that they are not hunting your type of supernatural race but this is not always the case. Most hunters have had their lives touched in negative ways by supernatural creatures and seek a particular type although the inquisition and government hunters hunt all "monsters" out of general principles. As a result,Mages often have the easiest time making friends among the hunters, although getting too close to the Government types can alert the Technocracy.

Cagey "monsters" keep tabs on these hunters and often use them by anonymously "dropping a dime" on their enemies. This can backfire however, sometimes spectacularly.

Lawyer (1-5)

Good for: All(at some point or another.)

You have a lawyer on retainer. He might be a criminal defense lawyer or he might be versed in civil,corporate,tax or entertainment law.

Many vampires,Hermetic Mages and Syndicate Mages purchase this merit multiple times so as to cover all bases. Many Ventrue and Tremere go so far as to purchase entire law firms(5pts)

Lawyers are useful for defending you and posting bail before sunrise, the can also act as your proxy in a lot of ways and it's always useful to have a batch of lawyers sue the nipples off of your enemies.

The competence of your lawyer is entirely up to your ST,but a good rule of thumb is that the best can charge the most.(it would be cynical and untrue to say that this is always the case....) Generally the characters resource score is the the yardstick to use unless the character is hooked to a group that is much more powerful than himself and is willing to protect him.

Oh,one more thing, lawyers sometimes become judges. or politicians.

Lone nut/Slacker ties (1)

Good for: Malkavians,Bone gnawers,Hollow ones,

Asylum inmates released for lack of funding,conspiracy theorists,Postal employees,(who still live with mom and pride themselves on their trivia knowledge.... As for slackers...Art school students or Philosophy majors. The guy at the video store who has read Wittgenstein,Vampire Gamers.( just kidding! :) You get the idea.

These folk are of questionable use and aren't the most reliable folks in the world. ( I defy you to get 6 gamers to show up on time for anything.)

So why hook up with these people at all? For most of the above groups these are the only folks that they are truly comfortable around. They also have unpredictable minds and resources and usually have lots and lots of time to kill.

Martial arts ties(3)

Good for: Akashic Brothers(of course.) Asian Vampires,Chinese Dreamspeakers, Asian Syndicate Mages,Glass walkers and Stargazers.

The Martial arts world exists as it's own subculture of athletes,philosophers bullies,mentors, students,competitors,and self-styled samurai of all sorts. Occasionally, one might be able to muster help from one's sensei or even the whole Dojo, this tie can be useful for learning the art of Do or Kalindo as well as acrobatics, blindfighting, Cosmology,and enigmas. (note. While martial arts was originated in the far east,it is not a unique facet of that area. Pankration is a Greek form of grappling/ wrestling art known to Black furies and certain Old vampires. There is also Savate, which is a French refinement of Muay thay kickboxing and Escrima cane fighting.( I believe both forms originated in the Philippines.) There is also Capoeira,which is an acrobatic,dance-like martial art that is becoming popular among south American Bastet. These are just some of the forms. There are many more.

Medical Ties: (3)

Good for: Progenitors,Sons of Ether,Iterators,Kindreds of all types, Hierarchy Wraiths,and Children of Gaia

You could be a doctor,nurse,therapist,E.M.T or simply get to know a few in the course of your business.( like say if you're a cop.) If you can't think of at least a dozen ways to exploit this sort of tie then perhaps you should give up gaming and go back to checkers before you strain yourself. If you haven't had a lot of sleep however, here is a short list of possibilities.

1) Blood bank (duh)

2) Morgue (Double duh,see below.)

3) New playmates(if you're a Marauder of Malkavian or Euthanatos.)

4) Progenitor safehouse( It's much harder to go after a progenitor than any other technocrat because they can surround themselves with helpless patients/witnesses/hostages.)

5) Access to birth certificates and death certificate.( useful if you're a mummy with Hekau or a Son of Jupiter. also good for creating new identities.

6) Access to field medical equipment.( useful for patching up people without having to use precious blood/gnosis/quintessence/glamour or whatever.)

7) Good for patching up kinfolk/consors or kinain.

8) Makes a very safe place to operate from if you are an Hierarchy Wraith.(kinda harsh if you are not.)

9) Access to medical scanners,internal video cams,radioactive materials, magnetic resonance imagers. and other sundry materials.( easily cannibalized by desperate Technomages.

10) Nice quiet place to relax after receiving aggravated wounds or getting a real good look at great Cthulhu

11) Nurses make great allies.

12) Pharmacological lab ( need I say more)

13) Compared to the N.S.A.,Police or your bank most hospitals have very little in the way of computer security.( any Virtual Adept will tell you, not only can you tell a lot about a person by his medical files but they can be used against him too. Piss off a Virtual, and find that your blood test reads H.I.V. positive, a throat exam might be changed to a proctological exam, and a routine check-up might become a 6 week long court-ordered psychiatric evaluation.)

Military Ties (4)

Good for:Humans of most sorts,Euthanatos,some Garou,a few Vampires

While there a number of groups out there who are not afraid of guns or explosives,most of them loaded with maniacs and ideologues. Most military forces try to instill a bit of discipline that is otherwise lacking in other groups as well as a respect for duty and self and others.

While this merit could mean that you have pawns in the Pentagon, it's more common use is to denote a character who was or is in the service. Granted this can be an invaluable resource for professional soldiers, sailors,pilots,scouts and other people with specialized skills as well as guns,explosives,transports and heavy weapons. And while there is a lot of joking about Military intelligence it is a very real intelligence organ that reports to the joint chiefs of staff and the National security council.

To some types of Garou this would seem like a natural although most are enjoined by their sept to hold onto their temper...( Drill instructors fear nothing, assume a willpower of 10+ especially for figuring the effects of the Delirium, He might even kick your ass.)

Euthanatos can make a nice niche for themselves within Delta Force, Navy Seals,the Rangers, or any other counter-terrorist outfit.( "Hostages? I have no orders concerning hostages...BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!")

Sure,while it might seem strange to find a supernatural in the armed forces it is a trait that is becoming increasingly common among ghouls, custos,kinfolk,and hunters of many types.

Mortician Ties (1)

Commonly held by Euthanatos but often one must contend with the hordes of Samedi,Nagaraja, Giovanni,and Nosferatu that wish to control this resource.

This is helpful for faking your death and providing bodies for a number of uses.(zombification, consumption,scaring the shit out of enemies.) Besides it's damn near impossible to be a private citizen and purchase a coffin. And while it might not be illegal, it's certainly unusual.

Mummy Ties (4)

Good for: Hermetics,Dreamspeaker, Some old vampires, And Silent striders.

One of the few supernatural races that one could actually meet all of the members of.(all mummies get this one free.) The Undying possess a huge amount of lore (if not power) and it's always useful to have an ally who really isn't afraid of death. Also the Undying have an informal network of their own, and while your friend may not have tangled with that Wyrm spawn Methuselah...No doubt someone has.

Neighbor kids(1)

Good for: Child Mages,Child Kindred,extremely young Garou,Young Gypsies, Dead kids,and Kithain of many types. also good for Verbena,Sons of ether, also good for Children of Gaia and Bone Gnawers,and the odd Malkavian.

Kids see more than most folks think they do.They are mostly ignored by adults but the same is not true. ( and remember that children are a bit more sensitive to certain Magicks as well as being proof against Obfuscate and many other types of invisibility. Also remember that even adult can use children as extra sets of eyes and ears. ( Remember Sherlock Holmes and his Baker street irregulars?) Granted, this might mean a very surreal turn in your chronicle...

" Hey! Where were you last night? I had to lie to your mom and tell her that you were staying at my house."

"Thanks Ernie. I was looking into something...You were right, The ice cream man is some kind of twisted fomor or something."

" Well,DUH!...I told you he stank of the Wyrm."

"So what do you want to do?"

"Let's wait until dark,for Carrie, then we'll call a war council at the dirt mound."

" Cool...Until then, I got some new Batman comics, let's cycle over to the 7-11 and get some untainted ice cream."

Pac Group ties (3)

Good for: Any supernatural with a vested interest in political process Some overlap with Corporate and Political ties.

Your Character has some connection to one of the bewildering array of Political action groups ranging from the N.R.A. to Amnesty international, to Pro-life groups and Pro-choice groups, from Mothers against drunk driving to the Christian coalition, from the M.I.A-P.O.W. groups to the powerful Pentex lobbies.

Question: How do lobbyists and Pac Groups dictate policy to Congress?

Answer: Through bribes,free gifts,trips, or through threat of legal action or threat of removal of support. either monetary or through ones electorate. Sometimes they even use threats of force or blackmail. Even ostensibly benign organizations can and do stoop to these tactics.

Question: Do you think any of these groups would turn down help from a supernatural source?

Answer: No.

Question: Is it any different in the World of Darkness?

Answer: If you don't know the answer to this, maybe you ought to go lie down.

Peerage(1-7)

Good for: Shadow lords,Silver fangs,Asian Glass walkers,and possibly some European Sidhe. as well as Eshu of Arab or African stock.(the titles are probably different.)

Your character is considered a member of the aristocracy in a monarchy. Note that in these days and times this merit might not mean a whole lot but you never can tell.

1) A knighthood, in Europe this might mean more and thus be worth more points. In England, a knighthood isn't hereditary and doesn't even guarantee a seat in the House of Lords. Knighthoods are given to rock stars and it's even possible to purchase them. It might not seem worth much, but it will get letters to the editor of your local paper printed faster and will get you introduced to a certain social set.

2-4) You are a Duke/Duchess or a Marquee/Marquess or an Earl or Viscount or whatever.

While it is possible to have Holdings,a castle,High Resources and all that, these are not necessarily conferred by the title. In other words your gonna need points for them.( Don't like it ? Eat Chain monkey-boy! You can't have any pudding if you DON'T EAT YUIR MEAT!) Conversely, you could be carrying an old family debt. At this level of nobility there is generally guaranteed entry into whatever lords council might be around.

5-6) You are a member of the Royal family,although probably of only a cadet branch. The media loves you even though you would have to marry a first cousin or murder a dozen relatives to be in line for the throne. ( Important safety tip: Don't let the family catch you reading Richard the III. also it would be a good idea if you got storyteller approval.

7) You are the Heir, and you better start saving the points for the kingdom. (castle,holdings, resources,military force,political ties,allies,influence, contacts and a half a dozen other things.) Their are shadow lords and Silver fangs who have this merit and in fact Peerage is commoner among these Garou than any other supernatural group although there are rumors of Glass Walker kinfolk in the Japanese imperial family. as well as British and Scandinavian kinfolk in those monarchies.

It might be good to get ST approval and ask the group if they want to get involved in a heavily political game...But only if you think it's best your grace...

Prison Ties(2)

Good for: Practically all except Kithain

You did some time in stir, you know, the big house, the slammer,the cooler. This probably happened in your old life as most prisons cannot hold supernatural criminals.( "You'll never take me Undead coppers!")

Granted, you weren't exactly interred with criminal masterminds.After all they were all caught and convicted and those who are still inside are not much use outside. But there are connections one can make to organized crime and to Hate groups.(see above) One can also learn a host of unusual skills and hook up with some criminals outside.

Still, Prison ties can useful in number of unusual ways. A tricky Gangrel, could use a state penitentiary as both a haven and feeding ground. Also some Euthanatos get their start in prison. Some start as inmates and some as executioners.

"Reservation" Ties(2)

Good for:Wendigo,Uktena,Nunehi,Dreamspeaker,Native American Vampires. and Wraiths. many other cultures too.

Similar in basis to home town ties(see above) this merit applies to parts of north and south America, India,Australia,Africa and parts of Asia.

You come from a community that may be a bit primitive but it is one that accepts Magick as a part of life. As such, Coincidental Magick broadens greatly in scope (see the book of Madness for more details) and other unexplained phenomena is usually attributed to luck,karma, spirits,or what-have-you.

Note, just because they know you are a supernatural critter of some sort doesn't necessarily mean they like you. In fact, they might be gathering some torches and farm implements and making plans right now.

Secret Society Ties (2 or 5)

Good for: Natural for Hermetics,Tremere, although the Celestial Chorus, Verbena,Dreamspeaker, Batini,Euthanatos,and Cult of ecstasy have their analogs. Sometimes this is also held by Ventrue vampires and Glass walker Garou.

The Shriners,the Elks,the Knights of Columbus, the Skull and Bones society come under the heading of Secret Societies.

Anymore, these groups are just an excuse for like minded middle-aged businessmen to get together and network and maybe get liquored up and get involved in some shenanigans. And while fun and games is usually the primary activity, sometimes these groups raise money for charities and children's hospitals. Sometimes they even indulge in a bit of politics, which in the World of Insufficient Light, can get a bit,er...shady. Many southern Ventrue males find this an amusing way to while away the countless hours.

For 5 pts, you belong to a secret society that has supernatural backers and has had for a long time. These would be players on the large scale like the Priere d' scion, the Rosicrucian, the Knights of Malta, the Masons, the Ordo templi Orientis, and the Illuminati.

All of these organizations have secret masters. And they are definitely more powerful than you ...dude. While you may be asked,(or forced...) to prove your loyalty and competence by doing assigned tasks you are also protected by that organization as well. Supernatural who prove themselves will usually end up as the head of a local chapter and will then have an opportunity to participate in the politics of the society at the national level. Also note that many humans who join these societies do so

in order to study and master Hedge Magick. Oh, and another thing. Some of these Societies have been heavily infiltrated or even created by the N.W.O.

Science community Ties (2)

Good for: Iteration X Mages,as well as Void Engineers and Sons of Ether and Hardware oriented Virtual Adepts. Also many Tremere and Tzimisce make a point of staying abreast of technological advances.

Good for finding lab techs,helpful for proving and disproving theories, ("Milk-bottle Fusion,my ass!") Keeping an eye on the other side in the ascension war and occasionally "borrowing" equipment.

This is one of the major battlegrounds in the Ascension war. The war is fought in corporate R&D labs,college research facilities,military installations and scientific think-tanks all over the world.

Suburban Ties (1)

Good for: You'll just have to wing this one.

Yes, I know, it is to laugh...Kindred struggling to control the P.T.A.... Garou attempting to lose persistent boy scouts...

I'm not saying this kind of setting isn't going to result in some kind of Twin Peaks Weirdness-fest.

"Hey Vladimir! glad you could make it. I'd offer you some wine,but I know you don't drink...wine at least. Have you met Mr...Mr..."

"Bladetooth."

"Right, Mr. Bladetooth from up the street?

"Yes,we've met."

"RRRRRRRRR."

Seriously though, not every supernatural being lives in the city. although they may do business there. Many supernaturals live by the old country adage "Don't shit where you eat." Heck, the tribulations of suburb life might seem downright relaxing after the city. Hey, that creepy old guy, who lives down the block might in fact be a profane creature of darkness but it's a pretty safe bet that he's never killed anyone from around here.

Swinger Ties (1)

Good for: Cult of ecstasy Mages,toreador vampires,satyrs, Marauders, Nephandi,and the occasional Garou. not to mention wraiths.

Your character is hip to a subculture of sexual explorers,deviants, part-time prostitutes,Sex-addicts and outright freaks. They can come from just about any walk of life, but most exhibit a deep abiding interest in sexual contact.

How much use is this? Well as any Cult of Ecstasy Mage will tell you, sometimes the needs of their Magick can be...awkward. Granted you may never have to call mistress Dominique at 3 am to help you heal a broken leg,but it is nice to know if she and Ted stay up late. Satyrs will find a release if not outright Glamour,and Wraiths can find a near constant source of pathos of many flavors(ranging from bliss to self-loathing.)

Swingers also might have access to unusual drugs,metal and leather restraints of various types, Nun's habits,cheerleader outfits, Whips, chains, and other props of a potentially embarrassing nature.

"Senator?"

"Stop gawking you stupid moron and untie me!"

Terrorist Ties (2-4)

Good for: you never know...Mostly Brujah, maybe Assamites.

2) Small,disorganized, Short on people and weapons but long on zeal.

3) See Hate group ties for that level of organization.

4) See Military ties for that level of organization. most terrorist groups with this level of support are receiving aid and training by some military power like Libya or the P.L.O.

Technocracy ties(4)

Good for: Elder vampires,tradition rouges, and technocrat defectors as well as government hunters.

If you are a tradition Mage you may have some friends on the other side of the fence. Either you have convinced them that you are not a threat, helped them stave off Marauders or Nephandi, or perhaps have developed a grudging respect for one another during the course of play. Other Tradition Mages might see you as a spy or an ambassador.(or both)

If you are a technocratic defector, you still have friends who may turn a blind eye to you continued existence. They may even keep some trouble off of you,but this protection only runs so far.

If you are an elder vampire this probably means that you have worked in the past to promote the status quo and are considered an unofficial ally of the technocracy. How buddy-buddy you are with them is probably dependent on how ruthless you are in dealing with your anarchs,the Sabbat, local Garou and Tradition Mages. This can be an expensive friendship to maintain and a disastrous one to lose.

Even Glass Walkers and Virtual Adepts could have a Hands-off relationship with technocrats via the Digital Web but you always run the risk of discovery. This sort of relationship is only worth one point because they would squash you if they could find you.

Why is all this particularly useful? Because sometimes the best way to keep things from going to hell is to actually CALL the goddamn techno- geeks. It's a good idea to be believed if things have come to that sorry pass.

Tradition ties(4)

Good For: Tremere,Setites,Nagaraja,Tzimisce,mummies,technocrats planning to defect, Uktena, some other forms of Bete,Eshu,Boggans and wraiths,Nunnehi,

What this entails is knowledge of some members of the Mage community in a given city or knowledge of the members of of a single tradition. (your choice.)

Umbrood Ties (2-6)

Good for:Mummies, all Dreamspeaker,Baali, Ahrimanes vampires, the Occasional Malkavian, select Akashic and Hermetic, all Bete Theurges.

This indicates that the character,(or likely his family,clan,tribe or tradition.) has a pact with a group of spirits from gafflings on up to celestine levels. ( as indicated by the cost. the group could be technological spirits, naturae, or say the Greek pantheon as long as its a definable group. disparate groups of spirits might require separate pacts and thus separate costs.

The character may have certain bans or imperatives and might be forced to regularly do things for his spirit buddies. But in return, they offer protection,sometimes tutelage and companionship and umbral knowledge. they might even talked into providing power for Talens or Fetishes and act as a native guide through the airts.

If the character wants to have his own personal Umbrood sidekick he should look at the Familiar spirit background in the Werewolf players guide. or at the Familiar background in Mage.

Zoo ties (1)

Good for: many types of Bete and Gangrel.Some overlap with Park Dept.ties

A good source of prey or Herd,(just as long as one doesn't go too far.) A good place to find mates and also one of the few places that you can find Tranquilizers that will stop a rhino. Where else are you going to find snakeskin for that fetish in the city? How else can you procure a scorpion to put in that mob bosses bed?