Post by Hematite on Jul 26, 2014 12:10:51 GMT
True names are the extremely specific universal identity for the character or object in question, like an IP address or radio frequency. It is not the same as your "Real Name" or your birth name. The True name is a collection of everything you were, are, and will be as far as the universe is concerned, and it serves primarily as a way to focus particularly powerful rituals or spells toward you.
True names are difficult to transmit in verbal or written form as they are more of a mystical understanding than actual language. It requires 5 successes on an Intelligence + Expression test to successfully scribe or explain a True Name that you know to another character.
Contrary to the passage on True Names in Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy on page 40, knowing a target’s True Name does not convey the devastating advantage of "bypassing Sending". It instead conveys the benefit of +2 dice on all casting toward them, as if you possessed their Talisman.
True Names are more than just a random set of syllables. They are an absolute identification of every facet of a person’s being. As such, researching a True Name takes far more than simply pouring through some books. To research a True Name, the researcher must become familiar with many aspects of the subject’s life, each type of investigation into them revealing hidden clues to the True Name. As researching a True Name takes real understanding of that name, an innately personal understanding, Leadership may not be used on True Name research rolls, nor may they be accumulated via shared work with another character.
Any character must have a minimum Occult score of 5 in order to make any of the following rolls. The following rolls are all made at difficulty 9. The Specialty of True Name Research may be taken for any of the relevant Abilities (but not Attributes) to apply to this process.
Each of the below checks can be made only once per appropriate subject per person making the roll and may be done over the course of scenes rather than taking Downtime Actions, unless specifically noted otherwise. The rolls listed below are examples only, not an exhaustive list. Players are free to come up with other dice pools that the ST feels are appropriate for the situation and may reveal additional details about the subject.
A botch on any of these research rolls, irreparably taints the research project, mistaking a crucial set of syllables, and rendering a false name, no matter how much additional research is done. The only way for a researcher to detect a past botch is to score a minimum of 5 successes on a reevaluation roll (see below). Even then, this does not allow the researcher to disentangle the false information from the true. The entire process was irreparably ruined by the botch and must be begun again from scratch (though as a new research project, the same rolls may be attempted a second time).
Perception + Investigation – Investigating the aftermath of a scene in which the subject was significantly involved (ST discretion as to what merits significant involvement), looking for subtle touches that betray the subject’s personality.
Manipulation + Intimidation or Subterfuge – Interrogating someone close to the subject, finding out personal details that are not generally shown.
Perception + Empathy – Investigating an important location to the subject such as a home or place of business, finding what his personal belongings and arrangements might reveal about him. Only applies to a personal location where the subject had a significant impact on the layout or arrangements.
Intelligence + Investigation – Researching all publicly available information about the subject, whether in public records, online, etc. This action may only be performed once and takes a downtime action to complete.
Intelligence + Occult (requires applicable specialty such as Numerology, Astrology, Tarot, Divination) – Some form of guided fortune telling to reveal specific details about the subject. This roll may be made once per applicable Specialty.
Certain divinatory powers can also reveal additional information and be used as part of this system to research a True Name. Each divination power may only be used once for this purpose and the successes scored on the power’s activation roll directly add to the accumulated successes necessary for researching his True Name. Some example powers that apply are Aura Perception, The Spirit’s Touch (on a personal object), Telepathy, Eyes of Chaos, Sense the Sin, and any number of Blood Magic paths or rituals. The Storyteller is the final arbiter on what constitutes an applicable divination power for this system.
The number of successes required to be accumulated varies based on several factors. Supernatural creatures are inherently more complicated than mortals, and thus require more successes just for being what they are. The more supernatural something is, the more complex its True Name becomes. The base successes required is based from the following chart:
Ordinary Mortal – 10 successes
Supernaturally affected Mortal (Ghoul, Kinfolk, Kinain, Gypsy, Sorcerer, Thrall, etc.) – 20 successes
Partially Human supernatural (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, Kuei-jin, Mummy, Wraith, Changeling, Demon, Fomori, etc.) – 40 successes
Inhuman supernatural (Fae, Earthbound Demon, Angel, Spirit, etc.) – 60 successes
In addition to the baseline, the more connections a character makes with others and with the world around him, affect the complexity of his existence, and thus the complexity of his True Name. For every dot in Backgrounds the character possesses, increase the required successes by 2. So a Ventrue with Generation 4, Resources 5, Herd 4, and 8 dots in Allies would have a True Name requiring 82 successes (40 base + 21 Background dots x2).
On top of one’s connections to the world around oneself, the sheer amount of life one has lived has an impact, regardless of what the subject has done with that life. As such, characters with the Ancilla template require an additional 10 successes, and characters with the Elder template require an additional 25 successes on top of the usual formula. So an Elder Tzimisce with Generation 5, Herd 5, Status 4, and 10 dots of Contacts would require a total of 113 successes (40 base + 24 background dots x2 + 25 for elder)
There may be specific additional traits based on the specific sphere that may increase or decrease the required successes. These will be adjudicated on a case by case basis and then recorded for future calls.
A character never quite knows for sure whether or not they have completed research of a True Name. Additional syllables and information keeps coming up with more research. Attempting to use an incomplete or false True Name can have disastrous repercussions (treat as an automatic botch regardless of the results of the roll) on the power being used. So attempting to use an untested True Name is a dangerous endeavor that is not entered into lightly. However, there is only so much detail out there to find, and eventually repeat syllables will start appearing. At any point in the research process, the researcher can reevaluate his progress by making an Intelligence + Academics roll at difficulty 9 to attempt to determine if he has completed the process. This roll requires a number of successes equal to 10-1 per 10% additional successes (rounding down) the researcher has gained over the required amount. So if the True Name being researched required 70 successes and the researcher had scored 85 successes thus far on his research attempts, the researcher would need to score 8 successes on the reevaluation roll to spot the redundancies in his research. Unless the required successes are scored, the only answer given by the Storyteller on this roll should be “You are not sure yet, you might have a complete name or you might not.” A botch on this roll will always result in the belief that the name is complete, whether it actually is or not.
A True Name is such a strong resonance with the subject, that the subject is aware when their name is invoked. Each time the researcher attempts a Reevaluation roll, the subject may make a Perception + Awareness roll at difficulty 9 requiring a number of successes equal to 10-1 per 10% of the required successes the researcher has obtained thus far. Success on this roll will instinctively tell the subject that someone knows their True Name, though it gives no indication as to who or where.
If the subject’s True Name is ever fully invoked, the subject automatically hears the invocation of his name with no roll needed. If the subject has ever heard the voice speaking his True Name before, the subject may make a reflexive Wits + Alertness roll at a variable difficulty based on the familiarity he has with the voice (Difficulty 10 if he only heard it once in passing, Difficulty 8 for a passing acquaintance, Difficulty 6 for a close friend or enemy, Difficulty 4 for someone intimately familiar) to recognize the voice and identify the one making the invocation. Furthermore, at the time of the invocation, the subject may make a Perception + Awareness roll at difficulty 9 to attempt to determine the approximate direction and distance of the invocation. 1-2 successes gives only the approximate direction but not distance, 3-4 successes gives the approximate direction and a general distance (accurate to within 20 miles), and 5 or more successes gives the approximate direction and a more accurate distance (accurate to within 1 mile).
A True Name can and will change over time. The acquisition of new backgrounds adds more complexity to the subject’s life, and thus changes the associated True Name by adding more complexity. However, if a researcher ever begins his study on a True Name, even if that name later changes, the original research is still valid and he will only need to acquire a number of successes equal to the difference between the original and the new True Name. Furthermore, if research has been completed on a name that later changes and the previous name is invoked, the researcher will not suffer the usual automatic botch for a false name, it simply will not work.
Real Name
The Real Name is the name of a character as the character themselves thinks of themselves. This is the name that is uncovered by telepathy or Spirit's Touch at 4 successes. Any text of a power or ritual that says is gives the "true name" in lower case vs the "True Name" in upper case instead means the real name of the subject.
True names are difficult to transmit in verbal or written form as they are more of a mystical understanding than actual language. It requires 5 successes on an Intelligence + Expression test to successfully scribe or explain a True Name that you know to another character.
Contrary to the passage on True Names in Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy on page 40, knowing a target’s True Name does not convey the devastating advantage of "bypassing Sending". It instead conveys the benefit of +2 dice on all casting toward them, as if you possessed their Talisman.
True Names are more than just a random set of syllables. They are an absolute identification of every facet of a person’s being. As such, researching a True Name takes far more than simply pouring through some books. To research a True Name, the researcher must become familiar with many aspects of the subject’s life, each type of investigation into them revealing hidden clues to the True Name. As researching a True Name takes real understanding of that name, an innately personal understanding, Leadership may not be used on True Name research rolls, nor may they be accumulated via shared work with another character.
Any character must have a minimum Occult score of 5 in order to make any of the following rolls. The following rolls are all made at difficulty 9. The Specialty of True Name Research may be taken for any of the relevant Abilities (but not Attributes) to apply to this process.
Each of the below checks can be made only once per appropriate subject per person making the roll and may be done over the course of scenes rather than taking Downtime Actions, unless specifically noted otherwise. The rolls listed below are examples only, not an exhaustive list. Players are free to come up with other dice pools that the ST feels are appropriate for the situation and may reveal additional details about the subject.
A botch on any of these research rolls, irreparably taints the research project, mistaking a crucial set of syllables, and rendering a false name, no matter how much additional research is done. The only way for a researcher to detect a past botch is to score a minimum of 5 successes on a reevaluation roll (see below). Even then, this does not allow the researcher to disentangle the false information from the true. The entire process was irreparably ruined by the botch and must be begun again from scratch (though as a new research project, the same rolls may be attempted a second time).
Perception + Investigation – Investigating the aftermath of a scene in which the subject was significantly involved (ST discretion as to what merits significant involvement), looking for subtle touches that betray the subject’s personality.
Manipulation + Intimidation or Subterfuge – Interrogating someone close to the subject, finding out personal details that are not generally shown.
Perception + Empathy – Investigating an important location to the subject such as a home or place of business, finding what his personal belongings and arrangements might reveal about him. Only applies to a personal location where the subject had a significant impact on the layout or arrangements.
Intelligence + Investigation – Researching all publicly available information about the subject, whether in public records, online, etc. This action may only be performed once and takes a downtime action to complete.
Intelligence + Occult (requires applicable specialty such as Numerology, Astrology, Tarot, Divination) – Some form of guided fortune telling to reveal specific details about the subject. This roll may be made once per applicable Specialty.
Certain divinatory powers can also reveal additional information and be used as part of this system to research a True Name. Each divination power may only be used once for this purpose and the successes scored on the power’s activation roll directly add to the accumulated successes necessary for researching his True Name. Some example powers that apply are Aura Perception, The Spirit’s Touch (on a personal object), Telepathy, Eyes of Chaos, Sense the Sin, and any number of Blood Magic paths or rituals. The Storyteller is the final arbiter on what constitutes an applicable divination power for this system.
The number of successes required to be accumulated varies based on several factors. Supernatural creatures are inherently more complicated than mortals, and thus require more successes just for being what they are. The more supernatural something is, the more complex its True Name becomes. The base successes required is based from the following chart:
Ordinary Mortal – 10 successes
Supernaturally affected Mortal (Ghoul, Kinfolk, Kinain, Gypsy, Sorcerer, Thrall, etc.) – 20 successes
Partially Human supernatural (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, Kuei-jin, Mummy, Wraith, Changeling, Demon, Fomori, etc.) – 40 successes
Inhuman supernatural (Fae, Earthbound Demon, Angel, Spirit, etc.) – 60 successes
In addition to the baseline, the more connections a character makes with others and with the world around him, affect the complexity of his existence, and thus the complexity of his True Name. For every dot in Backgrounds the character possesses, increase the required successes by 2. So a Ventrue with Generation 4, Resources 5, Herd 4, and 8 dots in Allies would have a True Name requiring 82 successes (40 base + 21 Background dots x2).
On top of one’s connections to the world around oneself, the sheer amount of life one has lived has an impact, regardless of what the subject has done with that life. As such, characters with the Ancilla template require an additional 10 successes, and characters with the Elder template require an additional 25 successes on top of the usual formula. So an Elder Tzimisce with Generation 5, Herd 5, Status 4, and 10 dots of Contacts would require a total of 113 successes (40 base + 24 background dots x2 + 25 for elder)
There may be specific additional traits based on the specific sphere that may increase or decrease the required successes. These will be adjudicated on a case by case basis and then recorded for future calls.
A character never quite knows for sure whether or not they have completed research of a True Name. Additional syllables and information keeps coming up with more research. Attempting to use an incomplete or false True Name can have disastrous repercussions (treat as an automatic botch regardless of the results of the roll) on the power being used. So attempting to use an untested True Name is a dangerous endeavor that is not entered into lightly. However, there is only so much detail out there to find, and eventually repeat syllables will start appearing. At any point in the research process, the researcher can reevaluate his progress by making an Intelligence + Academics roll at difficulty 9 to attempt to determine if he has completed the process. This roll requires a number of successes equal to 10-1 per 10% additional successes (rounding down) the researcher has gained over the required amount. So if the True Name being researched required 70 successes and the researcher had scored 85 successes thus far on his research attempts, the researcher would need to score 8 successes on the reevaluation roll to spot the redundancies in his research. Unless the required successes are scored, the only answer given by the Storyteller on this roll should be “You are not sure yet, you might have a complete name or you might not.” A botch on this roll will always result in the belief that the name is complete, whether it actually is or not.
A True Name is such a strong resonance with the subject, that the subject is aware when their name is invoked. Each time the researcher attempts a Reevaluation roll, the subject may make a Perception + Awareness roll at difficulty 9 requiring a number of successes equal to 10-1 per 10% of the required successes the researcher has obtained thus far. Success on this roll will instinctively tell the subject that someone knows their True Name, though it gives no indication as to who or where.
If the subject’s True Name is ever fully invoked, the subject automatically hears the invocation of his name with no roll needed. If the subject has ever heard the voice speaking his True Name before, the subject may make a reflexive Wits + Alertness roll at a variable difficulty based on the familiarity he has with the voice (Difficulty 10 if he only heard it once in passing, Difficulty 8 for a passing acquaintance, Difficulty 6 for a close friend or enemy, Difficulty 4 for someone intimately familiar) to recognize the voice and identify the one making the invocation. Furthermore, at the time of the invocation, the subject may make a Perception + Awareness roll at difficulty 9 to attempt to determine the approximate direction and distance of the invocation. 1-2 successes gives only the approximate direction but not distance, 3-4 successes gives the approximate direction and a general distance (accurate to within 20 miles), and 5 or more successes gives the approximate direction and a more accurate distance (accurate to within 1 mile).
A True Name can and will change over time. The acquisition of new backgrounds adds more complexity to the subject’s life, and thus changes the associated True Name by adding more complexity. However, if a researcher ever begins his study on a True Name, even if that name later changes, the original research is still valid and he will only need to acquire a number of successes equal to the difference between the original and the new True Name. Furthermore, if research has been completed on a name that later changes and the previous name is invoked, the researcher will not suffer the usual automatic botch for a false name, it simply will not work.
Real Name
The Real Name is the name of a character as the character themselves thinks of themselves. This is the name that is uncovered by telepathy or Spirit's Touch at 4 successes. Any text of a power or ritual that says is gives the "true name" in lower case vs the "True Name" in upper case instead means the real name of the subject.