Coterie Type

When creating players are creating characters for a game, it is strongly recommended that they work together. A coterie is an option they can take and build collaboratively. It aids both the players and the storyteller as it allows collective buy-ins to the chronicle and indicates what aspects of the World of Darkness the players are interested in pursuing.

The coterie pool begins with one free dot per player character. A group with three or fewer players may be allowed to begin with two free dots per character as determined by their Storyteller. In addition, players may contribute their character's advantage dots to the coterie's pool. The pool is spent collectively, however, in some groups the players may choose to control how their contributions are spent. It is also possible to purchase coterie flaws in order to obtain more dots for the coterie during creation. Every player must agree to the flaw in order for it to be taken.

DOMAIN

Domain is a core aspect of a coterie as it represents the physical area in which the coterie can hunt. Within the Camarilla it is viewed as a feudal fief and to the Anarchs it is their "turf". Each dot of Domain cost one dot from the coterie's pool, these traits cover a lot of ground so use them as abstractions rather than constraints.

Without any domain, coteries may hunt by either poaching in another's territory at their own risk or through a letter from the Prince or another high official granting them temporary passage and the right to hunt.

CHASSE

A trait that describes how valuable the area is for hunting, be it through vulnerable mortals or the richness of their blood. One dot of this provides hunting grounds inside their domain at a hunting difficulty of 6, with each additional dot lowering this by one. This trait also refers to the size of the domain, with • being one city block and ••••• being three neighborhoods with a large group of features such as all the parks, all the hospitals, or all the convenience stores.

A coterie that has cult members can benefit from an overlap of the cult's area of influence. Known as (•) Built-in Flock (Chasse) they can feed once per week at a set establishment with the hunting Difficulty lowered by 1. If their domain overlaps with the local Mirthraeum, they can take the merit (••) Mithraeum (Chasse) which provides them with two dots of Haven Merits they can swap for other Haven merits at the start of each story. An option flaw is included (••) Disputed Domain (Chasse), where they are overlapping with a rival's territory and when encountering the opposing groups' member test for fury frenzy.

Chasse Merit	Description
Apartment Towers (••)	A few very densely packed residential buildings filled with prey with a standard mix of Resonances. Vampires with the Extortionist Predator Type get one extra die on their hunting pools here. High turnover means enemy observers can more easily infiltrate: subtract one die from your domain’s Portillon pools against observation or surveillance.
Back Alleys (••)	Provides quick access to sewers, coal tunnels, cellar networks, city infrastructure, and Phlegmatic Resonance. Alley Cat or Montero Predator Types get one extra die on their hunting pools here. The rat population adds one die to the Animalism pool of any Kindred spying on your domain.
Funerary (•)	This is often a cemetery, funeral home, or dedicated morgue. Most prey here have no Resonance, although mourners may present Melancholy. Kindred with the Bagger or Graverobber Predator Types get one extra die on their hunting pools here. Some vampires see Kindred that congregate and feed in such places as scavengers less worthy of status or respect, costing the coterie a die from Social pools in contests against high-clan snobs.
Gated Community (••)	A residential area with manicured gardens, dedicated security, and full of Melancholy Resonance. The basic Difficulty for Larceny tests and similar here equals the Resources dots for the average resident: a Middle-Class development has Difficulty 2, an Ultra-Rich one has Difficulty 5. Once entered, Sandman Predator Types add one extra die to their hunting pools. The mortals living here are often educated professionals and a good source for Allies, Contacts, or Retainers with specialized knowledge and skills. They also may have law-enforcement contacts themselves, and get a respectful hearing when they describe strange red-eyed burglars. Storytellers may deny this Merit to a coterie located in the heart of a city.
Hospital (••)	This is usually a larger institutional medical facility with an attached morgue and psychiatric care facility, providing Phlegmatic or Melancholy Resonance.. Depending on where the coterie is located, the facility could instead be a dedicated mental health asylum, a medical research establishment, or a sprawling assisted living facility for the elderly. Vampires with the Bagger, Consenualist, Grim Reaper, or Trapdoor Predator Types get an extra die on their hunting pools here, as do pools to obtain bagged blood or medical supplies. Hunter groups with a religious or medical background get an extra die to their pools to infiltrate your domain.
Nightlife (•••)	An area of businesses dedicated to serving food and entertainment open late into the night, providing Choleric or Sanguine Resonance. Vampires with the Montero, Pursuer, Scene Queen, Siren, or Trapdoor Predator Type get an extra die on their hunting pools here. Kindred from other territories may also be willing to pay in boons for feeding access to this area. Any 1 rolled in a hunting pool here means the target has enough drugs or alcohol in them to taint their blood. City government and organized crime elements have extra leverage here: add one dot to those Influence types here, for your coterie and your foes alike.
Shelter (••)	Either a homeless shelter or an encampment of unhomed mortals, providing Choleric or Melancholy Resonance. Vampires with the Alley Cat or Sandman Predator Types get an extra die on their hunting pools in the Domain. Any 1 rolled in a hunting pool here means the target has drugs or alcohol tainting their blood. The mortals that live in these communities often know a lot about street life and make good Allies, Contacts, or Retainers with specialized knowledge and skills.

LIEN

Another trait dictates how well the coterie has integrated into the domain. Each dot of this adds one die to their pools on attempts to interact peacefully with locals, locate something, gather the word on the street, or investigate all within the area of the domain. Lien does not modify the coterie hunting rolls.

A coterie that has cult members can benefit from overlapping influence with a merit known as (•) Community Outreach (Lien) which adds one bonus die to all Manipulation and Subterfuge rolls when dealing with mortals in the domain. (••) Visibility is an optional flaw that turns all failed hunting tests into total failures and any rolls to conceal the coterie's activities within the domain has its Difficulty increased by 2.

Lien Merit	Description
Campus (•••)	A university, major library, or research facility that focuses on academic pursuits. It provides Choleric or Melancholy Resonance. Using its facilities after hours, it provides the equivalent of two dots in the Haven Merit Library, although access is limited at night and requires break-ins or a Mask that provides justification and clearance. Hunter groups with a religious or academic background get an extra die to their pools to infiltrate your domain.
City Hall (•••)	The seat of the city government or possibly an office building where a lot of the city’s bureaucracy does its work, providing Phlegmatic Resonance. The coterie can wager these dots in political or urbandevelopment Projects. Records access grants the coterie the equivalent of one dot in Mask for city records. Foes with Influence in city government add one dot to pools to infiltrate your domain.
Cultural Landmark (••)	These locations are usually cultural centers, art museums, sports stadiums, or famous landmarks, but they can also include tourist traps, zoos, or aquariums. They may provide Choleric or Sanguine Resonance. During event hours, your Portillon lowers by one dot, as crowds of outsiders flood into your domain. If animals are kept on the premises, vampires with the Farmer Predator type gain an extra die on their hunting pools here. Coterie members can leverage their access to this location for an extra die in appropriate Social dice pools: to get in just before closing, to arrange a party, to trade tickets to a prestigious opening for a minor boon, etc. If an Elysium regularly occurs here, it costs an extra dot but grants a two-dice bonus on Etiquette pools with vampires of your sect and on all tests to pick up Kindred gossip.
Marketplace (••)	A place of commerce and trade such as a shopping mall, port harbor, or trade district. It provides Melancholy or Sanguine Resonance. The coterie can wager these dots in economic Projects. Add two dice to appropriate Social or Finance pools: e.g., to source an item or ingredient, pick up stock tips or other insider info, or hide a body (in a harbor district). These areas are also heavily patrolled by mortal law enforcement and rife with electronic surveillance; lose two dice from any Stealth or similar pool here against hunters or Kindred foes with law-enforcement connections. Kindred rarely fight over strip malls, but organized criminal gangs and federal authorities are very sensitive to any disruptions in a port or stock exchange.
Members Only (••)	An exclusive venue or club that serves a dedicated clientele paying for privacy and luxury. This could be anything from a university’s alumni clubhouse to a sex dungeon. It provides Sanguine Resonance. Any haven the coterie establishes on the premises gains one dot in one of these Haven Merits: Luxury or Watchmen. But of course, any foe who can obtain membership or an invitation can enter your haven with impunity.
Transitions (••)	This is a halfway house or addiction treatment center that helps people reintegrate into society. It provides Melancholy Resonance. The coterie gains one dot in the Herd Background that defaults to the Melancholy Resonance. Hunter groups with a religious or medical background get an extra die to their pools to infiltrate your domain.

PORTILLON

The last trait describes how secure the domain is against unwelcome intrusions or disruptions be it other vampires, mortals, or the Second Inquisition. This trait rarely adds to character pools, instead acting as resistance against these forces. A critical success by an intruder may lower the portillon of the domain against that specific group, at least until the coterie deals with them. The portillon does not apply to Havens inside or outside the domain.

A coterie that has cult members can benefit from overlapping influence with a merit known as (•) Networked (Portillon) which allows the characters once per story to use the security cameras around the temple to look at footage or ask the patrol of the temple to expand their route for a few nights. In addition to this merit is the optional flaw of (•) Shared Vulnerabilities which means regardless of the coterie's precautions the cult's security is lax and enemies who take advantage of this fact can ignore the Portillon rating as long as they breach the cult's security first.

Portillon Merit	Description
Abandoned Building (•)	This location is a rundown warehouse or foreclosed business, providing Melancholy Resonance. Any haven the coterie establishes within this facility gains one dot in the Cell and Postern Merits, but always has the Creepy Flaw. Unless the coterie uses their Influence, there is always a risk that the location gets demolished or renovated.
Firehouse (•••)	This firehouse has a full fire engine crew vigilant to threats against your coterie’s haven and holdings. It offers Choleric or Melancholy Resonance. Any attempts to burn the coterie out of their haven or destroy their holdings fail or have very limited success unless this facility is neutralized.
Police Station (••)	A police precinct full of heavily armed police, providing Phlegmatic or Sanguine Resonance. This Merit comes with a low level clerical or IT contact in the precinct, who can add two dice to pools attempting to trace infiltrators into your domain. However, if the agency operating through the station moves against the coterie, subtract two dots from both the domain’s Portillon and their Haven Merit to resist. Many Anarch Barons especially advise against making the police your domain’s primary line of defense.
Prison (••)	A maximum security facility, usually crowded, for holding prisoners. it offers Choleric or Melancholy Resonance. While controlled by the state, criminal organizations are tacitly allowed to do business inside its walls. Add two dice to Streetwise pools to negotiate favors with criminals inside or outside the joint, or otherwise leverage their access. This Merit includes one (Difficulty 3) means of entry and exit, decided by the troupe: suborned guard, forgotten maintenance tunnel, contract with the laundry trucks, etc. A total failure on this roll launches an investigation, which lowers the domain’s Portillon by two dots until the end of the story. The prison’s nearness lowers the domain’s Lien by one dot to timid mortals and those who consider property values the most important kind.
Transit (••)	A series of tunnels, warrens, or forgotten buildings connected to an active public transit station. It provides Phlegmatic Resonance. Any haven the coterie establishes within this facility gains two dots in the Postern Merit. Add two dice to pools to evade pursuit on transit, summon rats with Animalism, or any other test relevant to subway tunnels. On the other hand, Nosferatu and other subterranean dangers can bypass these two dots in Portillon when infiltrating your domain.

COTERIE BACKGROUNDS

Coteries can purchase certain backgrounds and flaws in common using their pool just as they would during standard character creation. Remember to record major figures on the Relationship Map, just as is done with individual backgrounds. Each member of the coterie can use these backgrounds as if they were their own, however, the backgrounds belong to the coterie and not the individual. Should a character leave the coterie either through mutual splitting up or through ejection in some form, they cannot take backgrounds with them. It is also important to note that Backgrounds do not multiply, a two-dot coterie herd is still the same as an individual's two-dot herd. Regardless of whether being within a coterie's background or not, all backgrounds are subject to in-game risks which means that putting all of it in one place can run a risk should an enemy decide to take action against the characters.

Coterie Boon and Debts use the same costs and systems as for individual characters (Players Guide, pg. 115). When a coterie possesses a boon or debt, any member of the coterie may call upon the boon, or suffer under or discharge the debt.

Merit	Description	Flaw	Description
Bolt Holes (• — •••)	Your domain covers an unusually large (or confusing) area. Every dot gives the a bonus die when trying to escape detection or evade pursuit when within their domain.	Bullies (•)	Your coterie is associated with a dark time when a tyrant Prince or corrupt Baron ruled. Take a one-die penalty on all Social dice pools (except Intimidation) when dealing with other vampires in the city. This Flaw does not apply to dealings with their old master’s cronies and henchmen.
On Tap (• — •••)	Your coterie goes out of its way to create an atmosphere within your domain that instills a preferred Resonance in your prey. When taking this Merit choose a Resonance. Whenever hunting in your domain you can add dice equal to the rating of this Merit to find a victim with the specified Resonance.	Cursed (• +)	The coterie decides on one or more Mythic Flaws and takes the same number of dots in Cursed. Whenever they are outside their domain, they suffer the drawbacks of their chosen Mythic Flaw.
Privileged (•••)	The coterie has been granted special rights beyond that usually afforded to Kindred in their sect. Determine the remarkable deed you or perhaps one of your sires did to earn this unusual favor. Ideally, connect it to your coterie type. The coterie cannot be punished for a specific crime that would see other Kindred ostracized or destroyed.	Custodians (••)	The Kindred of this coterie have a particularly odious or inconvenient responsibility within the city. If the coterie should ever fail at their task or refuse to do it they lose one dot from their Status within their sect until they make amends and return to their service. If they lose all Status, the coterie also becomes Suspect, but retains this Flaw as well.
Transportation (••)	A small fleet of luxury vehicles and drivers (Driving 6) are at your group’s disposal on short notice. Also, once per story the coterie can call upon a rare or expensive vehicle such as a helicopter or bulletproof SUV for a night.	Targeted (•)	A mortal vampire hunting group knows that Kindred operate in your coterie’s domain. Your coterie’s Portillion rating is halved (round up) against this threat.
		Territorial (•)	For every week the coterie is absent from their domain it suffers a one-dot penalty to all domain traits (Chasse, Lien, Portillon), though a trait can never be reduced below zero in this way. Coteries with no dots in domain traits cannot take this Flaw.
		Under Siege (••)	Once per story the storyteller can reduce one of your coterie’s domain traits to one dot or deny the usage of one of your coterie Merits or Backgrounds as your rivals attempt to chisel your territory out from under you.

COTERIE CLAN MERITS

Kindred can also purchase Coterie Merits at Character Creation, these are merits tied to specific clans but they can generally be activated by anyone within the group. In some cases, only one member of the coterie can use the given Merit in a session based on who needs it the most.

Clan		Merit	Description
	Banu Haqim	Call to Purpose (••)	Once per session, they may motivate another teammate to gain the effect of a Willpower point to be immediately used.
	Brujah	Boot and Rally (•)	Once per session, a coterie mate may reroll all regular dice on a failed Physical test.
	Caitiff	Versatile Vitae (••)	Once per session the Caitiff can influence a coterie member with their malleability, enabling them to use a Discipline power they do not possess (as long as they have the Discipline levels and other prerequisites for it) for the duration of the scene.
	Brujah	Pack Tactics (•••)	When in combat gain a single die to pools for Brawl or Melee attacks when together.
	Hecata	Ars Moriendi (••)	Once per session, they can mask the corpse of someone killed.
	Lasombra	At Any Cost (••)	Once per session, add two successes to a test. The outcome is treated as a Messy Critical.
	Malkavian	Everything is Connected (•••)	Once per session, another member of the coterie may substitute one skill for another on a test involving information gathering.
	The Ministry	Discerning (•)	Once per session the Minister character may learn something about a Storytellers character's wants as long as a member of the coterie has spoken to them.
	Nosferatu	Contextual Contact (••)	Once per session, the Nosferatu may add the highest-rated coterie members' contact rating to any one test to recover information.
	Ravnos	Cryptolect (•••)	Allows the coterie to communicate in coded language and hand signs.
	Salubri	Restraint (•••)	Once per session the Ravnos can restrain the Beast of a coterie member in their presence, enabling them to reroll all (and only all) of their Hunger dice in a test for free.
	Thin-Blooded	Mortal Heart (••)	Once per session the thin-blood can remind their coterie of what it means to be alive, allowing them to count their Humanity as one dot higher for a scene.
	Toreador	All Access (•)	Once per session, they can get past bouncers to get into a mortal event by being on the list or knowing the right connections.
	Tremere	Multi-Level Lorekeeping (••)	Once per session, someone can use another's loresheet within the coterie including clan specific.
	Tzimisce	Old-World Hospitality (••)	When daysleeping in the Tzimisce's haven, they regain an additional Superficial Willpower damage.
	Ventrue	Kindred Legacies (••)	Once per session, the Ventrue may ask for relevant information about the history of a single vampire they've met.