Merits represent the core characteristics, traits, gear, and companions that a character has at their disposal. Merits tracks represent a form of character health, whereby tracks are marked as a character has their gear get damaged, they take harm, or are otherwise rattled. Merits help make actions easier to perform, and many merits provide unique powers and abilities for a character to take advantage of.
All of Witchgate’s merits are built using the rules below. As such players can work with the GM while following the same rules to adjust existing merits or to their own brand new merits.
- Create the initial Merit Track (PICK 1)
- Start with a track of 5 if the merit is a piece of gear or natural ability.
- Start with a track of 4 if the merit is a Companion, due to their inherent ability to act independent from the character. Companions act independently from a character, but when tracking actions, take actions from the same character pool (the same player is taking the spotlight). The player character has a mental connection to their companions, and is able to guide and learn information that the companion knows. Companions have an animalistic, dog-like intelligence unless otherwise stated. When a companion’s track reaches 0, it retreats into until the PC can take a restorative action to heal it. Players and GMs should discuss what type of harm they are comfortable with a companion getting into.
- Companion Action Checks:
Companions always have a +1 start to actions that they take (assuming they can take the action). If the player character also has a skill of any level which could apply for the action, then the companion gets an additional +1 bonus to the check. Companions can get further bonuses just like other characters (risking esoterics, using a scene aspect, using a miss-fortune).
Using multiple companions at once can improve the effect of a single action check.
- Companion Action Checks:
- Start with a track of 2 if the merit is a META Merit meant to enhance another existing merit. Meta merits can have their track reduced down to 0, but no further, and any extra track adds to the main merit’s track. META Merits are special merits that enhance or alter a legacy’s main signature merit. They are listed at the bottom of each legacy.
- Further develop the merit; reduce the merit’s starting track by the cost of each merit component taken below. Non-META merits must have at least 1 track remaining
| Benefit | Effect | Cost |
| Expertise | When using this merit for a specified intention, turn a glance into a hit. | 1 |
| Caution | Ignore cut in specific instances or on a specific type of action. | 1 |
| Impact | Increase effect in specific situations | 1 |
| Mobility* | Provides a simple benefit, an occasionally helpful ability that lets you move around the world in a unique manner. Upgraded: Remove an additional box to increase the number of situations where the ability may help or make it into a more complex benefit. |
1 |
| Quirk | Alter the disadvantage of a legacy you have in some manner, making it work differently for you or giving you a specific loophole case where it does not affect you. | 1 |
| Utility* | Provides a simple benefit, an occasionally helpful ability that lets you interact with the world in a unique manner. Upgraded: Remove an additional box to increase the number of situations where the ability may help or make it into a more complex benefit. |
1 |
| Damaging | Deals an additional mark of a specific type of harm at melee or long range. | 1 |
| Gathering | Gain a specific resource in specific situations or when specific events occur. | 2 |
| Insight | Can be used to learn a piece of information within a limited specified context | 2 |
| Resistance | Gain resistance two two types of harm. Harm of those specific types deals less damage. Any trouble dealing harm to you is lessened 1 rank: Major->High->Medium->None | 2 |
| Sensory | Provides a new way of sensing the world | 2 |
| Professional | Automatically perform a specific type of difficult action without needing an action check | 2 |
| Consume | Mark a box or spend an esoteric to use part of an ability. (Or Burn a box for very powerful abilities) | -1 |
| Limitation | Add a limitation to how often the merit can be used within a short amount of time or to when it works. Examples: – Once per scene – Take a lengthy task – While in sunlight |
-1 |
*Simple and Complex Benefits
The terms ‘utility’ and ‘mobility’ are exceptionally broad and players will likely disagree on what counts as a simple or more complex ability. To mitigate disagreements, follow these guidelines:
- Simple Benefit Restrictions
- Focus: Only affect a single creature or a small amount of objects.
- Specificity: Only affects a very specific type of material if applicable
- Control: Provides one-directional or random/GM-influenced control
- Distance: Only affects nearby or closer targets.
- Duration: (generally only applicable for merits with a consume component or for esoterics)
The ability last no longer than 30 seconds before needing to be reused. - Example Utility: Magnetic Pull
You can pull a nearby magnetic object towards you as if you are able to lift their weight. - Example Mobility: Glider
You can use glider to slowly drift down to a lower location without worrying about taking harm from a fall. You drift downwards at roughly a 45° angle though you can change direction as needed.
- Complex Benefits are similar to simple benefits, but break 1 or (rarely) 2 of the restrictions.
- Example Utility:
Iron Manipulation (removing restriction of control)
You can telekinetically move and shape nearby iron as long the whole piece is light enough to carry and not attached to something beyond your carrying limit. - Example Mobility:
Angelic Wings (removing restriction of control)
You have feathery wings which allow you to fly in the air as you please, though they are only strong enough to lift yourself.
- Example Utility:
- Benefits Beyond simple and complex benefits should be thoroughly vetted with the GMs, have a greater cost (3 or more) and may even come with a unique weakness to balance it out. For example, the Magi’s spell casting signature ability provides powerful levels of material manipulation, but is also a 1 track merit with a risk of splicing.