Debt

What's It For?¶

In the world of Kindred, nothing comes free. Every favor creates an obligation, every betrayal leaves a scar, and every bit of help has strings attached. Debt is the invisible currency that binds vampires together. More valuable than money, more enduring than blood, and far more dangerous than either.

A Debt isn't a physical thing you can hold, it's the weight of obligation between two parties, acknowledged by everyone who matters. When you owe someone a Debt, they have leverage over you. When someone owes you a Debt, you have leverage over them. Simple as that.

Debts drive stories. They force uncomfortable conversations, create difficult choices, and turn allies into enemies (or vice versa). They're the reason you can't just walk away from a bad situation, and they're also the reason someone might bail you out when everything goes to hell.

Debt Tracking¶

Personal Debts¶

Personal Debts are between individual characters; PCs, important NPCs, influential mortals, powerful vampires, and the like. They represent favors owed, wrongs forgiven, lives saved, and promises made. Depending upon your character's age and social standing, you may begin with 1–3 Debts, or potentially even more if your character has been around for a while or loves making deals.

Soft Cap: 5 Debts maximum per character (in either direction). If you're juggling more than 5 Debts, you've probably spread yourself too thin or made too many enemies. The Storyteller can push you past this cap if the fiction demands it, but expect consequences, and try to stay as Debt-free as your character can manage.

Creating Debts¶

You owe someone a Debt when...

• They do you a significant favor without asking for payment... yet
• They save your life or your Haven
• They overlook a serious wrong you committed against them
• They lend you resources (Currency, a safe house, a contact) in a pinch
• They cover for you when you breach the Masquerade
• You break a promise or betray their trust and they don't retaliate
• They create a Blood Bond with you

Someone owes you a Debt when...

• You do them a favor without demanding immediate payment
• You save their ass (or that of someone they care about)
• You provide aid, resources, or protection when they need it
• You keep your mouth shut about something that could ruin them
• You create a Blood Bond with them

The Storyteller is the final arbiter of when Debts are created. Not every favor is a Debt; buying someone a drink doesn't count, but lying to the Sheriff to protect them probably does.

Invoking a Debt¶

Before making a social or investigative roll involving someone you have a Debt with , you can Invoke a Debt that the character owes you to gain +2 Forward to that roll. The fiction must make sense: you're leaning on their obligation, calling in favors from their contacts, or reminding them (or witnesses) of what they owe you.

Frequency: Once per Debt per night. Once you Invoke a Debt for a bonus, you can't Invoke it again that same night. The Debt isn't erased by Invoking it, you're just leveraging it to get your way. You can still Cash In later for a full favor.

Cashing In Debts¶

When you Cash In a Debt someone owes you, remind them why they owe you, then demand something from one of the following categories:

Information & Access:

• Answer a question honestly (even if it's incriminating or embarrassing)
• Introduce you to someone useful (their Sire, a contact, someone in power, etc.)
• Give you access to a restricted location or resource
• Share intelligence they've gathered

Physical Assistance:

• Help you with a dangerous or inconvenient task
• Provide backup in a fight (one scene's worth)
• Use their skills or mundane job to help you (forging documents, medical care, legal advice, etc.)

Interference & Protection:

• Stay out of your way (don't interfere with your plans)
• Cover for you (provide an alibi, lie to someone after you, hide evidence, etc.)
• Block someone else from acting against you

Resources:

• Lend you Currency, equipment, or a vehicle
• Let you use their Haven temporarily
• Provide blood (if mortal) or feeding access (if vampire)

Debt Manipulation:

• Erase a Debt they hold on someone else
• Transfer a Debt they hold to you (except Blood Bonds and similar)

Vampire-Specific:

• Use a Discipline on your behalf (one use)
• Vouch for you in Kindred society
• Let you Feed from them (if appropriate to the relationship)

Mortal-Specific:

• Provide mortal institutional access (police records, city hall documents, hospital records, etc.)
• Keep a Masquerade-threatening secret
• Use their professional skills (hacking, legal work, medical treatment, plumbing, etc.)

Once cashed in, the Debt is erased, unless otherwise specified upon its creation. You can't demand more after the fact. One Debt = one favor.

Refusing a Debt¶

You can refuse to honor a Debt, but it costs the whole Coterie. When you refuse, the Coterie immediately loses 1 Clout — your personal failure reflects on everyone around you. Your friends might not be happy about this. Additionally, the Storyteller chooses one further complication:

• Mark 1 Stain (the guilt eats at you)
• Make an enemy (they'll remember this betrayal)
• They believe you still owe them the Debt, and now they intend to make you pay up

Coterie Debts¶

Coterie Debts are collective obligations. The entire Coterie owes or is owed as a group. These are big, story-driving Debts that shape your chronicle and can have long-lasting effects. You'll start with at least 1, as explained further over in the Creating Your Coterie section.

Soft Cap: 3 Coterie Debts (in either direction). If you're carrying more than 3, your group is drowning in obligations and something's gotta give.

Creating New Coterie Debts¶

Your Coterie can take on new Debts collectively when:

• Another group bails you out of a disaster
• You screw over someone powerful and they choose not to destroy you (yet)
• You borrow significant resources or aid to accomplish a goal
• You make a desperate bargain to survive another night

The Storyteller must telegraph when a Coterie Debt is about to be created. For example, if your Coterie wants someone's help getting past the Sheriff's security, you'll all owe them big time. The Storyteller should tell you this, then ask "Are you sure?"

Cashing in Coterie Debts¶

When someone cashes in a Coterie Debt, they demand something from the entire group:

• Complete a dangerous mission or heist
• Hand over territory (reduce Claim by 1)
• Hand over Currency or a valuable asset
• Stay out of their business for a specific time
• Provide information on a rival individual or group
• Take the fall for something they did

Coterie Debts aren't erased lightly. Paying one off should feel significant; a full session's worth of effort, a major sacrifice, or a morally compromising choice. And, knowing how vampiric society works, it's likely you'll pick up a new one sooner or later.