The Buffyverse (TWF's rules)

[takewithfood]

Hey gang,

So, I've been itching to run a MURPG game set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (aka the "Buffyverse") for over a year now, and I think I finally have the time to give it a proper go. To do so, though, we'll need some specialized rules.

The new rules need to accomplish a few things:

1. Account for the fact that, with a few exceptions, beings in the Buffyverse are not nearly as powerful as Marvel characters.

2. Include explicit rules for certain common situations, such as staking a vampire.

3. Still be close enough to the usual MURPG to be easy to learn.

To accomplish these goals, I've been tinkering with what I call MURPG Lite in another thread. I've received some good feedback, and I think some of the rules are ready for play. We may need to tinker with some things here and there, but such is life with MURPG. ^__^

Anyway, this thread is meant to be home to a compilation of rules to be used in the game. It will include:

1) MURPG Lite adjustments to the D&R chart
2) MURPG Lite combat actions (Unarmed, Melee, Projectiles, Firearms) and Modifiers (Dirty/Trick Fighting so far)
3) A new Magic system for the Buffyverse
4) Rules for creatures such as Slayers and Vampires

Once this is complied, and if everything looks good, I'll put up a recruitment thread and find some players. I may need to work on the setting a little more, but hopefully that will be out of the way soon enough.

So, enough blab. The rules:

[takewithfood]

The Difficult & Resistance Chart

In order to reflect a slightly lower-powered world, some changes need to be made to the Difficulty and Resistance Chart. Mostly this involves dialing everything down a step and making the upper reaches of some sections (such as the Strength row) less extreme.

One important detail to note is that all physical abilities peak at 4 for humans instead of the usual 3. Thus, a human being in peak/Olympic-level condition could have an ability of 4.

Here are the new rows:

Strength
The weights listed below roughly represent the maximum weight that an individual can lift and hold above their head. They may be able to push, drag, budge or shift objects weighing one category more. (Thus, an Olympic weight lifter with a Strength of 4 can clean and jerk 500 lbs, but might be able to deadlift or press up to 1,000 lbs for a very short time.)

Str	Max Weight	Example	Description
1	50 lbs	small dog	feeble
2	100 lbs	child	average
3	250 lbs	adult human	athletic
4	500 lbs	motorcycle	peak human
5	1,000 lbs	bear	superhuman
6	2,500 lbs	sedan
7	5,000 lbs	humvee
8	10,000 lbs	elephant
9	25,000 lbs	school bus
10	50,000 lbs	cement truck

Speed
Speed represents absolute top sprinting speed. 100m dash world record holder Usain Bolt is estimated to have a top speed of just over 27 miles per hour, but even he can't keep up that pace for long (and maybe he's literally a speed demon).

Spd	Max Speed	Example	Description
1	3 mph	cross a street	feeble
2	6 mph	1 block	average
3	12 mph	2 blocks	athletic
4	25 mph	5 blocks	peak human
5	50 mph	10 blocks	superhuman
6	100 mph	20 blocks	highway car chase
7	200 mph	1.5 miles	F1 race car
8	400 mph	3 miles	light aircraft
9	800 mph	6 miles	mach 1
10	1,500 mph	12 miles	speeding bullet

Leaping
The leaping distances below represent the maximum horizontal distance a character can leap assuming they have at least a short running start. Use your Strength to determine the maximum distance you can leap. To calculate how high you can jump vertically, or horizontally without a running start, treat your strength as one point lower than usual (to a minimum of 1).

The old Area/Leaping row on the MURPG D&R chart simply becomes the Area row.

Str	Leap Distance	Description
1	1 foot	feeble
2	5 feet	average
3	10 feet	athletic
4	25 feet	peak human
5	50 feet	superhuman
6	100 feet
7	250 feet
8	500 feet
9	1,000 feet
10	2,000 feet

Hardness
Hardness is a measure of how much strength is required to deform or break a certain object. The exact strength required depends on the object's material and its construction: frail object such as a glass bottle or a brass hinge might be one step more fragile than the material its made of, while a particularly durable object like a safe might be one step harder.

In general, if your stones of Strength meet or exceed the object's hardness, you can break or deform it. Very large objects might have a higher resistance that could require multiple panels to break through (such as smashing through a thick brick wall).

Proper tools like crowbars and sledge hammers may increase your effective strength when it comes to breaking some objects.

Hardness	Material	Example	Description
1	paper, cheap glass/plastic	smash a beer bottle	feeble
2	glass	smash a window	average
3	wood	break a board, kick in a door	athletic
4	light metal	bend copper pipes	peak human
5	brick, concrete	snap handcuffs, punch through wall	superhuman
6	steel	bend bars, tear off car door
7	titanium	smash steel blast door
8	advanced alloys	tear into bank vault
9	ruby
10	diamond

[takewithfood]

Combat Actions & Modifiers

As mentioned above, an important part of running a game in the Buffyverse is trying to keep low-powered combat (or, really, powerless combat) interesting. One way to make this happen is to expand on the existing mundane combat actions, and fill them with enough options such that no two combatants will look or fight the same way.

For starters, Close Combat has been split into two distinct Actions: Unarmed (hand to hand martial arts), and Melee (combat with melee weapons such as swords). Likewise, Ranged Combat has been split into Projectiles (thrown weapons, bows, and the like) and Firearms (guns). As promised, they each have several options available for purchase, making the game more about just having a high ability score and AN.

Unarmed (AN+0 CL)
Unarmed is the Action that represents hand-to-hand combat without weapons: punches, kicks, headbutts, elbows - you name it. Anything from unrefined street brawling to traditional martial arts can fall under this Action.

You get the choice of a free physical Ability bonus (Strength, Agility or Speed). Unarmed is powerful and versatile, and you never need to worry about being disarmed or running out of ammunition. However, without proper training, you will find yourself at a disadvantage against an opponent armed with a weapon.

Rules for Action Box
- free physical Ability bonus
- -2 situational penalty against Melee combat (negated by specialty)
- can't shift stones against Projectiles or Firearms

Options
+1 CL = Specialties. Choose a martial arts style, such as Shaolin Kung Fu, Shotokan Karate, Tae Kwon Do, etc. Negates or lessens some situational penalties (GM's discretion).

+1 CL = Adaptation. (Requires 2+ Specializations) After fighting an opponent for at least 1 panel, switch styles; gain a +1 situational modifier to Unarmed Combat until opponent also switches styles/weapons; you may only do so once per style, per encounter

+2 CL = Kung Fu Genius. Swap a physical ability bonus out for an Intelligence bonus.

+1 CL = Deflect Arrows. (Requires Agility or Speed 4+) You can shift stones against projectiles by batting them out of the air. If your defense is at least 2 or more stones higher than the incoming attack, you can catch the projectile instead.

+1 CL = Disarm. (Requires a Specialization). Instead of making a regular attack, you can attempt to disarm an opponent. When calculating your opponent's defense, swap their toughness and armor values (if any) for their strength, agility, or Combat AN (whichever is highest); if any "damage" is done, they are disarmed instead of taking damage.

+1 CL = Counter Attack. Gain a +1 stone of attack against any opponent with a lower initiative score who attacks you with Unarmed or Melee combat.

Melee AN +1 CL
Melee represents skill with hand-to-hand weapons such as knives, swords, spears, axes, and so on. Just about anything you can hold and swing is employed by the Melee Action.

It should go without saying that Melee comes with a free Weapon bonus. Melee combatants will have a slight advantage over Unarmed opponents, but they will share a weakness against ranged weapons.

Rules for Action Box
- free weapon bonus
- cannot shift stones to defense against Projectiles or Firearms

Options
+1 CL = Specialties. Choose a weapon type, such as swords, axes, knives, or staffs. Negates or lessens some situational penalties (GM's discretion).

+1 CL = Deflect Arrows. (Requires Agility or Speed 4+) You can shift stones against projectiles by batting them out of the air.

+1 CL = Deflect Bullets (Requires Agility or Speed 6+, deflect arrows). You can shift stones against firearms by cutting them out of the air.

+1 CL = Disarm (Requires a Specialization). Instead of making a regular attack, you can attempt to disarm an opponent. When calculating your opponent's defense, swap their toughness and armor values (if any) for their strength, agility, or Combat AN (whichever is highest); if any "damage" is done, they are disarmed instead of taking damage.

+1 CL = Counter Attack. Gain a +1 stone of attack against any opponent with a lower initiative score who attacks you with Unarmed or Melee combat.

Projectiles AN +1 CL
Projectiles covers thrown weapons, such as shuriken and javelins, as well as bows, crossbows, and the like.

Projectiles lack the sheer punch of Firearms, but they are quiet and reliable. Characters with great strength may particularly appreciate thrown weapons. Unfortunately, throwing or firing a projectile weapon requires a reasonable amount of space, and so firing at an opponent engaging you point-blank can be awkward (but certainly not impossible).

Players must keep track of ammunition, which is measured in Pages. For simplicity's sake, one throwing knife, kunai, spear, or arrow equals one Page of ammunition. Once one's ammunition runs out, its time to either change tactics, or start throwing anything you can find that isn't bolted to the floor!

Rules for Action Box
- free projectile weapon bonus
- -2 stone situational penalty against anyone engaging you with melee or unarmed combat (so keep your distance and stay mobile!)
- no reload time, but keep track of ammunition
- cannot split stones between multiple targets

Options:
+1 CL = Specialties. Choose a projectile weapon type, such as bow and arrow, crossbow, throwing knife, etc. Negates or lessens some situational penalties (GM's discretion).

+1 CL = Rapid Fire. You can split stones between multiple targets, at the cost of an extra panel of ammunition per additional target.

+1 CL = Power Throw. When throwing a weapon, you can combine stones of Projectiles with stones of Strength, though doing so costs both of your actions in a panel (one for Projectile Combat, and one for Strength).

+2 CL = Heave Heavy Objects. (Requires Power Throw.) You can combine the use of your Strength and Projectiles to throw heavy and unorthodox objects with destructive force.

Subtract 2 from your Strength to determine the heaviest object you can throw; you must invest stones of Strength equal to the object's weight. Any additional stones of Strength combine with your stones of Projectiles (and determine range). Objects of at least weight 5 (cars, for example) deal x2 damage. Objects of at least weight 8 (school buses, for example) deal x3 damage.

To calculate range, calculate the difference between your stones of Strength and the object's weight; consult the Range row on the D&R chart.

Ranged, Firearms (AN +2 CL)
Firearms is, as one might expect, the Action that governs the use of guns. It covers everything from .38 Specials to .44 hand canons; sloppy SMGs to deadly accurate sniper rifles.

Guns are powerful, there is no debating that. However, they are also loud, messy, and at times difficult to conceal or explain. Also, depending on the weapon, ammunition has a tendency to disappear quickly.

Rules for Action Box
- ignores shifted stones of melee combat or unarmed combat
- ammunition measured in Pages (~3-5 bullets = one Page); must spend a Firearms action to reload when ammunition runs out
- cannot shift stones to defense without cover (hide behind a wall or lie prone, or just use a second action for defense)

Options:
+1 CL = Specialties. Choose a type of firearm, such as pistols, shotguns, SMGs, rifles, etc. Negates or lessens some situational penalties (GM's discretion).

+1 CL = Efficient Aim. (Requires one or more Specialties.) Double the number of panels of ammunition with any specialized weapon.

+1 CL = Rapid Reload. (Requires one or more Specialties.) Reload specialized weapons by spending a blank action. (In other words, you can keep using Firearms, and reload by spending your second action.)

+1 CL = Instant Reload. (Requires one or more Specialties, and Rapid Reload.) Reload specialized weapons by spending a Free Action. (You are entitled to one Free Action per page.)

+1 CL = Accuracy by Quantity. Gain a +1 situational bonus to attack for each additional panel of ammunition you decide to spend, up to a maximum of +3.

+1 CL = Suppressive Fire. At the expense of an additional panel of ammunition, you may shift stones of Firearms to defense. If you like, you can even add the stones you shift to a near-by ally's defense instead of your own.

Dirty Fighting / Trick Shooting (MN +2 CL)
Choose one combat action (unarmed, melee, projectile, firearms). Gain a pool of MN x 3 stones per issue that can be added to any attack with this action when using a specialized style or weapon. You cannot add more than your MN in stones to any single attack. You must describe your dirty or clever trick in your post (get creative!); this Modifier can be renamed as just about anything to suit a style or theme, such as "berserker rage" or "lucky strike" or whatever fits your character.

[takewithfood]

Magic

In the Buffyverse, magic dominates everything. It is by far the most powerful force in the universe, which makes it both coveted and feared.

Mastering all facets of magic is all but impossible, and yet even the most amateur practitioner can work a basic spell with only a few materials and the correct pronunciation. Most spells are cast by first researching a ritual, gathering the correct reagents, then performing a careful incantation. The entire process can take hours or days, and very complex or difficult rituals can take a great deal of time indeed.

True masters of the craft, however, can become so skillful at magic that they are capable of casting spells instantaneously, often with nothing more than a few words and a gesture. But be warned: those who delve too deeply into their magic risk becoming addicted to the rush of raw, primal power. They don't call it the Dark Arts for nothing, you know.

Mastery of Magic AN +3 CL

Having an Action Number of even just 1 enables a practitioner to perform rudimentary and minor effects (called "cantrips"), such as creating floating orbs of light or levitating very small objects. But these are mere parlor tricks compared to proper spells.

There are three ways to cast a spell:

1. Rituals. Rituals are arguably the most common and basic method of spell casting. Two advantages of casting a ritual are a) that you can perform just about any spell without having to buy the appropriate option, and b) that it is relatively safe. The downsides: a) you must first find the ritual, typically by performing lengthy research (use the General Knowledge Action, assuming you have an appropriate specialty, such as "witchcraft"), and b) you must provide magical materials (eye of newt and that sort of thing), which can sometimes be expensive and are not always readily available.

Casting a ritual typically takes about 5 minutes per stone of effect. Research time varies based on the skill and intellect of the researcher and the resources they have on hand, but typically takes anywhere from hours to days.

Example: Rupert Giles needs to cast a "locator" spell to find the next potential Slayer. He has not purchased the Locator Spell option, but he has a respectable collection of magical tomes and a little time on his hands, which is good enough. He begins researching the proper ritual by putting stones in his General Knowledge Action. He has a General Knowledge AN of 6 and an Intelligence of 5, so he can put in a maximum of 11 stones at a time, representing one hour of work. The GM decides ahead of time that it takes 25 stones of research to prepare the ritual, and so it takes Giles a little over two hours to find what he was looking for.

Now that he knows how to perform the ritual, he makes a trip to the local magic shop (what, your town doesn't have one? are you sure about that?) to buy some ingredients. He's lucky that there is a sale on hair of rat and manages to buy the last vial of essence of anise blossom, and the whole thing costs him only fifty bucks and change.

He heads home, and, after a cup of tea, of course, begins the ritual. He wants to cover a large area so he intends to put 5 stones of effect. The GM informs him that this will take almost a half hour. He spends much of that time preparing the ingredients and burning them over candle flame as the ritual directs, and finishes it off with an incantation. The spell is a success! A glowing orb of light rises from the candle flame and floats out an open window. He hurries to his feet and grabs his car keys: the orb will lead him to the next Slayer!

2. Buying an Option. A spellcaster who has actually spent the stones/Lines of Experience to outright buy one of the options below has mastered that type of spell, and can cast such a spell simply by putting stones in their Mastery of Magic box like any other Action.

Even a spellcaster who has mastered an option may still need to perform a ritual if the resistance they wish to overcome exceeds their Action Number. These rituals are much easier to perform, however: they do not require lengthy research or reagents, and only take 1 panel per stone of effect to perform.

Example: Ethan Rayne considers himself a generalist when it comes to magic, but a lifetime of.. let's call it "magical mischief" has taught him the value of a quick escape. He has spent the necessary Lines of Experience to purchase the Teleportation Option, and after being confronted by an angry Slayer (whom he maybe briefly turned into a frat boy for giggles), he knows he made the right choice. Wanting to beat a hasty retreat, he places 3 stones into Mastery of Magic - enough to teleport him a full mile, plenty enough to escape what would probably be a savage and well-deserved beating.

3. Fudge it. You may not have mastered the spell, nor done all the research, but you're pretty sure you know the right words. When anything is better than nothing, you can always try to fudge it.

You can attempt to use an Option that you have not yet purchased, as long as your Mastery of Magic AN is greater than or equal to the Option's cost in Cost Levels. However, your effective Action Number is cut in half (round down), and there is a reasonable chance that your spell will somehow go awry (entirely up to the GM).

Example: Willow Rosenberg is in a pinch. Buffy led her Scoobies into a nest of Carnyss demons expecting to catch them by surprise - but what they expected to be three shocked demons turned out to be a full dozen shocked and then very angry demons. Who knew it was Carnyss mating season?

The Scoobies were beating a retreat through the sewers when they took a wrong turn; now Buffy needs someone to buy a little time while she converts a dead end to a giant hole in the wall. Willow has cast barrier spells before, but only as a ritual. She knows the words, but she doesn't have the ingredients, nor the time for a proper incantation. As a dozen howling Carnyss demons barrel down the tunnel at her, she makes a desperate attempt to cast a spell.

She informs the GM that she's attempting to cast a barrier. She has a Mastery of Magic AN of 4 (shh, don't tell Giles), easily higher than the Barrier Option's cost of +1 CL. Her AN is halved, but she can still create a 2 stone barrier. She puts 2 stones in her Action Box and conjures an invisible wall with a Hardness and Resistance of 2 - the equivalent of a thick pane of glass. It won't hold very long at all, but then again, neither will the brick wall Buffy is punching through..

Options
+1 CL = Magical Barriers. You can create two basic types of barriers by spending stones for effect and Duration (use the Duration row on the D&R chart): Solid-type barriers are physical obstacles with Hardness and Resistance to damage each equal to stones of effect; Energy-type barriers have no Hardness or Resistance, but instead trigger stones of attack against anyone who attempts to pass through them (most forms of shifted defense won't apply against this attack, but Magical Defense will). Barriers can be created within Range 2, and with an Area of 2 by default, and you can spend additional stones for greater Range or Area.

+2 CL = Magical Blasts. Range 3 attack that compares stones of attack vs Magical Defense (if any).

+3 CL = Transmogrification. Change a person or object within Range 2 (possibly even yourself) into something else. Spend stones for Duration (consult the D&R chart), and effect as follows:
2 stone = different details/gender (man into a woman)
4 stones = different species (human into a rat)
6 stones = different material (animal into mineral)
If the new form is of a different Tier, pay 5 stones for each step up or down. Likewise, if the new form is of a different size, you must pay additional stones of effect (consult the Weight row on the D&R chart, paying 1 stone per step in either direction).

+3 CL = Summon Demons
- maximum Tier of demon you can summon is equal to your AN (essentially the Difficulty)
- the minimum energy required to summon a demon (the Resistance) is equal to its Tier squared
- you may (and probably should) pay additional stones during the summoning process, as these will represent your hold over the creature when it appears
- when you have finished paying the Resistance plus any additional energy, the chosen Demon appears at the end of the Page and is ready to act on the following Page
- you can banish a demon you have summoned by paying stones equal to its Tier
- if you have an appropriate specialty, such as "demon lore", for General Knowledge, you may attempt to summon a specific species of demon provided that your General Knowledge AN is at least equal to the demon's Tier. In this case you can even summon a specific demon, if you know its name.
- when the demon appears, any additional stones you have paid beyond its summoning cost becomes the Resistance of your magical control over the monster; Resistance can be increased and decreased in the same manner as the "Control Minds" option for Telepathy, replacing the demon's Intelligence with its Tier.

+1 CL = Charms
- charms alter perceptions and behaviour, creating attractions or aversions to certain people, objects or concepts; love spells are perhaps the most common kind of charm
- requires an item belonging to the target; resistance is equal to the target's intelligence + magical defense + desired duration on the D&R chart.
- grants a modifier or penalty to Social Skills or other appropriate actions equal to the caster's Mastery of Magic AN.

+2 CL = Edit Memories
- cause people to forget memories or remember different ones
- difficulty equal to target's intelligence; resistance equal to intelligence + magical defense x age of the memory on the D&R chart

+1 CL = Curses/Hexes
- range 2; if caster possess an object belonging to the subject, range 8 (20 miles)
- resistance = target's magical defense + stones of duration
- if successful (stones meet or exceed resistance), temporarily lower any one of target's Abilities, Actions or Modifiers (caster's choice) by an amount up to the caster's AN (to a minimum 1 for Ability scores.)

+1 CL = Locator Spell
- locate objects, entities or individuals; resistance equal to range of search effect (radius = range row on the D&R chart).
- locating a specific individual object or individual requires inimate familiarity, or an object belonging to the individual

+3 CL = Scrying
- Difficulty & Resistance = range on the D&R chart + number of senses

+2 CL = Teleportation
- as Teleportation

+2 CL = Flight
- as Flight

+1 CL = Create Illusions
- as Create Illusions

+2 CL = Psychokinesis
- as Telekinesis

[takewithfood]

Slaying

So, punching, stabbing and shooting things is all well and good, but what about slaying? She's the Vampire Slayer, not the Vampire Stabber or the Vampire Sniper.

Well, first of all, here's what the Slayer gets when she becomes the chosen one:

Slayer Power Package
Strength -> 6
Agility -> 5
Speed -> 5
Durability -> 5
Recovery -> 5
Energy Pool - > 5

Physically, the Slayer is superior to even the most athletic human in the prime of their life. Particularly, Slayers are strong - stronger than just about any vampire they may cross. She also gains a collection of Modifiers:

* Instinct 2 (modifies Unarmed, Melee, Projectiles and Firearms)
* Precognitive Dreams
* Healing Factor
* Toughness 2
* Reflexive Dodge 2

Slayers are supernaturally tough and have a higher than normal pain threshold. They also have keen instincts for combat, both offensively and defensively.

What they lack is formal training. In the early days after being called, a Slayer will have to rely on brute force and her new-found instincts to keep her alive. It is up to her Watcher to see that she receives proper training in tandem with the experience she will gain in the field.. assuming she lives that long.

Unfortunately, the night is full of evil creatures bent on ending the Slayer's life, not the least of which is the vampire:

Vampire Power Package
+1 to existing Strength, Agility, and Recovery
* all physical Abilities max out at 5, instead of 4

Even fresh out of the grave, vampires are stronger, quicker, and more energetic than they were in life. What's more, they have plenty of room to grow - truly ancient vampires can physically match a Slayer in nearly every way.

They also benefit from a variety of Modifiers, and of course their trademark ability to drain blood:

* Drain Blood 5 (as Harmful Touch w/ improved drain; must break skin; with Fangs only)
* Fangs 1 (modifies Close Combat when dominating a grapple; enables Drain Blood)
* Toughness 2 (no x2 damage)
* Animal Senses 3
* Mental Defense 3
* Healing Factor (undead: can't fall below 1 red)
* Self Contained (does not need to eat, sleep, drink, or breathe, but may)
* Immortal (does not age)

Vampires are conscious and mobile, but are otherwise dead: their hearts do not beat, their lungs do not oxygenate their blood, and their major organs serve little purpose. So, though they may be slowed and irritated by gunshots, stabbings, and severe beatings, none of these things will truly kill them. (Conventional damage can reduce them to as little as 1 red stone of health, but no less.) Their bodies even heal such damage at incredible rates. Their senses are supernaturally sharp, and even their minds are partially protected from intrusion magical intrusion.

While all of that sounds great, vampires are far from invincible. They have several weaknesses that a Slayer can exploit, if they've been properly trained by a knowledgeable Watcher.

Vampire Vulnerabilities
Fire
Damage from fire ignores a vampire's toughness and can remove a vampire's last red stone of health. Furthermore, damage sustained by fire heals at the "natural" rate (one red stone per 12 hours, one white per 24 hours thereafter).

Electricity
While not lethal to vampires, electricity still poses a danger. Electrical attacks (such as tasers or lightning strikes) ignore a vampire's toughness.

Sunlight
Indirect sunlight (such as being in a room with windows) is at most an irritation to vampires, but direct sunlight is extremely lethal to them. Direct sunlight is treated as a 6 stone attack at x2 damage for every page of exposure - often enough to kill a vampire in a single page. If the vampire has some way of covering themselves up (such as a tarp or heavy blanket), they can shift stones to defense (typically Agility, Speed, and/or Durability); otherwise, there is no defense against this attack.

Staking
Wooden implements such as stakes and wooden-shafted arrows gain the "Staking" Advantage. These weapons can remove a vampire's last red stone of health if they pierce the monster's heart.

Beheading
Attacks with an appropriately edged weapon (usually one with at least a x2 damage advantage, such as a broadsword or a battle axe) can also remove a vampire's last red stone of health, via decapitation.

Holy Water
Holy water burns a vampire's impure flesh (and that of many demons, as well). A small vial of holy water is treated as a +1 stone thrown weapon that deals +1 damage. It isn't much, but it's better than nothing. Larger quantities of holy water may deal x2 damage. Except in rare circumstances, holy water is not deadly enough to remove a vampire's last stone of health (unless, say, you can trick a vampire into drinking it..).

Crosses
Crosses burn vampire flesh in the same way that holy water does, though it is harder to use them as weapons. Instead, they are typically used to ward vampires away, keeping them at a distance by presenting them with conviction. Characters presenting a cross can use Social Skills as though it were the Fear Action against vampires (typically removing stones from their Combat actions).

Typically, vampires are slain by beating them down until their last white stone of health is removed. Then, while they are stunned, a stake is thrust into their heart. A beheading with a heavy edged weapon is an acceptable substitute for staking, but stakes are small, light weight, and easy to conceal, making them the ideal weapon for a teenage girl who only wants to destroy evil, not her social life.

For humans who do not have the fortune (or misfortune) of being the one and only Slayer, staying out of hand-to-hand combat range is probably preferable. Only the very brave and very well-trained should even consider tangling with a vampire; everyone else should consider using a crossbow, lobbing a few vials of holy water, brandishing a cross, or just plain running (screaming and arm flailing optional).

[takewithfood]

Drama Stones
Here are special rules for "Drama Stones", which effectively replace the old "flashback panel" system; you're welcome and encouraged to write something special when you spend a Drama Stone, but it doesn't have to be a flashback.

Gaining Drama Stones
All characters begin play with 1 Drama Stone at the start of each Season. Additional Drama Stones can be earned for outstanding roleplaying, heroic sacrifice, and/or involvement in particularly meaningful moments in the storyline, at the GM's discretion. The GM may also hand out a Drama Stone at the start of any issue that focuses on a very important plot arc, and/or at the culmination of an important plot arc.

And here's what you can do with them:

Push the Limits: Add +3 stones of effect from the GP to any one Action.

New Trick: Gain the benefit of a single Option or Advantage (maximum cost of +3 CL) that you do not already have, for a single Action, for one page. Of course, any Option you choose must make sense for the given Action (Material Class is meaningless when applied to Telepathy, for example). Alternately, you can ignore an Option or Disadvantage from which you already suffer.

Overstrain: You must purchase the +1 CL Advantage of the same name to benefit from this use. By spending a Drama Stone you can add up to your AN in free stones of effect to one use of your Action. Afterwards you are stunned for 1 page, and your effective Action Number temporarily decreases by an amount equal to the number of free stones you gained from your Overstrain. Your AN recovers at a rate of 1 point per day of rest, up to its usual maximum.

Second Wind: Instead of regaining your Recovery's worth of energy at the start of the page, gain enough to refill your pool to 1/2 (round up) instead.

Shrug It Off: You may halve (round down) the amount of white stones of damage you just took from a single blow.

Wake Up!: Regain consciousness (if you have been knocked out) in only one page at the expense of any and all energy left in your energy reserve. When you wake up, you recover energy normally, but are limited to only one action per panel for the next 3 pages.

Spark of Insight: By spending a Drama Stone,you can receive a vague hint or clue as to future of the game, such as a warning about unseen and impending danger, or a nudge in the direction of a missed clue.