Contractors

Individuals who accept the challenge of participating in the Games are often called Contractors. Due to the deadly risks they take by participating in the Games, they are gambling with their lives (or worse) at stake. Harbingers sometimes refer to them as Imbued or Chosen. Characters have been known to adopt their own terms such as High Rollers, Doornails, Specialists, Aspirants, Expendables, Head Hunters, and many more.

Newbies

New Contractors know virtually nothing about The Games, Gifts, Harbingers, and the like.

Newbies seldom understand the concept of Games and objectives, and have only the vaguest conception of Gifts. A new Contractor will typically meet a Harbinger at some point within his first few Games, but will have little understanding of the significance of the event (or of the subsequent Imbuing).

Newbies can play with Novices and other Newbies.

Novices

Characters with at least one game under their belt are full-fledged Novices. They typically have a limited understanding of the nature of the Games (though they at least know enough to ask questions) and a high mortality rate.

Novices can play with Newbies, other Novices, and Seasoned Characters.

Seasoned Characters

Most characters become Seasoned after winning about ten Games. This is not a sharp cutoff, but a measure of power and ability.

Seasoned Characters can play with Novices, other Seasoned Characters, and High Seasoned Characters.

High Seasoned Characters

High Seasoned Characters typically have twenty or more Gifts. They can potentially have scores of Gifts, but never succeed the Veteran Test required to become a Veteran. Not all characters (or players) are cut out to be Vets.

High Seasoned Characters may not play with Novices or Newbies.

Veterans

A Veteran is a character who has received the Veteran Template and is recognized as mechanically sound. Most have thirty or more Gifts. Characters usually receive a revision upon achieving the Veteran Template.

Veterans (and only Veterans) can engage in Solo House Games. Vets may only play in Solos or with Veteran and High Seasoned Characters.

Veteran Test

A character who wishes to declare himself a Veteran should complete a grueling Veteran Game entirely by himself, with no assistance. The game should test the character and the player's flexibility, power, and resourcefulness.

Open games with little to no context and a difficult goal make good vet tests. Many vet tests could be delivered via a letter with a single sentence on it. Vets are fully capable free-agents and don't need harbingers to set up well-presented self-contained games for them. They can be expected to find the relevant people, places, or things with little to no guidance. They can transport themselves, even when working under a timeline, and can demonstrate control over almost any situation they're thrust into.

Veteran Template

The Veteran Template raises the cap on all Backgrounds from 5 to 8. A Gift may raise this limit to 10 in a specific Background.

Veterans gain the following Merits.

Veteran Nerves: All Willpower rolls are -1 Difficulty. Always in effect.

Grim Resolve: You can burn a permanent point from any Pool with a Permanent Rating (Willpower, Psion, Gnosis, Tao, etc. NOT Blood, Pathos, Mana, or similar Temporary Pools). You immediately regain all your temporary points up to your new adjusted rating. May be used at will.

All Veterans receive a free subscription to all episodes of "You Bet Your Life", which they may watch at their leisure. Vets may consider themselves "in the know" about any occurrences within such games, and may act accordingly.

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