Welcome to Gaia! ::

Willpower measures a character's inner drive and competence at overcoming unfavorable odds. Unlike other Traits, Willpower has both a permanent "rating" and a temporary "pool." The rating is rolled or tested, while the pool is "spent." When a player spends a point of a character's Willpower, she should cross off the point from the Willpower pool (the squares), not the Willpower rating (the circles). The rating stays constant — if a character needs to roll Willpower for some reason, she bases the roll on the permanent rating. The pool is used up during the story.
A character's Willpower pool will likely fluctuate a great deal during the course of a story or chronicle. It decreases by one point every time a player uses a Willpower point to enable his character to do something extraordinary, like maintain self-control or gain an automatic success. Eventually, the character will have no Willpower left, and will no longer be able to exert the effort he once could. A character with no Willpower pool is exhausted mentally, physically and spiritually, and will have great difficulty doing anything, as he can no longer muster the mettle to undertake an action or cause. Willpower points can be regained during the course of a story (see below), though players are advised to be careful and frugal with their characters' Willpower pools.
Like Humanity, the Willpower Trait is measured on a 1-10 scale rather than a 1-5 scale.

• Spineless
•• Weak
••• Unassertive
•••• Diffident
••••• Certain
•••••• Confident
••••••• Determined
•••••••• Controlled
•••••••• Iron willed
•••••••••• Unshakable

Spending Willpower
Willpower is one of the most active and important Traits in Vampire: the Masquerade. Because there are so many ways to expend, regain and use Willpower, it fluctuates more than any other Trait (besides blood pool) in the game. Willpower is a very versatile Trait, so make sure you understand how to use it.
• A player may spend one of her character's Willpower points to gain an automatic success on a single action. Only one point of Willpower may be used in a single turn in this manner, but the success is guaranteed and may not be canceled, even by botches. By using Willpower in this way, it is possible to succeed at a given action simply by concentrating. For extended rolls, these extra successes may make the critical difference between accomplishment and failure.
Note: You must declare that you are spending a Willpower point before you make an actual roll for a character's action: you can't retroactively cancel a botch by spending a Willpower point at the last minute. Also, the Storyteller may declare that a Willpower point may not be spent on a given action.
• Sometimes, the Storyteller may rule that a character automatically takes some action based on instinct or urge — for example, stepping back from a chasm or leaping away from a patch of sunlight filtering through a window. The Storyteller may allow a player to spend a Willpower point and avoid taking this reactive maneuver. It should be noted that the instinct may return at the Storyteller's discretion; a player may need to spend multiple Willpower points over the course of a few turns to stay on task. Sometimes the urge may be overcome by the force of the character's will; at other times, the character has no choice but to follow his instinct (i.e., the character runs out of Willpower points or no longer wishes to expend them).
• A Willpower point may be spent to prevent a derangement from manifesting, with the Storyteller's permission. Eventually, if enough Willpower points are spent (as determined by the Storyteller), the derangement may be overcome and eliminated, as enough denial of the derangement remedies the aberration. Malkavians may never overcome their initial derangement, though Willpower may be spent to deny it for a short period of time.
• By spending a Willpower point, wound penalties can be ignored for one turn. This allows a character to override pain and injury in order to take one last-ditch heroic (or villainous) action. However, an incapacitated or torpid character may not spend Willpower in this manner.

REGAINING WILLPOWER
Willpower may be recovered as well as spent. The following situations earn the character back a point or more of Willpower, though a character's Willpower pool may never exceed her Willpower rating. The only way to increase a character's Willpower rating, is through experience-point expenditure.
Generally, a character's Willpower pool may be replen-ished whenever the character fulfills a goal or has an opportunity to restore her self-confidence. Ultimately, specific instances of Willpower restoration are up to the Storyteller. For this reason, Storytellers are advised to be prudent in allowing characters to regain Willpower; it is a powerful and versatile Trait, and permitting players to rely on it too much strips much of the challenge from a story.
• Characters' Willpower pools replenish fully at the end of a given story (and that's story, not session). The Storyteller may restrict this by requiring that the characters achieve (or partially achieve) a goal or otherwise boost their self-esteem.
For example, if the story ends in a stalemate for the characters, who didn't destroy a powerful and corrupt elder, but did manage to obstruct his immediate plans, allow them to replenish their Willpower pools.
• (Storyteller's Option) Characters regain one Willpower point each night when they first rise. This is easy on the bookkeeping, and allows a steady stream of Willpower replenishment (not to mention the fact that players are already writing on that part of the character sheet when they mark off their nightly blood consumption). By way of example, when the players rise for the evening in a communal haven, they all replenish a Willpower point then and there.
• (Storyteller's Option) If a character attains some extraordinary goal or fulfills an outstanding objective, the Storyteller may reward her with a point of Willpower pool. For example, if a character manages to deter a team of vampire-hunters from her sire's haven, the Storyteller may award a Willpower point to that character.
• (Storyteller's Option) If a character behaves, in a manner that fulfills her Nature Archetype, the Storyteller may reward the character with one to three Willpower points (as stated in the Archetype descriptions). For example, if a Rebel character rabidly opposes a powerful elder, and that elder is later revealed to be a Sabbat spy, that character may be given a point of Willpower.
Storytellers are encouraged to create their own systems or modify our systems to suit their troupe's style of play. Indeed, the manner in which a Storyteller allows, or refuses to allow, Willpower replenishment can determine the overall mood of the chronicle. A word of caution: Give Willpower rewards judiciously, as Willpower can destroy a story if the Storyteller lets the Trait fall to abuse.

When the weight of the world seems too much and only the most monumental, heroic effort can possibly triumph against adversity, the true hero draws upon the last shreds of inner resolve to prevail. Even the common man has a point at which his spirit stirs to fight. When a mother fights to save a child, when a soldier makes a final effort to defend his companions, when a magician must overcome the cares of living to invoke real magic, that's when the character summons the reserves of Willpower.
The Willpower Trait measures confidence, drive and resolve. A character with a high Willpower rating is steady and self-assured; one with low Willpower has limited self-control and determination. Willpower normally runs anywhere from one to 10, but it has two ratings; a permanent rating and a temporary pool. When rolling against a character's Willpower, use the permanent rating; when using Willpower to perform feats, spend temporary points from the Willpower pool. Points get crossed off from and restored to the pool, but the permanent rating usually stays constant. T h e temporary pool can rise until it equals the permanent rating, so a character with a high Willpower rating not only has a stronger will when rolling to resist certain effects, but he also has more reserves of inner strength.
When calling on Willpower, a character makes a determined effort to finish some task or overcome extreme adversity. Such an expenditure usually costs one point from the Willpower pool. Over the course of play, the Willpower pool may be diminished or refreshed. A character who runs out of Willpower is in dire straits indeed. He's tired out, exhausted and unable to muster any more spirit. A character's resolve may return slowly, but he just can't rouse himself to give a damn in the meantime.
Because mages literally wrap reality around their desires through force of enlightened will, they tend to have strong Willpower ratings. Most mages start with a permanent Willpower rating of five or more. Sleepers, by contrast, can range anywhere in the scale of one to 10, though an average of three is usual, and extremes are quite rare.
X Spineless
• Weak
•• Timid
••• Unassertive
•••• Diffident
••••• Certain
••••• • Confident
••••• •• Determined
••••• ••• Controlled
••••• •••• Iron-willed
••••• ••••• Unshakable

Using Willpower
• By spending a Willpower point, a mage can get an automatic success on an action. He can use only one point per turn this way, though an extended action over several turns could benefit from multiple expenditures, Such a success adds directly to the roll, without counting against any of the dice. Obviously, such an expenditure also prevents the possibility of a botch. Use of Willpower in this fashion must be declared before the action is, actually taken, but the use is then considered reflexive,
• Willpower can be used in resistance against Mind magic, usually against difficulty 6. Successes scored on such a roll subtract from the successes of the Mind Effect. Note that resistance may not be possible or automatic in some cases (at Storyteller discretion). Supernatural entities gain this resistance
at no cost, but normal mortals must spend a point of Willpower to exert this defense.
• A point of Willpower is sufficient to banish a hobgoblin or Quiet-induced hallucination for a scene. You must roll Willpower to do so successfully; otherwise the Willpower point is expended to no avail. If successful, the phenomenon goes away, and the mage asserts command of his senses for a short time. This expenditure also burns out a point of Paradox, if the mage still holds any. Only one point per day may be used in this fashion.
• When faced with an overwhelming urge or compulsion— "You flee in horror from the Umbral monstrosity," or "The wiles of the succubus draw you closer against your better judgment" — you may expend a Willpower point to override the compulsion and act normally. Your mage musters enough self-control to assert himself in the face of a monstrous urge. Should the source continue, though, you may need to spend additional Willpower over successive turns, just to keep control. If you ignore a situation and call for your mage to do something in the face of an overwhelming reaction, the Storyteller may require you to spend a point of Willpower even if you do not specifically ask to do so. Although you [the player] may be rather blasé about the prospect of your mage's confrontation with an Umbral monstrosity, your character is much less certain about the outcome!
• Spending a point of Willpower allows a mage to ignore all penalties from wounds and injury, up to but not including total incapacitation, for one turn. The character struggles to put out a last-ditch effort. This expenditure lets the character perform one action without dice pool penalties, or move at full speed in spite of injuries.

Losing Willpower
Because mages set the force of their will against the weight of reality itself, it's inevitable that the mage will come out worse for wear occasionally. Besides magical compulsion and attacks, people can also be subject to humiliation, exhaustion and torture that sap their will. With enough trauma, anyone can be broken — his mind snapped like a twig under too much pressure.
Loss of permanent Willpower is rare — it takes a concerted effort to strip away the ego and lay bare the mind. Repairing such damage requires time and a great deal of effort, as the subject must overcome the hideous emotional scars. Thus, characters lose permanent Willpower only if the Storyteller judges that they've undergone trials terrible enough to break them in mind and spirit. Such lost Willpower can only be recovered through roleplaying and experience.
As guidelines, characters might lose permanent Willpower when:
• Suffering a terrible mental shock, such as a Mind attack, an emotional upheaval or some other disaster, while at a Willpower pool of one or zero;
• Undergoing prolonged torture, brainwashing, conditioning or some personal hell;
• Failing a Seeking disastrously, getting stuck in a severe Quiet or Paradox Realm for an extended period of time, or losing a powerful magical bond like a familiar.

Regaining Willpower
Over time, confidence returns and mental fortitude rebuilds. A character who's had a chance to rest and regain her strength can refresh her Willpower. Many other events can return Willpower to the character's pool as well, up to the limit of the character's Willpower rating. Raising the Willpower rating permanently comes only with experience.
• At the end of a story (not a single session), the characters regain all of their Willpower as long as they manage to achieve some significant goal. The characters don't need to do everything they set out to do, but as long as they held their own and got a few ticks in, they regain some measure of confidence. After a nasty failure, the characters might not regain all of their Willpower, although making such a decree is a particularly vicious way to end an already harsh story.
• At the Storyteller's option, a character may regain one Willpower point each time she gets a full night's sleep and starts a new day (or whatever; some of those Virtual Adept hackers keep pretty weird schedules). Refreshed and ready to face the new day, the character gets a small measure of return. This reward shouldn't apply to characters" under a great deal of stress, captive in a hostile environment or otherwise under duress.
• A character who manages to pull off a particularly heroic or spectacular stunt may regain a point of Willpower as a result of this success, at the Storyteller's option. The character's phenomenal feat restores a measure of her confidence.
• Through roleplaying your character's Nature, you may enable her to regain one or two points of Willpower, Although the Nature is just a convenient handle to help you get a basic idea of the character, it lies at the core of many of her motives. Therefore, when your character manages to act out her inner drives, she reaffirms her place in the world. This award should he given only if the Storyteller feels that the player has roleplayed the character's process of self-expression and discovery successfully, not just for randomly wandering about and performing trivial tasks that somehow relate to the character's Nature.
• The Destiny Background can allow your mage to regain some Willpower, simply by drawing upon the knowledge that she's destined for better things. Once per story, you can roll your character's Destiny rating against a difficulty of 8. Each success refreshes one Willpower point in her pool.

Willpower

Your character's temporary and permanent Willpower ratings measure her ability to control the urges and desires that threaten to overtake her. They represent her strength of will in the face of opposition, her ability to steel herself against manipulating forces, and her determination in the face of temptation. Like the other Temper Traits, a character has both a temporary and a permanent Willpower rating.
When you use a point of Willpower, you spend it from your temporary pool, not from your permanent pool. The permanent pool merely serves as a ceiling on the amount of spendable, temporary Willpower that a character can have and defines her maximum potential. Any time your character is required to make a Willpower roll, you should use the permanent pool unless the rule specifically says otherwise. Temporary Willpower fluctuates a great deal during play. If a character has no Willpower left, he can no longer exert himself the way he once did. He is mentally exhausted and can't rouse himself enough to give a damn.

Willpower|Ratings
•|Weak
••|Timid
•••|Unassertive
••••|Diffident
•••••|Certain
••••••|Confident
•••••••|Strong-willed
••••••••|Controlled
•••••••••|Iron-willed
••••••••••|Unshakable

Using Willpower
• A temporary Willpower point can purchase one automatic success on a dice roll. You may only spend one point per turn, but it. gives you a single guaranteed success. Thus it is possible for your character to succeed automatically at any simple action by asserting his will. The Storyteller may prohibit such a use of Willpower in certain situations.
• You can spend a point of temporary Willpower to have your character avoid some instinctual or primal reaction. This includes overcoming phobias, countering a supernaturally imposed urge, or controlling overwhelming emotions. You spend a point of temporary Willpower so that your character can avoid the undesirable reaction and do as he pleases. However, the Storyteller may decide that, over time, the feeling returns and the expenditure of more points may be required.
• Temporary Willpower has the ability to contain and control the effects of Bedlam. A special kind of insanity to which many changelings succumb, Bedlam impedes a changeling's ability to think rationally and affects his perceptions. By spending a temporary Willpower point, the character can regain some of his mental faculties and for a short time, his perceptions clear. This does not cure the Bedlam, but only serves as a temporary fix.

Recovering Willpower
Permanent Willpower points may only be purchased with experience points. A character can recover temporary Willpower, on the other hand, through a number of methods described below.
• At the end of a story (not just a game session), as determined by the Storyteller, all characters completely regain all their temporary Willpower up to a ceiling equal to their permanent rating. The Storyteller may wish to restrict this if the characters did not come away from the story with a feeling of accomplishment and pride.
• After a solid night's sleep, a character recovers a point of temporary Willpower. She must dream, however, and the sleep must be peaceful and uninterrupted. The character must awaken refreshed and invigorated. If the character's sleep is troubled or interrupted, the Storyteller has the option not to award the temporary Willpower point.
• At the Storyteller's discretion, a character may regain temporary Willpower through the accomplishment of a goal related to her Quest, as dictated by her primary Legacy. The Storyteller may award from one to five temporary Willpower points depending on the grandeur of the accomplishment.