CoD Urban District Traits

These mechanics are adapted from the excellent Damnation City sourcebook for Vampire: the Requiem.

Interactive Traits

Interactive traits are generally those that come into play when the player character takes actions with regards to the district. They are modifiers to specific types of actions, and are treated as equipment bonuses.

Access (Physical)

Access describes how easy it is to get into or out of the district, or to move around within it.

• Ratings:
  • Positive: Positive modifiers describe a place with ample transportation in reasonable traffic, with well-labeled routes and logical paths of progression.
  • Negative: Negative modifiers suggest a place confounding to travel within it: tight, twisting streets, no signs, a dearth of cabs, busses, or trains.
• Actions: Chases and other actions used to quickly navigate the terrain.

Information (Mental)

Information describes the volume or quality of information that can be gotten about the district from within the district.

• Ratings:
  • Positive: Positive modifiers suggest a neighborhood with a local newspaper, kiosks with fliers, talkative locals, and the like.
  • Negative: Negative modifiers are filled with people who don't talk to one another (or anyone for that matter), missing street signs, obscuring graffiti, and the like.
• Actions: x

Prestige (Social)

Prestige details how well thought-of the neighborhood is by those outside of the area.

• Ratings:
  • Positive: Positive modifiers describe a neighborhood that is well-thought of; the higher the number, the better the regard.
  • Negative: Negative modifiers are for places reviled and feared; the higher the number, the greater the scorn.
• Actions: Social tests with people from outside the neighborhood.

Reactive Traits

In contrast, reactive traits are the traits with which the district resists or responds to characters.

Safety (Physical)

Safety describes how likely someone is to get hurt in this district, whether a stranger or a local. It details the security features of local establishments and residences, as well as describing both security and dangers in the area.

• Ratings:
  • Positive: Positive modifiers suggest a place with some concern for security. Doors and windows have locks, and police or other security forces are present.
  • Negative: Negative modifiers describe a place with less focus on security. It could be ramshackle, or simply a trusting neighborhood where everyone knows each other. A negative modifier also suggests the presence of criminals, dogs, or other hazards of some kind.
• Actions: Burglary and other security-compromising actions

Awareness (Mental)

Awareness describes how attentive the locals are, and how much attention is paid to the doings of one another and (especially) strangers.

• Ratings:
  • Positive: Positive modifiers describe an area that is well-lit, with clear lines of sight, and neighbors that keep an eye out on what is going on.
  • Negative: Negative modifiers are for places where everyone avoids eye-contact, and keep out of one anothers' business.
• Actions: Noticing someone attempting to remain unseen, or perceiving clues and details about the area.

Stability (Social)

Stability describes the feelings of community and togetherness in the locals.

• Ratings:
  • Positive: Positive modifiers are for places where neighbors look out for one another and stick together.
  • Negative: Negative modifiers are for places where everyone looks out for himself, and no one gives a damn about anyone else.
• Actions: Tests for locals to notice what is going on, or to see if attention is drawn.

Combinations of Traits

The interactions between Physical, Mental, and Social Traits can also paint decisive pictures of a district.

Physical Traits (Access + Safety)

x

• Positive Access + Positive Safety: x
• Positive Access + Negative Safety: x
• Negative Access + Positive Safety: x
• Negative Access + Negative Safety: x

Mental Traits (Information + Awareness)

x

• Positive Access + Positive Safety: x
• Positive Access + Negative Safety: x
• Negative Access + Positive Safety: x
• Negative Access + Negative Safety: x

Social Traits (Prestige + Stability)

x

• Positive Access + Positive Safety: x
• Positive Access + Negative Safety: x
• Negative Access + Positive Safety: x
• Negative Access + Negative Safety: x