There are several instances where characters have had the option to acquire special items that either have, or confer magical abilities. Because these items give certain abilities there should be an attached cost. The Item background presented here is that cost.

Item Background

Just as the world contains magical beings such as vampires and werewolves, the world also knows all manner of rare magical items. A character with the Item background possesses such an item.

You can, and must, buy this background multiple times, once for each magical item you possess. Magical items are rare as a whole, though this rarity is not represented by the cost of the background. Each Item has a rating between 1 and 5, and this is the Background cost of the item. The background rating gives an estimate of the items usefulness:

1 Minor magic items are often tools of convenience: writing brushes that take dictation, or normal tools of such exceptional quality that they do not wear.

2 Items fall in this level if it has a significant effect on the game by eliminating certain problems, or by strongly aiding specific actions.

3 Items of this rating give their possessors significant abilities or options denied to people without the item. Items rated 3 or higher change the way certain problems or confrontations play out. Often, using an item at this rating constitutes a breach of the masquerade.

4 Items of this rating give abilities and options that are flat-out impossible to most others. A character with an item rated 4 has a strong advantage over anyone else when capable of leveraging the item's benefits. Using the powers of an item of this rating will almost always breach the masquerade.

5 Whatever powers an item of this level bestow, they are often broadly influential and difficult to counter. Shadow wars are fought over such an item, and their unique nature often makes their very existence a threat to the masquerade.