Did you want the Boon Register? Click Here.
Terminology | Types of Boon | A Boon's "Pedigree" | Boons and Consent | Boonbreakers | Boons Upon Death | F.A.Q
What are Boons and Prestations? The Basics
There is only one true medium of exchange among Kindred – the barter of boons and prestations. When one Kindred does something for another Kindred, that service is a boon to the recipient. In Kindred culture, the recipient of a boon then has a legal obligation of repayment. The repayment of a debt, in services or goods, is called a prestation. Boons and prestation, two sides of the same barter system, are the currency of the Kindred world, working like money does for mortals. They serve the important functions of being a medium of exchange, a store of value and a standard of deferred payment.
The Variable Value of Boons and Prestations
Unlike any single currency used by mortal nations (US$, Euro, etc.), boons and prestations do not have a single static unit of measure for value – their value of an individual boon or prestation is based not only on its Denomination (see below), but also on the standing of the Kindred who owes the prestation. (This is kind of like how the currency of a country rises and falls in value in relation to other countries’ currencies, but for individual Kindred in comparison to one another.) The value of any individual prestation, apart from its Denomination, can rise or fall – and so become more or less highly prized – based on how the Kindred who owes it gains or decreases in power within society.
“There is no power without price.” — Ignatius Insolens, Tremere Regent of Nuremberg
The Camarilla depends on the interconnected web of status and prestation to help preserve the Traditions. A vampire who owes nobody has nothing to contain or chain her actions; they are worse than a rogue.
In addition to the rank of individual Kindred, the value of boons and prestation is also based on the faith and credit all Kindred of the Camarilla have in the system of boons and prestations itself.
Kindred commonly call this the “system of prestation”, since boons are conferred in a relatively short period of time compared to the debts of prestation they cause, which can last for centuries.
If faith in the value of any boons or prestations should falter, the entire system would be at risk, in turn risking the investments and assets all Kindred have within the system. This shared threat motivates Kindred to uphold the faithful and orderly continuance of the system and to protect it against any who would act to threaten it.
"Boons and scandals have long been part of Kindred society, and since ancient times, Harpies have ensured that the social mores were respected and boons were recorded."
Bribes and Payoffs
The surest means to prevent the Prince from punishing the guilty is to ensure that she never learns of a crime in the first place. The guilty will offer high-value boons to avoid accusations, especially if punishment is likely to be fatal. Sheriffs, Nosferatu, or other clever Kindred often accumulate an impressive array of boons by cleaning up after sloppy Kindred.
The Prince will often make it a habit to monitor the prestation owed to the Sheriff to see which of her subjects might have acquired such services.
Leveraging a System of Corruption
The entire political and judicial system of the Camarilla is predictably corrupt, and the members of the Camarilla don’t pretend otherwise. The alternative is chaos and inviting the Sabbat, hunters, and lupines to destroy the Ivory Tower — or so the elders claim. The best protection a Kindred of low status has against accusations is a patron vampire of higher status to provide a proper alibi. This might cost a boon or some other steep price, but it’s better than the alternative.
"Harpies distrust outsider Kindred who refuse to owe boons. In fact, a Kindred who does not have at least one registered Boon to another member of the Camarilla suffers from the 'Lesser Social Ban.'"
Why do Kindred use Boons at all?
(Almost) all Kindred may both grant boons and owe prestations (see Eligible Parties of a Transaction below). They do this for reasons similar to mortals – they want to exchange in trade something of value between one another in a world where money has no permanent meaning (even the value of gold and diamonds fluctuates) and actual goods are bulky and impractical for frequent exchanges. Only a Kindred’s standing in society has any meaningful value between undying predators.
Always Read The Fine Print
One of the interesting things about Boons is that if you should kill Kindred, and that Kindred owed Prestation for a Boon, you now owe that Prestation in turn. Twisted, isn’t it?
How does this impact the nature of Camarilla society?
The system of prestations ties together the Kindred of the Camarilla in an interlocking web of mutually reinforcing belief. This web of debts is the glue that holds the Camarilla together. Every Kindred who is owed debts of prestation has a vested interest in preserving the value and faithful fulfilment of all prestation – to protect their own investment. Allowing another Kindred to renege on prestations is like allowing a friend to counterfeit money for his own use alone – your own money would eventually become worthless. Likewise, any Kindred seeking the services or efforts of another has an interest in preserving the value of all boons and prestations. In this way, boons and prestations are more than a currency unit in an undead economy – they are hard-wired into the deep social fabric of Kindred interactions.
Mortals have established institutions to ensure the value of their currency: central banks determine the amount of money in the system, and the treasury department guards against counterfeits. Likewise, Kindred have an institution charged with ensuring the value of boons and prestations – this is the special domain of the Harpies. However, it is also in every Kindred’s best interest to enforce the precedents and customs of boons and prestations. As a store of value, a debt of prestation is only useful as long as all Kindred believe that prestations will be honoured. If any Kindred fails to value a debt of prestation properly, it jeopardizes the common belief in the validity of boons and prestations and the value of all prestations currently owed to anyone. This is important for players to understand.
A Brujah Elder who might not give a Ventrue the time of day might still lean on a rash Brujah Neonate who is considering reneging on a debt of prestation to that Ventrue. Those Kindred who have no reason to do the Brujah Neonate any favours might just draw the attention of the Harpy to the matter, much as mortals call the police when a bank robbery is in progress.
"Because a Debtor’s prestations transfer to the individual who killed him or her (outside of a legal Blood Hunt, as per the Protocols) some young Kindred take on prestations from very powerful or dangerous Kindred Grantors."
Do Boons and Prestations mean anything to non-Camarilla vampires?
Yes. Although in current nights it is the Camarilla and its Harpies which maintain and adjudicate the use of boons and prestations, it should be noted that boons and prestations are recognized and used by the other Clans as well.
It is quite acceptable to owe or be owed by a Giovanni, Follower of Set, Assamite, or other outsider (but see Pedigree below). Indeed, the canny exchange of boons and prestations is one of the methods by which the Camarilla has slowly conquered the territories previously owned by these Clans. The only exception to this is the Sabbat, who are considered far too depraved and untrustworthy to enter into such agreements in good faith.
"An advantage to owing a Boon is that once a vampire offers a Boon to repay a debt or forgive an insult, the topic is usually never discussed again. If that insult is brought up again, the Harpies will socially eviscerate that vampire for ignoring a Boon paid in good faith."
Some of the most important traditional (and thus common) terms used for negotiating, recording, adjudicating and discussing transactions of boons and prestations are presented here. While precise use of these legal terms is not required for a transaction to be valid, the concepts behind them are sacrosanct in Kindred society and for the Camarilla in particular.
"Debtor"
The Kindred who receives the boon that begins a transaction is the Debtor. Debtors are expected to repay the debt by providing the Grantor with services or goods at some point in the future (prestation). For any particular debt of prestation, the Debtor is constant, except in the case of the Final Death of the original Debtor (see Death, Boons and Prestation below). Note this also prevents Debtors from “laundering” debts of prestation or circumventing the common law of Immutability of Boons and Prestations (see below).
"Grantor"
The Kindred who grants the boon that begins a transaction is the Grantor. The Grantor is entitled to call the debt of prestation due at some point in the future. When a debt of prestation is traded to another individual, they then become the Grantor, and the original Grantor loses any claim to that particular debt of prestation by the Debtor. Ways in which the change of Grantor for a transaction can be effected are addressed in several sections below and in the Boons and Prestations Strategic Guide.
"Boon"
The boon is what the Debtor asks of the Grantor (or what the Grantor offers). It may be a service, item or even the lack of an action. Asking a Kindred *not* to do something can be a boon, even though there is no physical service or good being provided.
The Camarilla strictly forbids any grant of permission to violate the Tradition of Masquerade as a boon. No Harpy will honer a boon made under such terms if he has sense enough to fear the Justicars.
"Prestation"
This is what the Grantor of a boon requires of the Debtor to consider the boon fulfilled. Just about anything under the sun can be considered prestation based on the Denomination of the boon, but the Camarilla prohibits the use of boons to violate its most sacred laws. Requesting another to breach the Masquerade or to commit Diablerie (i.e., calling due a debt of prestation in order to force another Kindred into such a heinous sin against the Humanitas valued by the Camarilla) as a prestation is prohibited. Any Grantor who demands such a thing under the auspices of a prestation will see his prestation nullified by the Harpy, his own Status diminished, and possibly further actions undertaken by the Prince.
"Often, debt holders owed by a boon breaker will hunt down and kill their former debtor. Most Princes will banish boon breakers from their domains, lest that vampire damage the reputation of the entire city."
A Note on Diablerie as Prestation:
This clause does not prevent Grantors from naming Diablerie as the repayment to be received as prestation, however. Offensive as such a heinous act might be to the sensibilities of the Humanitas valued by the Camarilla, the system of boons and prestations asserts no specific ban against someone choosing Diablerie as their reward when they desire it, only against forcing other Kindred to commit Diablerie. Of course, any Kindred who demonstrates the desire to collect the souls of other Kindred for Diablerie as prestation (either as Grantor or as Debtor paying off a Grantor) will have any number of other problems to contend with – in comparison, the reluctance of other Kindred to enter transactions with such Kindred may seem insignificant. In any case, debts severe enough to warrant Diablerie as prestation are rare, and only a Life Boon should ever lead to prestation on this scale. This is a key difference between Life Boons and Blood Boons (see Denomination below).
Blood Hunts and Boons:
A blood hunt cancels all boons owed and owned by a vampire. The very act of a blood hunt negates the existence of a vampire. A creature under a blood hunt is no longer considered a vampire and thus does not deserve prestation. Should a vampire manage to cleanse her name and have the blood hunt removed, she regains all of her previous prestation.
"A favoured tactic of those with the power to dispense punishments, such as Elders and Princes, is to offer clemency in the form of a boon."
The Denomination of a boon and prestation pair is considered its “face value”. There are five Denominations: Trivial, Minor, Major, Blood and Life. The Denomination of the prestation must be proportionate to the Denomination of the boon given. Denomination is only one aspect of value – the other is the Pedigree of the prestation, i.e., who the Debtor is (see Pedigree below).
Below are guidelines about the degree of service that is appropriate for boons and prestations for the different denominations. But remember that the exact nature of discharging the prestation is going to vary widely in each circumstance, and this is why the prior consent of the grantor who agreed to discharge the boon for a specific act is critical.
Trivial Boon
A One-time Favour
A trivial boon is a simple favour owed for receiving a minor service, political consideration, or forgiving a social faux pas. This type of boon should be freely offered and accepted, much like a business card. Payment of a trivial boon should involve simple one-time favours or services that take no more than a single game session or a night to complete.
Example Scenarios Involving Trivial Boons:
- Acting as a security escort for an evening to dissuade would-be attackers
- Making a formal social introduction to an important Kindred
- Covering a potentially embarrassing social faux pas in front of the Harpy
- Warning someone about a potential danger to them
- Supporting a political or social agenda that doesn’t undermine your own position
- Assisting with a task for the evening, such as working security for a salon
- Leveraging one of your disciplines to aid your creditor’s cause
Minor Boon
To Thine, My Time
A minor boon represents a favour that requires a significant amount of time or effort, but low risk. Payment of a minor boon should involve simple one-time favours or services that take no more than two game sessions or a month (whichever is longer) to complete.
Example Scenarios Involving Minor Boons:
- Safe passage through and/or short-term safe lodging in a hostile city
- Leveraging backgrounds and influences on someone’s behalf
- Revealing crucial information
- Disposing of a threat without risking life or blood
- Teaching low levels of common disciplines
The Backbone of the Boon Economy
A trivial boon is an excellent way to start a relationship. Is there an elder you want to meet? Offer a trivial boon to the Kindred who can make the introduction for you. Are you afraid that you mildly offended the Prince? Offer her a trivial boon.
Major Boon
A major boon represents a great expenditure of time or resources, usually lasting for many game sessions, e.g., purchasing a nightclub to serve as a haven for the recipient. It may involve risking your personal political or social capital. Payment of a major boon should involve one-time favours or services that take no more than six months to complete.
Example Scenarios Involving Major Boons:
- Leveraging your backgrounds and influences to someone else’s agenda
- Teaching the creditor advanced levels of a common discipline or low levels of an uncommon or rare discipline
- Revealing a major secret that is potentially very damaging
- Purchasing a major business, building, or land
- Aligning yourself with a political or social agenda that potentially harms your own position with your clan and allies, such as supporting someone’s bid for praxis
Blood Boon
A blood boon is a sacred debt that can only be repaid by shedding blood on behalf of the creditor. The debtor will betray allies, ruin her reputation, or place herself in a potentially life-threatening situation in order to further the agenda of the creditor, thus the name “blood boon.”
Example Scenarios Involving Blood Boons:
- Coming to another’s aid and suffering grievous injury
- Betraying clan secrets or teaching proprietary disciplines, knowing that you will be labelled a traitor if discovered
- Assisting in a praxis seizure via force, and killing allies to see it done
- Holding off a fearsome enemy so that the creditor can flee
- Murdering a rival or an enemy knowing that you might be blood hunted if you are caught
Life Boon
A life boon is a rare boon that should only be given in circumstances when a vampire saves another vampire from an external threat that will destroy the life of the debtor. A powerful vampire cannot simply threaten a weak enemy and claim a life boon for not destroying her. Owing a life boon can be tragic. Many vampires consider owing a life boon as equivalent to being an unreleased childer. To owe a life boon is to surrender all of your own will until you have saved the life of the one that owns your life boon.
Example Scenarios Involving Life Boons:
- Single-handedly holding off a pack of Sabbat inside a burning building so that the recipient can make a clean getaway
- Protecting a fugitive (who might even be Blood-hunted or on the Red List) on behalf of your creditor
- Protecting your creditor from the Prince’s justice to the bitter end
- A Prince sparing a newly released Neonate’s life after the Neonate has breached the Masquerade
- Hiding a terrible crime, such as diablerie or infernalism
- Saving the life of another vampire from an enemy at significant risk to your own life
"The worst time to be seen as ignoring your boons is when someone else already has. The more the rules are trod upon, the more likely the Prince is to lash out, possibly invoking the Tradition of Destruction."
The Power of Position
One of the unique elements of the Camarilla system of Boons and Prestations is that each boon has a “Pedigree” based on the power and status of the Debtor.
Like shares of stock in different companies, the value of these Pedigrees can vary and change as the Debtor’s standing rises and falls. Thus while a particular boon may never be renegotiated into a different Denomination or transferred to a different Debtor, due to Pedigree, the real value of that boon can change over time. A Trivial Boon owed by a Neonate Debtor has a different value than one of an Elder Prince Debtor. A Trivial Boon provided to a Neonate Debtor who then ages into an Elder (while still owing the debt of prestation) has gained in value. although it is still a Trivial Boon in terms of its Denomination.
Pedigree also changes in regard to court offices which affect the Status of the officer. A boon granted to a back-seat political climber who later becomes his clan’s Whip, then Primogen, and then finally Prince, is an investment well made. Conversely, a prestation owed by a Prince who soon loses her throne rapidly diminishes in value.
Pedigree is also important when exchanging prestation with another kindred. A Major Boon from a position-less influential Elder whose patrons are four Justicars is not worth the same amount as one from an Elder Prince of a small city who has a patron who is his Primogen despite their positions and standing. A single Major boon from the Elder Prince may only be worth a Minor boon or two from the position-less Elder depending on whom you are trading with and the circumstances of such.
"A common strategy for Elders is to identify promising Neonates or Ancillae climbers and seek to offer their services in some way so as to be able to become the Grantor of a Boon."
Common Law of Boons and Prestations
Only released Kindred may enter into the exchange of boons and prestations. Unreleased childer are considered the property of their sires and as such may not owe or be owed debts of prestation. If an unreleased childe performs an act on behalf of someone, the resulting prestation is owed to the sire, not the childe. In addition, Ghouls, mortals, etc. may neither owe nor be owed debts of prestation. Any Kindred trying to flout this principle should expect the devastating scandal that any competent Harpy would deliver should someone come asking for judgement on an exchange of boon and prestation with a Ghoul or with one of the Kine (mortals).
Trading of Prestations
The Grantor who is owed prestation has the power to “hold” or “sell/trade” the prestation. (Just like the bank that holds your school loans or mortgage can sell them to another bank whenever they want to.) For example: a Prince provides a feeding territory to an Ancilla – a Major Boon. Both parties “gained” something (see Reciprocity above). The Ancilla gained the boon of a feeding territory right away, and the Prince gained the future prestation in like value – a future repayment of services or goods equivalent in value to the feeding territory. According to the common law governing trading of prestations, the Prince can later choose to call it due himself or to trade the prestation to another Kindred.
"Consent simply requires that the Debtor willingly agree and not be compelled to accept the Boon. It doesn’t prevent the Grantor from working behind the scenes to put the potential Debtor into a position where he will need a Boon."
All parties to an exchange of Boon and Prestation must willingly consent prior to the granting of the Boon by the Grantor. Likewise, when repayment is called due, both sides must willingly consent to the terms to consider the Prestation fulfilled.
This can be done as simply as the Debtor stating: “Do [X] for me, and I will owe you [Y]”. If the Grantor agrees to the terms and then provides [X], a debt of prestation now exists.
Discharging a prestation works the same way. The Grantor can request, “Do [Z] for me, and I will consider your [Y] fulfilled.” If the manner of repayment requested is real a problem for the Debtor for some reason (such as not even having the means to provide that particular service), then the common law of Prior Consent affords the Debtor protection from being labelled a Boonbreaker. In cases where the Debtor is clearly capable of fulfilling the requested prestation, the situation is more tenuous.
Some Grantors might allow a Debtor to request a delay of the repayment or to plead for a different manner of repayment than what is being requested. Other Grantors might be quicker to assume that the Debtor is seeking to back out of the prestation and seek swift justice from the Harpy upon the would-be Boonbreaker’s head. Debtors who demonstrate a pattern of hiding behind the common law of Prior Consent when repayment is well within their means are inviting the scrutiny of the Harpy and potential scandal, so invocation of this clause by Debtors when the Grantor wishes to call the debt due should be considered carefully.
If a Kindred acts on behalf of another, and then asks for a debt of prestation – or for an outstanding debt of prestation to be considered fulfilled – in return based on their act after the fact , there is no requirement for the beneficiary to agree to the request, other than his or her own personal honour. (It is this prior consent element of boons and prestations that contributes to the famous delay and stall tactics of Elders, who seem to “squander precious time” before bringing their enormous resources to bear – they are acting to ensure that any matter of prestation is thoroughly worked out.)
"A reverse investment is undertaken by crafty Kindred looking to climb the social hierarchy of the Camarilla. They’ll seek out an Elder who is looking to make an investment in a younger Kindred, and once the Boon is granted, it’s in the Elder’s best interest to see the outstanding prestation grow in value. This may result in an Elder, intentionally or not, favouring the indebted Kindred and smoothing the path to acquire positions such as Primogen, Whip, Harpy, etc."
Any compulsion, including the use of Disciplines, Blood Bonds or other rituals to compel another to grant a boon or take on a debt of prestation, or to discharge them, violates the concept of prior consent. Harpies who uncover such cases can nullify the prestation and land the fraudster in hot water with scandal. Likewise, attacking someone and asking for a prestation as the price to cease is not considered prior consent, just like putting a gun to a person’s head and asking the captive to sign a contract renders the contract invalid. Remember, such a fraud doesn’t just impact the boon and prestation in question – it throws into doubt the value of all boons and prestations, just like a counterfeiter threatens the value of all currency, not just his own.
This doesn’t mean that the debtor’s life and limb can’t be in jeopardy when a boon is offered. For example, lessening a punishment in exchange for a boon (see Clemency in the Boons and Prestations Strategic Guide) is a very common practice among Princes and Elders. Also, a Kindred is never bound to act – if a Debtor finds himself about to be ripped apart by ravening werewolves at the door, the Grantor can offer his services in exchange for a prestation later. Even though the Debtor’s life was at risk, it wasn’t the Grantor’s doing (at least not as far as anyone can tell!) and the Grantor was under no obligation to act.
A final note on Princes and boons as “tribute”: Some Princes might choose to demand boons from other Kindred in their domain for so-called services, such as granting that Kindred acknowledgement in the city. While this is perfectly legal – it’s still a choice whether to accept the debt of prestation for the Prince’s acknowledgement – a Prince who does this routinely, or without cause based on who is seeking acknowledgement, might expect other repercussions. This is because the Prince already has the power of the Second Tradition behind him (Domain). Demanding prestation (especially in larger Denominations) should not be necessary for such banal matters, and the habit of doing so might be interpreted as a lack of faith in the Prince’s ability to enforce their own right of Domain, making the Prince look weak.
"The most common strategy is simply to treat Boons and Prestations as a transactional affair, granting them when performing a service or deed for another and offering Prestation when they themselves are in need."
Immutability of Boons and Prestations
Unlike money, boons and prestations cannot be consolidated or broken apart across categories of Denomination. (This is like the mortgage on your house: your bank can sell your 30year mortgage to another bank, but it is not allowed to sell 10 years’ worth to one bank and 20 years’ worth to another.) Two Trivial Prestations cannot be combined into or renegotiated for one Minor Prestation, nor can a Major Prestation be broken into a Minor and a Trivial, then given to two separate Kindred or called due at separate times. Only one Kindred can ever be the Debtor and only one Kindred at a time can be the Grantor (though the Grantor can change as the boon is traded).
Durability of Boons and Prestations
Boons are durable. If a Grantor of a boon passes the resulting prestation off to another, the new holder of the prestation is owed the same level of service from the Debtor as if the original Grantor were asking it of him. Prestations can even persist beyond the Final Death of a Kindred (see Death, Boons & Prestations below).
"If it's not made public, it's not a Boon. It might be a favour owed, but it's not a Boon."
Completion
In times past, a Kindred Grantor could lord a prestation over a Debtor for a long period of time by continually calling for services of a lesser value than the prestation itself, in effect creating a form of indentured servitude. That system emerged from the feudal system of the Dark Ages where patronage and vassalage were common. But after the Anarch Revolt, and as a result of modern economics sensibilities seeping into the perception of the Camarilla, boons became more transactional in nature. In modern times, a transaction is only held open until a specific prestation is called due. Then the transaction is considered discharged. Calling for many smaller services as fulfilment of a larger debt of prestation (such as multiple Trivial Prestations for a single Minor Prestation) constitutes a violation of the common law of Immutability (see above).
Back to Top
What can a Harpy do to a Boonbreaker?
For someone who reneges on a prestation or violates a boon, the consequences can be severe. The most immediate action is usually scandal resulting in the offender being branded a Boonbreaker (Negative Status). A Harpy may also refuse to acknowledge current prestations for which the Boonbreaker is the Grantor (cancelling all the debt owed to the Boonbreaker, in effect foreclosing on the Boonbreaker’s potential assets). More severe measures, especially for larger Denominations of boons and prestations, rely on the Harpy’s influence with powerful Kindred of the Camarilla. Whispering into a Prince’s or Clan-head Elder’s ear that a member of their court or bloodline is reneging on a boon can bring an immediate end to the deadbeat’s recalcitrance. Ultimately, if a Prince is so convinced by a Harpy’s request, a Prince can command that the boon or prestation be honoured. Then failure to obey becomes a violation of the Second Tradition (Domain), potentially leading to Final Death of the transgressor. Likewise, a Clan-head may threaten Expulsion.
What can a Harpy do to a Grantor who violates or abuses the Common Law precedents or basic terms of exchange stated above? The most powerful act of a Harpy is to simply refuse to acknowledge that a boon or prestation exists. This wipes the slate clean – the Debtor has no more obligation to the Grantor for that transaction. This often occurs when one of the Common Law precedents listed above is violated, or after a pattern of egregious behaviour is displayed by a Kindred seeking to manipulate the system of prestation. Remember, a Harpy’s job is not to protect the value of one individual boon or prestation, but rather all the transactions in the system of prestation within the Camarilla.
Lesser punishments might include a suggested reduced Denomination of the prestation (which the Grantor is free to ignore, but then the Harpy might simply wipe the prestation out completely, so better to take the settlement!). Reneging on debts of Major, Blood or Life Prestations provoke the harshest punishments from the Harpy, because they threaten the system of boons and prestations most. In such cases, the offender may find himself suddenly no longer able to call due debts of prestation that he had counted on (because the Harpy cancelled all debts for which he was the Grantor), known as a Boonbreaker to all Kindred, and perhaps utterly destroyed politically by additional scandalous news “unearthed” by the Harpy at just the wrong time. Such a Kindred may also find that as a Boonbreaker, even being a Debtor to powerful Kindred might not help him, because they can no longer trust that he will fulfill his prestations to them. A Kindred who cannot collect on any debts of prestation, is greatly reduced in social standing and is no longer valuable as a Debtor is unlikely to have a bright future – his life would be of no more value to Kindred society.
Death, Boons & Prestation
Killing those indebted to others:
When one Kindred kills another, the killer becomes the new Debtor of any prestations that the victim owed at the time of Final Death. This preserves the value of the system of prestation.
Kindred estates after Final Death:
When a Kindred dies, any prestation they were owed is lost to the ages. Kindred do not honour the wills of the deceased.
Capital Punishment:
There is one exception to the general disposition of boons and prestations upon a Kindred’s death. All the prestations a Kindred owes as a Debtor are nullified when they are killed under the authority of a Prince or Justicar of the Camarilla. Likewise, the Kindred who successfully killed the condemned Kindred becomes the Grantor for any prestations that the deceased Kindred was owed. This serves as an additional bounty to encourage the lawful pursuit of outlaws and criminals. It also serves as a check – Elders heavily invested in a Kindred will go to great lengths, including staking them to “cool off” for a decade or two, if they feel their actions might precipitate a Blood Hunt and nullify their investment in that Kindred.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I struck up a Boon! What now?
Do you owe a favour ("Prestation") to someone or does someone else owe you? Typically you will state for what the Boon is given and the extent of the Boon - although it is not necessary to give details. It can be as simple as "Lady (or Lord) <Harpy>, I <your name and pedigree >, of Clan _____ do owe Prestation for a Minor Boon granted by <Granter's name> of Clan _____." It's a wise idea to register Boons with a Lesser Harpy of comparable age if you are not an elder or already introduced to the Master Harpy.
If it's not made public, it's not a Boon. It might be a favour owed, but it's not a Boon. The Boon Register is considered IC info for anyone who wishes to investigate the debt of another vampire. You register a Boon with either the Master Harpy or one of her Lesser Harpies.
Q. Who registers the Boon?
Ideally, both parties. At worst, the Debtor. When Prestation is exchanged, however, it's the Grantor who registers the change and will typically let the Debtor know of the change in his or her Grantor.
Q: What happens when someone grants my owed Prestation to someone else?
A: When Prestation is exchanged, it is required for the exchange to be made public. This might involve rumours or an announcement in the main Elysium but more commonly involve both parties going to register the change with one of the Harpies.
Q. One of my favours wasn't made public. There was stuff the Debtor and Grantor knew that was never made public. Should the 'Boon' still be repaid?
A. Of course! The vampire would still probably repay the Boon, even if it's not public knowledge. Vampires tend to take the long view. While refusing to repay the Boon might have no short-term consequences, in 50 or a 100 years your character could be a Harpy, Primogen or even Prince (or any number of other offices or positions), in a position to say "he owed me a Boon he didn't repay" and have it mean something. Even in the short term the vampire has no idea of knowing who else might know about the Boon (what if one of the characters mentioned it to his sire? Or whispered into the ear of a Harpy?). No vampire assumes that a secret is really secret - telling someone a secret is a good way to pay off a Boon, after all, so who knows who the PCs have been telling tales to?
So even if a Boon isn't public it'll still probably be paid off. Certainly there'll be cases where a vampire (especially a rash young one) will decide that he can get away with it, but most won't even consider it. The potential damage to your reputation is too great. Likewise a vampire might try to tarnish the reputation of another by claiming that he refused to repay a Boon, but it's rare (and again something a young idiot might do... or be tricked into doing) as such an attempt is quite likely to backfire ("You say Duvoe owed you a Life Boon and refused to repay it? Nonsense! I've known Duvoe for three centuries and he always pays his debts! How dare you try to malign his good name!").
Q: My character is a Camarilla vampire who is interested in Status. How do I act/react?
A: Take an interest in the Boon Register. Talk about Boons and Status. Gossip. Use your own judgment to decide if you think a Boon is reasonable. Start caring about other people's actions (and your own!) and whether they fit into society's expectations.
Q: How should I act towards someone to whom I owe a boon?
A: Vampire society expects you to acknowledge that you are in their debt until such a time as you are able to repay the Boon. This does not mean that you have to grovel (unless you are a neonate and they are an elder, in which case groveling is advisable anyway), but you are expected to be polite.
Q: I'm a Brujah! So what if I mouth off at someone to whom I owe a boon?
A: Oh, you're a Brujah. Or a Gangrel. Or a Loner. That's nice. Vampires are expected to understand that and will bear it in mind before denouncing you. ("He's so uncouth, but then again... he's only a Brujah.") This does not absolve you, however, from being able to apologise afterwards, usually by offering Minor Prestation if they would grant you the Boon of Forgiveness.
Q: Yes, but how am I supposed to know if the Boon I am offering is reasonable?
A: That's the real trick, isn't it? Younger vampires, or those who have not been heavily exposed to the inner workings of the Camarilla, are almost expected to make mistakes. Any elder in the Camarilla (including your clan's Primogen, if you're fortunate enough to have one) is expected to be familiar with the more subtle workings of prestation. Ultimately, though, it's a question of judgement.
Q: What if someone dominates or threatens me until I give them a Boon?
A: This is considered to be unconscionable and a violation of Consent; any vampire who is found to be indulging in this sort of errant behaviour may just find themselves ostracised by the Camarilla. Prestation is that important.
No-one may ever be forced into offering a Boon.
If you have seriously put yourself out to help another vampire, and they don't honour that debt with prestation, you are free to publicise the fact and let the status denounces fall where they will. If you are in trouble with a higher ranking vampire it is perfectly acceptable to offer Prestation in lieu of punishment (eg. if you have annoyed a Primogen). Beating someone up and demanding a Boon in return for their lives IS a threat. (However, there's a reason that blackmail has survived this long. Sometimes threats work. Your character will just have to choose what to do.)
Q: OK, so I owe someone a boon. Wouldn't it be sad if they met with an unfortunate accident...
A: If you owe someone a Boon, you should be spending your time trying to think of ways to pay it off, not ways in which you can take 'revenge' on them. Again, if something like this happens and is made public, the vampire responsible may expect to be ostracized, or worse.
Q: Can I swap a Boon with someone else?
A: The short answer is yes. Although you're actually swapping the "Prestation" of the vampire who owes you. As with all other aspects of Prestation, when this happens it is required to be publicly announced or spoken directly to a Harpy.
Q: My character is going to retire. Can I turn over Prestation that people owe me to my friends before I go?
A: No. Rule 7. We expect you to keep IC and OOC allegiances separate.
Q: Well, how about if N is my best buddy/greatest ally/true love? Can't we exchange boons as a sign of our mutual trust and cooperation?
A: So, you've found that rarity of rarities in the vampiric world, a steadfast partner. Ready to stick by you through thick and thin, or at least work towards mutual benefit. Good show for you and them, but don't even think of using Prestation to acknowledge it.
Prestation is not about love, or honour, or camaraderie. It is about power, plain and simple. It is about those who Owe, and those who Are Owed. Vampires under the weight of even a Minor Boon to another should never feel comfortable. Even if they completely trust the vampire who they owe (and really, they shouldn't), who's to say that the holder of the Boon's Prestation won't get themselves in debt at some point and be forced to transfer your Prestation to another who you may find not so pleasant to be indebted to?
Remember, Prestation transfer requests are the one way a debt of Prestation can be demanded to be repaid, with no choice on the part of the debtor (except, of course, the choice to have their status cast into ruin). So your "friend" really has no choice but to castrate themselves in Camarilla society, or turn your Prestation over to someone who could be your direst enemy. Now that show of friendship doesn't seem like such a good idea anymore, but it's too late, and if the Harpies even got a hint that you had offered Prestation over so "light" a thing (remember, these are ruthless creatures of the night we're talking here), you would be a laughing stock. It's not even necessarily malice on the Harpies' and elders part. It's that Prestation is an old and deadly serious practice, that none of them can afford to see used frivolously.
Even a Minor Boon can become a nightmare in certain circumstances, and there's no room for learning curve where the Harpies are concerned. Don't refuse Prestation that you should owe, but similarly, don't ever grant Prestation without realising what you're potentially getting yourself into.
Thanks to LA: A House Divided for the FAQ.
Further Reading: >> Click <<