From your Beast Narrator

[AnneB]

It has been brought to my attention that there are some misunderstandings when it comes to an obscure power of beasts, namely Thicker than Water, so here is a brief rundown of the rule, mechanically speaking.

Lineage taken from Beast core page 87
Descended from the Dark Mother: Vampires, werewolves, changelings, Prometheans, Sin-Eaters, mummies, fetches, inhuman spirits. In general, any being that was never human, or was human but has since been totally transformed into or merged with a supernatural being, falls into this category.

Fundamentally Human: Mages, psychics, mediums, slashers, and ghosts. As a rule, any character who can be described with “mostly human, but” falls into this category. (this includes half splats)

Taken from Beast core page 88
Effect: Unless she acts in a hostile fashion, treats the target poorly, or abuses their relationship, your character is considered to begin with at least a good impression for the purposes of Social maneuvering when it comes to other supernatural beings, including other Beasts. Thicker Than Water applies to fundamentally human types such as mages and psychics, but only bestows an average impression instead of a good one. (See Social maneuvering, p. 161.)

Note, though, the situational context applies. If a Beast’s first meeting with a supernatural being involves the Beast taking hostile action against that being or that being’s friends or allies,
Thicker Than Water doesn’t mean that the character needs to be friendly to the Beast. The Storyteller is, as always, within her rights to decide that circumstances modify the impression level for the Beast, even taking Thicker Than Water into account. All else equal, the Beast’s impression level starts at good. Note, too, that Thicker Than Water doesn’t give the Beast’s player any bonus on Social actions beyond Social maneuvering. It simply means that if the Beast reaches out to her kin in a respectful manner, the other being is generally willing to receive it. Thicker Than Water is not a mind control power, but merely a social lubricant.


If you are full splat (and not a demon), when you interact with a beast for the first time, you have an overall non hostile (good, mechanically) impression of them as long as they do not seem hostile to you. This can change with interaction but beasts have a bit of an aura of kinship about them.
If you are a half splat or a mortal+, on your first time you do not have a feeling of kinship but more of, ambivalence but at the very least you won’t feel outwardly hostile to them as long as they don’t seem hostile to you.

For the purpose of this effect, just randomly saying hi off the street or approaching a group is not 'hostile' for these purposes, mechanically, and in fact "Thicker Than Water" is partially meant to facilitate these random meetings on good terms.

Posted for TrevorS